Ah-Po had many Chickens, and for three months the Turtle and Chickens lived
in peace with each other. But one day all the young Chickens came together and
laughed at the Turtle. Then they said to him, "Why do you live here so long?
Why do you not go back to your own place? This small barnyard corner is not so
good as your cave in the wilderness. You have only a little sand and grass to live
on here. The servant feeds you, but she never gives you any wilderness fruits.
You are very large, and you take up too much room. We need all the room there
is here. You foolish old thing, do you think our fathers and mothers want you?
No. There is not one of our people who likes you. Besides, you are not clean.
You make too much dirt. The servant girl gave you this water to drink, and your
water bowl is even now upside down. You scatter rice on our floor. Too many
flies come here to see you, and we do not like flies."
The Turtle waited until they had all finished scolding. Then he said, "Do you
think I came here myself? Who put me here, do you know? Do you suppose I
like to be in jail? You need not be jealous. I never ate any rice that belonged to
you or your family. I am not living in your house. What are you complaining
about? If our master should take your whole family and sell it, he would only get
one piece of silver. Who and what are you to talk so much? Wait and see; some
day I may have the honoured place."
Some of the Chickens went home and told their mother, "We had an argument
with the Turtle to-day and he had the last word. To-morrow we want you to go
with us and show him that a Chicken can argue as well as a Turtle."
The next day all the Chickens of the barnyard went to see the Turtle. And the old
Hen said, "My children came here to play yesterday, and you scolded them and
drove them away. You said all my family was not worth one piece of silver. You
think you are worth many pieces of gold, I suppose. No one likes you. Your own
master would not eat you. And the market people would never buy a thing so old
and tough as you are. But I suppose you will have to stay here in our yard a
thousand years or so, until you die. Then they will carry you to the wilderness
and throw you into the Nobody-Knows Lake."
Then the Turtle answered and said, "I am a Mountain Turtle. I come from a wise
family, and it is not easy for even man to catch me. Educated men, doctors,
know that I am useful for sickness, but if all the people knew the many ways
they could use me, I think there would soon be no more turtles in the world.
Many Chinese know that my skin is good for skin disease, and my forefeet are