The Tale of the Crowned Tortoise

Long ago, the animals gathered to choose a king. The lion roared, shaking the forest.
The elephant stamped, shaking the ground.
The leopard leapt with pride, and the monkey chattered without end. Each boasted of their strength, their speed, or their cunning.

Then, from the edge of the gathering, came the tortoise, small, cracked-shelled, and slow. The animals laughed.

“How can one so weak rule over us?” they mocked.

But the elders remembered. The tortoise had survived floods, fires, and famine.
When the mighty quarreled, the tortoise endured. When the swift stumbled, the tortoise still reached his journey’s end.
His strength was not in muscle, but in patience, wisdom, and the courage to carry life upon his back.

And so, in a gesture of humility, the elephant bent low and lifted the tortoise high upon his back. A golden crown was placed upon him, and the small, quiet tortoise became king.
From that day onward, the animals bowed not to the roar of the lion, nor the leap of the leopard, nor the chatter of the monkey, but to the tortoise, who taught them that true power lies not in force, but in resilience, wisdom, and destiny.