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The Talkative Tortoise

A Jataka tale from Indian Fairy Tales, collected by Joseph Jacobs

This Jataka tale comes from ancient India and was collected by Joseph Jacobs in Indian Fairy Tales, published in the late nineteenth century. Jataka tales are stories that teach a lesson. This story reminds us that sometimes it is wise to stay quiet and listen. The tortoise had a wonderful plan and kind friends, but talking at the wrong time caused him to fall. This tale has travelled across many countries and appears in story collections around the world, showing that its lesson matters to people everywhere. This text reflects its era.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readersTypical starting range: ages 4–5

Length

short · about 348 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Indian Fairy Tales, Joseph Jacobs and John Dickson Batten

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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