The Duck & the Turtle
I chose this story for one of the distinctive narrative features of One Thousand and One Nights: a previous tale gives rise to this one.
Source
This tale is adapted from One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights), based on Abdol-Latif Tasuji’s edition (1843–1844 CE). After hearing Scheherazade tell The Shepherd and the Angel, the king feels remorse for killing women and young girls, and asks whether she knows a tale about birds. In response, Scheherazade narrates this story.
My telling of the story
The tale begins with a duck that lands on a river rock, where it discovers the corpse of a man who’s been stabbed to death. The duck assumes the man had been a tyrant whose people killed him to free themselves from oppression. Soon afterward, vultures and eagles descend upon the corpse, frightening the duck and forcing it to leave.
The duck settles in a tree beside the river, where it reflects on the sadness of exile and the instability of the world. It realizes how easily joy and hope can turn into grief and disappointment, and how little trust can be placed in worldly fortunes.
At that moment, a turtle approaches and asks why it’s so sad. The duck talks about enemies and homesickness. The turtle comforts it, saying no suffering is greater than separation from one’s homeland, adding that in times of exile one must seek patience, friendship, and the companionship of virtuous beings. A deep friendship develops between them as they talk about endurance, loyalty, and facing life’s hardships.
After some time, the duck returns to the rock, finding that both the corpse and the scavenging birds have disappeared. Delighted, the duck returns to his former home with the turtle. For a while, they live peacefully. But eventually a hungry hawk—driven by fate—attacks and kills the duck.
Takeaways
The need to belong and friendship are enduring values.
Worldly joys, blessings, and opportunities are never permanent and can vanish in an instant.
Destiny and death are unavoidable.
Duck 53 × 13 × 20 cm