Long, long ago, before humans built towns and cities, the animals ruled themselves in a village deep in the forest under the bright, watchful moon. The king of the animals was the mighty Lion, his mane golden like the rising sun and his roar strong enough to shake the hills.
But even lions cannot control the sky or the rain. One year, the rain refused to fall. The rivers dried up to thin trickles, and the once-green grass turned sharp and yellow. Soon, food became scarce. The famine spread through the Animal Kingdom, and every creature felt hunger clawing at their bellies.
The young animals whined, their bones sticking out like thin sticks. The mothers worried for their children. And the old animals, with shaky steps and tired eyes, grew weaker and weaker.
The king called for a grand meeting beneath the Great Baobab Tree. All the animals gathered: Elephant, with his ears flapping like giant fans; Crocodile, blinking his ancient eyes; Lizard, flicking his tongue; Scorpion, swishing his tail; and even tiny Ant, marching in a straight line.
Lion rose and spoke with a voice heavy like thunder.
"My people," he said, "the famine has made us weak. If we share what little food we have, none of us will survive. The future belongs to the young, for they are strong and can carry on the kingdom. But the old. the old eat food and give us nothing in return. I declare: from this day, every family must let go of their old ones. They must be removed."
A shiver passed through the crowd. Some animals nodded in agreement. Others lowered their heads in sorrow.
The Tortoise was there too. He was not as tall as Giraffe, nor as quick as Antelope. His shell was heavy, and his legs were short. But Tutis had something many lacked: a heart full of love and a head full of questions.
Tortoise had an old grandmother he loved more than anything. She was slow, yes, and her shell was faded with cracks, but her eyes twinkled with stories of the past. She told him tales under the moon, guiding him with her wisdom.
When Tutis heard the King's decree, his chest grew tight. "Give up Grandmother?" he thought. "Never!"
That very night, while others took their old ones away, Tortoise dug a hollow beneath a great tree by the riverbank. He padded it with soft grass and leaves. Then he whispered to his grandmother,
"Come, Mama. I will hide you here. I will daily bring you food and water, even if my share grows smaller. No one must know."
The grandmother looked at him with tired eyes. "My Grandson," she said softly, "they will call you foolish. They will punish you if they find out."
Tortoise shook his head firmly. "Then let me be foolish. For I cannot live without you."
And so, every day, Tortoise took a little food from his portion and carried it secretly to the hidden hollow. Sometimes it was just a single yam, sometimes a few nuts, sometimes only a sip of water. His own stomach growled like a drum, but he smiled when his grandmother ate.
One evening, as Tortoise crept back from the hiding place, Leopard saw him. "What are you carrying, Tortoise?" Leopard asked, licking his whiskers.
"Just some dry leaves," Tortoise lied quickly, tucking the food closer to his shell. Leopard squinted, but he did not follow. Tortoise sighed with relief. He knew he must be more careful.
The famine grew worse. The animals grew weaker. And then, something happened that shook the whole kingdom.
One night, Lion lay down to sleep under the stars. But as he yawned, a slippery green snake slithered into his mouth and down his throat! Lion roared and thrashed. He coughed, he clawed at his throat, but the snake refused to come out. It coiled inside, hissing, scratching, blocking his breath.
The next morning, Lion could not eat. He could not drink. His great body trembled with pain. All the animals gathered around, frightened.
"Who will help our king?" they cried.
Hyena scratched his head. "Maybe pour hot water down his throat?"
Elephant shook his ears. "No, no, that will kill him."
Monkey leapt from branch to branch. "We could tickle him until the snake laughs and crawls out?"
But nothing worked. The snake remained stuck, and Lion grew weaker by the hour. The whole kingdom trembled, for if the king died, chaos would follow.
That evening, Tortoise visited his grandmother as usual. After giving her the little food he had, he told her about the trouble.
"Grandmother," he said, "Lion has a snake trapped in his throat. No one knows what to do. Soon he may die."
The old tortoise closed her eyes, thinking deeply. Then she spoke.
"Take a stick, my child. Tie a small rat to the end. Hold it close to Lion's mouth and wiggle it gently. The snake loves to eat rats. If it sees the rat, it will follow it out."
Tortoise nked. "That is clever! But if I tell the others, they will ask me how I know. If I reveal your secret, they will punish me for hiding you."
The grandmother touched his shell with her wrinkled hand. "Wisdom is not meant to be hidden. Go, save the king. Whatever happens, happens."
So Tortoise rode back to the kingdom made the suggestions as though they were his. He found a rat, tied it to a stick, and carefully brought it near Lion's open mouth. He wiggled it left and right.
The snake saw the rat. Its tongue flicked eagerly. Slowly, slowly, it uncoiled and slid forward, following the rat. With a final hiss, it slithered out of Lion's mouth and onto the ground, where it vanished into the grass.
Lion gasped and roared with relief. "I can breathe! I can eat again!"
The animals checheered. tortoise has saved the king!"
Lion looked down at the little tortoise. "Tortoise, how did you know this trick? None of us could think of it. Tell me, and I will reward you with anything you desire."
Tortoise hesitated. His legs felt like noodles, shaking with fear. If he told the truth, he and his grandmother might be punished. But if he kept silent, the kingdom would remain foolish, thinking only the young had wisdom.
At last, Tortoise took a deep breath. "Your Majesty," he said, "I must confess. I did not think of it myself. I still keep my grandmother hidden, though you ordered us to kill the old ones. It was her wisdom that saved you."
The animals gasped in shock. A silence fell.
Lion's eyes grew wide. Then, slowly, he nodded. "So, it is the wisdom of the old that saved me, the king of beasts. If we had destroyed all the elders, who would guide us in times of trouble?"
He raised his mighty paw. "From this day forward, let no animal harm their old ones again. They are our treasure, our memory, our wisdom. Let them live, so their knowledge may guide the young."
The animals cheered once more, louder than before. Those who have also hidden their old rushed to rescue their hidden elders, carrying them back with tears of joy.
Tortoise smiled, and his grandmother was brought into the sunlight at last. She was no longer a secret. She sat beside him, proud and smiling, her eyes shining like the moon.
And so, Tortoise taught the kingdom a lesson that would never be forgotten:
The young are the strength of today, but the old are the wisdom of tomorrow. Together, they keep the world alive.