STORYTIME. Old Tales by Moonlight: THE CRAFTY TORTOISE AND THE MURDER OF THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN Read and enjoy

Once upon a time there lived a King who had a very beautiful wife. She was not only beautiful but also humble and kind-hearted. As a matter of fact, she was beautiful inside out. She was the talk of the village and the admiration of all.

One day, Mr Tortoise went on a hunting trip into a nearby bush for a kill. In a thick bush, he saw a movement and without proper look, he immediately pulled the trigger thinking he had made a kill of bush meat only to discover that he had shot the apple of the king's eye; the wife of the king whom he dearly loved.

As soon as he discovered that he had entangled himself in error, being the crafty individual he was, he quickly devised a means to conceal the murder he had committed. What did he do? He invited his best friend, Mr Cock, told him that they should go for a hunting. And Mr Cock who agreed without any sense of suspicion went with him.

As they approached the scene of the murder, Mr Tortoise who already knew what he was doing, told Mr Cock to shot at a particular animal ahead of them whom they suspected to be a buffalo. As soon as Mr Cock pulled the trigger, Mr Tortoise screamed, ''Ah! Mr Cock, you have shot the king most loved wife!''. And of course, like a professional singer, that was the chorus he sang through the streets of the village until he got to the Palace.

Since no one knew that Mr Tortoise orchestrated all of that to hid his crime, he got away with it but Mr Cock was charged for the crime of murder; a crime he new nothing of. He was apprehended and kept in the king's prison. While he was kept under lock and key, Mr Tortoise went about his normal daily activities.

The day for the execution of Mr Cock finally came. The day the villagers were waiting to see the execution of a killer. The killer of the beloved queen of the king. Mr Cock in his sorrowful state made a request from the king. Request that appeared ridiculous to many of the villagers. Before you kill me, he said, give me one of your royal crowns, bead, staff, shoes and apparel so that I can go round the village for everyone to see me for the last time, he added.

The king granted all the request of Mr Cock and did exactly the desire of Mr Cock. After he had dressed from top to bottom, he walked round every nooks and crannies of the village. The villagers seeing this, were perplexed at the sight of the criminal being apparelled with the king's apparel, followed him in their numbers with a song in their lips titled: the man who murdered the king's wife, has he now become the king?

Mr Tortoise, seeing Mr Cock who was dressed in Royal apparel and a great crowd behind, thought that Mr Cock was being given heroic celebration for killing the king's queen. Immediately, Mr Tortoise became jealous, full of envy, he went to the Palace where the king and all his Chiefs were gathered, he announced to the amazement of everybody, '' I killed the queen'' he said intermittently. '' It wasn't Mr Cock who killing her. I did.''

The king and his chiefs still lost in their dumbfoundment, Mr Tortoise was grabbed by the palace guards. The king suddenly woke up from his deep shock and temporary loss; with a thunder-like voice he screamed: ''arrest him!''.

In a flip of seconds, the good news had streamed to Mr Cock who was billed for execution. Mr Cock was set free. And Mr Tortoise, the real culprit was executed.

Lesson
Learn to question every information in detail before taking any action.
Avoid hasty decisions

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