That turtle about which fairy tales are told was not only smart and cunning, but also unusually dexterous. Suffice it to say that she knew how to climb banana trees and feast on ripe fruit there.
So one day the turtle found a beautiful banana tree, on the top of which were growing clusters of yellow fruits. Without hesitation, she climbed onto him and began to bite the bananas and throw them on the ground, so that she could later carry them away and eat them.
And this tree stood on the ground of a man who had a hawk-aura in his service. The huge bird sat on the top of a bottle-shaped ceiba tree and carefully observed its surroundings. It so happened that when the turtle climbed the tree, the hawk was not there - he went away to hunt, but when he returned, he immediately noticed that something was wrong in the owner’s garden.
Before the turtle had time to drop the third bunch to the ground, its wings rustled and something black and red fell on it from the sky. Strong claws grabbed the turtle, and it quickly flew into the air. “Who could have clawed me?” thought the turtle. “Only the aura hawk has a black body covered with feathers and a red head. It’s him!”
“Listen, good bird,” she turned to the hawk, “you probably want to punish me for the bananas?”
“Yes,” the hawk muttered, continuing to rise higher and higher.
“Wise bird,” said the turtle, “you are absolutely right that you are going to put me to death.” Stealing other people's bananas is truly terrible. True, it’s not my fault that I don’t have a garden and that I love bananas more than anything in the world. It’s also not my fault that your owner has a hundred more trees besides this tree...
“Yes,” answered the hawk, looking for where to throw the prey.
“But I’m ready to help you and I’ll choose the most terrible punishment for myself.” After all, your master won’t like it if I stay alive and start visiting his garden again. I have a big request. Below us I see rocks, a forest and a lake...
“So...” The hawk was already circling, choosing a place of execution for the turtle.
“My request is that you throw me onto the rocks.”
“She’s being cunning!” thought the hawk. “I’d better fly to the forest.” And he headed away from the rocks.
- Wonderful! - exclaimed the turtle. “Since I didn’t happen to fall on the stones, then the trees will do.” I am very grateful to you. Unclench your claws quickly!
“You really want, my dear, to fall into the forest,” thought the hawk, “but you can’t fool me!” And he unclenched his claws, flying over the lake.
When the turtle crawled back to the banana tree a few days later, there was no one at the top of the ceiba tree. The owner drove away the bad watchman. This is why red-headed aura hawks still hate turtles and, if they can, hunt them by smashing the caught turtles into rocks.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru