Long ago, in the land of Koka, a Turtle found himself caught in a struggle between wit and danger. A man from Lubi la Suku went into the bush one day and captured a Turtle. Proud of his catch, he carried it back to the village. When the people gathered around, their voices rose in excitement and curiosity.
“Let us kill it!” some cried.
But the question quickly followed: “How shall we kill it?”
One villager suggested, “We shall strike it with hatchets!”
The Turtle, though trembling within his shell, spoke boldly to confuse them.
“Turtle of Koka,
And hatchet of Koka;
The hatchet cannot kill me, not a bit.”
The crowd muttered, puzzled. “Then how shall we kill him?” Another group shouted, “We shall crush him with stones!”
Fear gripped the Turtle’s heart, but with quick thinking, he cried:
“Turtle of Koka,
And stone of Koka;
The stone will not kill me, not a bit.”
Still, the people pressed on. “Then let us cast him into the fire!”
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The Turtle, desperate to protect himself, spoke with calm defiance:
“Turtle of Koka,
And fire of Koka;
The fire cannot kill me, not a bit.
On my back it is like stone;
Fire cannot catch hold there.”
The villagers frowned. “If fire will not kill him, then knives shall.”
But again, the Turtle raised his voice:
“Turtle of Koka,
And knife of Koka;
The knife will not kill me, not a bit.”
Now the people grew restless. They had tried hatchets, stones, fire, and knives, yet the Turtle dismissed them all. “This creature, how shall we kill him?” they grumbled.
One villager at last declared, “Let us cast him into the depth of water!”
At those words, the Turtle’s heart leapt with joy, but he masked his delight with a cry of terror: “Woe! I shall surely die there! How shall I do?”
The people clapped their hands and shouted with triumph. “We have found it! Now we know how to kill him!”
They carried him to the river’s edge, convinced of their victory. With a great heave, they cast him into the deep waters. For a moment, all was silent. Then bubbles rose to the surface, and the people leaned forward eagerly, expecting the end.
But soon the Turtle emerged, gliding smoothly across the current. His shell glistened in the sun as he swam freely. From the water he called out in song:
“In water, in my home!
In water, in my home!”
The villagers stared, their mouths open in disbelief. “Oh! Turtle has fooled us,” they admitted. “When we spoke of hatchets, he said they would not kill him. When we spoke of water, he cried that he would die. And yet, when we cast him in, we saved him.”
And so it was that the Turtle escaped death through clever words and cunning. From that day forward, the Turtle lived in the rivers and streams, safe in his true home.
Moral Lesson
This folktale teaches the power of wit and resourcefulness in the face of danger. The Turtle, though small and vulnerable, overcame the strength of many by using words wisely. He turned fear into strategy, guiding his enemies toward the very choice that ensured his survival.
The story reminds us that intelligence can overcome brute force, and that sometimes survival depends not on strength, but on knowing when and how to speak.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who captured the Turtle?
A1: A man from Lubi la Suku captured the Turtle in the bush.
Q2: What did the villagers first suggest to kill the Turtle?
A2: They first suggested killing him with hatchets.
Q3: How did the Turtle respond to each method of killing?
A3: He claimed that hatchets, stones, fire, and knives could not harm him.
Q4: Which method did the Turtle pretend to fear?
A4: He pretended to fear being cast into the water.
Q5: What happened when the villagers threw the Turtle into the river?
A5: The Turtle swam happily, singing that water was his true home.
Q6: What cultural lesson does the folktale highlight?
A6: It highlights the value of wit, clever speech, and intelligence over brute force.
Source: Kimbundu folktale, Angola.
Original text from Folktales of Angola (Heli Chatelain, 1894), Smithsonian Digital Library.
