A FRIEND

Friendship of Tortoise and Eagle

It was not often that the tortoise and the eagle met, for the one spent his days in the clouds and the other in the under-a-bush. However, when the eagle heard what a warm-hearted little fellow the tortoise was, he went to pay a call on him. 

The tortoise family showed such pleasure in his company and fed him so lavishly that the eagle returned again and again, while every time as he flew away he laughed, "Ha, ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can never reach my eyrie in the tree-top!" 

The eagle's frequent visits, his selfishness and ingratitude became the talk of the forest animals. The eagle and the frog were never on speaking terms; for the eagle was accustomed to swooping down to carry a frog home for supper. 

So the frog called from the stream bank, "Friend tortoise, give me beans and I will give you wisdom." 

After enjoying the bowl of beans the frog said, "Friend tortoise, the eagle is abusing your kindness, for after every visit he flies away laughing, 'Ha ha! I can enjoy the hospitality of the tortoise on the ground but he can never enjoy mine, for my eyrie is in the tree-tops.' Next time the eagle visits you, say, 'Give me a gourd, and I will send food to your wife and children too'." 

The eagle brought a gourd, enjoyed a feast, and as he left he called back, "I will call later for the present for my wife." 

The eagle flew away laughing to himself as usual, "Ha ha! I have enjoyed the tortoise's food, but he can never come to my eyrie to taste of mine." 

The frog arrived and said, "Now, tortoise, get into the gourd. Your wife will cover you over with fresh food and the eagle will carry you to his home in the treetops." 

Presently the eagle returned. The tortoise's wife told him, "My husband is away but he left this gourd filled with food for your family." 

The eagle flew away with the gourd, little suspecting that the tortoise was inside. The tortoise could hear every word as he laughed, "Ha! ha! I share the tortoise's food but he can never visit my eyrie to share mine." 

As the gourd was emptied out onto the eagle's eyrie the tortoise crawled from it and said, "Friend eagle, you have so often visited my home that I thought it would be nice to enjoy the hospitality of yours." 

The eagle was furious. "I will peck the flesh from your bones," he said. But he only hurt his beak against the tortoise's hard back. – from a Central African tribe