In the vast, sunlit plains of Southern Africa, where the red earth met the golden horizon, there lived a great community of tortoises. Unlike the other animals of the veld, the tortoises were not known for speed or strength. Their short legs could never match the antelope’s leap, nor their shells rival the lion’s roar. But they were gifted with something more subtle: patience, unity, and cunning.
One day, hunger pressed upon them. The rains had been sparse, and food was scarce. As they sat in council beneath the wide sky, their wrinkled faces turned toward one another in thought. At last, one elder tortoise spoke.
“My friends,” he said, his voice slow but steady, “we must find a way to provide for ourselves. We cannot chase down the swift animals of the plains, but perhaps we can use our wits to capture those who run too quickly for their own good.”
The others listened carefully. “And who might those be?” another asked.
The elder’s eyes gleamed. “The ostriches. They are swift of leg but foolish of heart. If we use our numbers and work together, we may yet catch them.”
The tortoises murmured their agreement, and soon they devised a plan. They would form two long rows, facing each other, leaving a wide path between them. Then one tortoise would venture forth to drive the ostriches into the corridor of shells. Once the birds ran into this channel, they would hear the voices of the tortoises echoing around them. Confused and frightened, they would run with such reckless force that their very strength would abandon them.
And so the plan was set into motion.
The Rows of Shells
On the appointed day, the tortoises spread themselves across the dry earth. Their shells gleamed in the sun like scattered stones, yet they stood perfectly still, each one in their appointed place. They formed two unwavering lines, leaving a corridor between them long and narrow, a passageway no ostrich could escape without running its full length.
One tortoise crept forward, the scout chosen to stir the ostriches from their grazing. The birds, tall and proud with feathers swaying in the wind, noticed the little creature approaching. They laughed among themselves, for they thought, “What can this slow, crawling one do against us, who can run faster than the wind itself?”
But the tortoise kept moving, steady and determined, until the ostriches grew uneasy. Their instincts urged them to flee, and with a sudden burst, they bolted straight into the corridor formed by the rows of tortoises.
“Are You There?”: The Call of the Hunt
As the ostriches thundered between the rows, the tortoises remained motionless, as if carved from stone. But from shell to shell, their voices rang out.
“Are you there?” one tortoise called.
“I am here!” came the answer from the opposite side.
“Are you there?” another called again.
“I am here!” came the steady reply.
The ostriches’ ears filled with the cries. On either side of them, the voices repeated, echoing endlessly: “Are you there?”, “I am here!”, “Are you there?”, “I am here!”
The ostriches grew frantic. The voices hemmed them in, each cry urging them to run faster, as though the entire earth itself were alive with watchers waiting to seize them. Their long legs pounded the ground, their hearts beat wildly, and they ran with all the force their bodies could muster.
But the tortoises did not move. They did not need to. Their strength lay in patience, and their power in unity.
The Fall of the Ostriches
At last, the ostriches, exhausted by their frantic sprint, could run no more. Their legs wavered, their chests heaved, and with a final stumble, they fell heavily to the ground. The once-proud birds lay scattered across the plain, too weary to rise again.
When silence returned to the land, the tortoises broke formation. Slowly but surely, they made their way to the fallen ostriches. They gathered together at the place of collapse, where their patience and cleverness had borne fruit.
And there, united in triumph, the tortoises feasted upon the birds they could never have caught by speed alone.
Moral Lesson
This Khoikhoi folktale teaches that intelligence and unity can overcome even the greatest obstacles. Though the tortoises were slow, they achieved what seemed impossible by standing together and using their wit. The swift ostriches, blinded by fear and pride, exhausted themselves, while the patient tortoises reaped the reward. The story reminds us that wisdom and cooperation often prove stronger than speed or brute force.
Knowledge Check
1. Who are the main characters in “Tortoises Hunting Ostriches”?
The main characters are the tortoises, who plan and execute the hunt, and the ostriches, who are their prey.
2. What strategy did the tortoises use to hunt ostriches?
They formed two rows with a corridor between them, confusing the ostriches with their calls.
3. What words did the tortoises call out during the hunt?
They repeatedly asked, “Are you there?” and answered, “I am here.”
4. Why did the ostriches eventually collapse?
They ran so frantically from the imagined threat that they exhausted their strength and fell.
5. What is the moral of this Khoikhoi folktale?
It teaches that patience, intelligence, and cooperation can overcome speed and strength.
6. What is the cultural origin of this story?
The tale comes from the Khoikhoi people of Southern Africa (South Africa).
Source: South African Folktale
