THE TORTOISE AND THE BIRDS, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch

THE TORTOISE AND THE BIRDS, Etching, 5 inch by 7 inch,


THE TORTOISE AND THE BIRDS Aesop’s fable

A Tortoise asked an Eagle to carry him to his new home, promising her a rich reward for her trouble. The Eagle agreed, and seizing the Tortoise by the shell with her talons, soared aloft. On their way, they met a Crow, who said to the Eagle: “Tortoise is good eating.” “The shell is too hard,” said the Eagle in reply. “Those rocks would crack the shell; we will eat well tonight” was the Crow’s answer.
The tortoise was very old and wise. He pretended not to hear the birds. Before the hard rock was soft sand. At the last moment, he nipped the eagle's claw and landed safely in the warm soft sand. The tortoise was safe and the two birds had empty stomachs.

Moral of the story: Never soar aloft on an enemy’s wings.