The Flying Turtle 飞行的乌龟

One bright sunny morning, Mr. Turtle gets bored in the water. He plans to go out on the shore.
Turtle: I am tired of swimming all day.
I’ll go out on the shore today.
Fish: Good morning, Mr. Turtle.
Where are you going so early?
Turtle: Well, I’m going out of the water.
I plan to walk along the shore.
Fish: On the shore?!
I envy you, Mr. Turtle.
Turtle: Why is that?
Fish: Well, if I go out of the water,
I’ll die.
So you are very lucky.
Please tell me about the outside world.
What is out there?
Turtle: Well, Mrs. Fish, there is so much to see.
I don’t know where to begin.
First, there are trees and mountains.
Second, there are houses and people.
Third, there is the sky.
Fish: Tell me about the sky!
Turtle: It is blue and beautiful.
It is also bigger than the sea.
You can see everything from there.
But you must fly.
Fish: You are lucky, Mr. Turtle.
But can you fly, too?
Turtle: Well, uh…


Of Course.
It’s easy.
I’ll teach you someday.
Fish: Really?
You promise?
Turtle: I must go now.
I’m a little busy today.
I’ll talk to you later.
Fish: Okay. I’m sorry.
Please go now.
I’ll see you later.
Have a nice day.
Turtle: Thank you.
You too.
Bye. Bye.

Mrs. Fish and Mr. Turtle part. Mr. Turtle is out on the shore. He walks around.
Turtle: Look at all those trees.
It’s so beautiful here.
Hey, what’s that?
It’s a bird.
Look at it fly.
Birds are so lucky.
I wish I were a bird.
I wish I could fly, too.



Just then, a little butterfly lands on a flower for a moment. Then it flies away again.
Turtle: It’s so unfair.
Even that little butterfly can fly.
Why can’t I ?
I want to fly, too.
Eagle: Hello there, Mr. Turtle.
What did you just say?
Turtle: Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Eagle.
I said I want to fly.
Hey. Perhaps, you can teach me?
Eagle: Ha, ha, ha.
You must be joking.
How can a turtle fly?
Turtle: Why not?
You can teach me.
Eagle: That’s nonsense.
You don’t even have wings.
And you are too heavy.
Turtle: Why do I need wings?
Eagle: You need wings to fly.
Turtle: Oh no. Boo-hoo.
Then I can’t fly?
Eagle: No.
But you can swim.
I can’t.
So cheer up.
Turtle: How about this, Mrs. Eagle?
Eagle: What?

Turtle: Can you take me up?
Eagle: It’s too dangerous.
Turtle: Oh, please!
Just this once.
I want to see the land and the sea from the sky.
I’ll do anything for you.
Eagle: Well, I don’t know.
It’s dangerous up there.
What if you fall?
Turtle: Don’t worry.
I’ll hold on tight.
I’ll be careful.



The turtle keeps begging. The Eagle cannot say “no” any longer. She agrees to take the Turtle up into the sky.
Eagle: Okay, Mr. Turtle.
Just this once.
Never again.
Turtle: Oh, thank you so much.
Eagle: Okay, now hold on tight.
Let’s go up.
One,
two,
three.
Whee…


The Eagle takes the Turtle up into sky.
Turtle: Oh my goodness!
It’s scary up here.
Eagle: Are you okay?
Do you want to go back down?
Turtle: No, no.
I’m fine now.
Look below.
It’s so beautiful.
I feel like I’m flying.
Eagle: Okay. Let’s go down now.
Turtle: No. No.
I want to go up higher.
Eagle: It’s too dangerous.


The turtle insists. So the Eagle takes him up even higher.
Turtle: It is so wonderful up here.
I think I can fly by myself now.
Eagle: What?!
Are you crazy?
You can’t fly by yourself!
Turtle: Yes, I can.
I’ll show you.
Please, let me go.
Eagle: As you please.
But I warned you.
Good luck.



The Eagle lets go and the Turtle starts to go down. The Fish sees the Turtle falling down.
Turtle: What’s happening?
Why am I not flying?
Oh no!!!
I should have stayed on the land.
Fish: Hey, why isn’t Mr. Turtle flying?
He is coming down really fast.
Be careful, Mr. Turtle!
There’s a big rock below. (splash and crack)

The Turtle lands on a big rock and his back breaks into a thousand pieces.
Fish: Poor Mr. Turtle. I don’t envy him anymore.

MORAL :
Know your limits. 要有自知之明。