High above the Sudanese plains, where the dry winds sweep across golden grasses and thorn trees cast sharp shadows, an eagle circled in the sky. Her wings stretched wide, catching the air as she searched for prey below. Known as the ruler of the heavens, the eagle’s eyes were sharper than polished stone, and no creature escaped her gaze.
One day, as she glided over a stretch of land near a shallow river, her eyes caught sight of a slow-moving figure. It was a tortoise, steady and deliberate, dragging her heavy shell toward the water. The eagle swooped low, her talons gleaming, her hunger stirred.
The tortoise felt the rush of wind and saw the shadow fall across the ground. She knew at once what it meant. The eagle had chosen her as prey. Heart pounding beneath her hard shell, she turned her head upward and pleaded with the predator.
“Eagle,” she said, “I know you wish to eat me. But grant me one final request. Let me dive into the water one last time before I die.”
The eagle paused mid-flight, intrigued. Few creatures dared to speak so calmly when facing her talons. Her pride made her hesitate, for she enjoyed seeing how others struggled or begged. Looking down at the tortoise, she clicked her beak and said, “Very well. I will allow you this one wish. Dive into the water and take your last pleasure before I feast upon you.”
The tortoise bowed her head in thanks and, without another word, slipped into the water. She sank slowly, her heavy shell carrying her down into the muddy bottom. There she pressed herself into the soft earth, hiding from sight. The river’s surface rippled briefly, then grew still, revealing nothing but water and sky.
The eagle landed on a nearby branch, confident at first that her meal would soon resurface. She waited, her sharp eyes fixed upon the river. Minutes turned into hours, and still the tortoise did not rise. The eagle grew restless, flapping her wings in irritation. She called out, “Tortoise, where are you? Do not delay, for I hunger!”
But the tortoise gave no answer. She remained hidden beneath the mud, safe in her refuge. She knew that patience would protect her, while haste would deliver her into the eagle’s claws.
At last, the eagle realized she had been deceived. Her pride burned hotter than her hunger. She lifted her head and cried out across the plain, “The slow are not always foolish!” With that, she spread her wings and soared once more into the sky, leaving behind the creature she could not conquer.
The tortoise remained beneath the water until she was sure the eagle had gone. Then she rose quietly to the surface, breathing again the air of freedom. She carried within her heart the knowledge that wisdom, not speed, had saved her life.
Moral Lesson
This Sudanese folktale teaches that true strength does not always lie in swiftness or power. Though the eagle ruled the sky and was feared by all, the tortoise triumphed through patience and cleverness. She understood that survival is not always about might but about knowing when to wait and how to hide.
The story reminds us that those who seem slow or humble are not without wisdom. Arrogance, like the eagle’s, can blind the strong to the intelligence of the weak. In life, wisdom and patience often overcome force and pride.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who are the two main characters in this Sudanese folktale?
The eagle, a powerful predator, and the tortoise, a humble but wise creature.
Q2: What did the tortoise request before the eagle could eat her?
She asked to dive into the water one last time.
Q3: How did the tortoise escape the eagle?
She hid herself in the mud at the bottom of the water, remaining unseen.
Q4: What did the eagle say after realizing the tortoise had tricked him?
He said, “The slow are not always foolish.”
Q5: What quality allowed the tortoise to survive?
Her patience, caution, and cleverness.
Q6: What broader lesson does this tale teach?
That wisdom and patience can defeat pride and strength.
Source: Sudanese folktale (collected among the Nuba people by Frobenius, 1923).
