The Tortoise and the Eagle by Aesop for ESL students with a video, list of new vocabulary in real context, and questions for discussion
The Tortoise and the Eagle is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project.
Video of the Tortoise and the Eagle
The Tortoise and the Eagle
A tortoise, discontented with his lowly life, and envious of the birds he saw disporting themselves in the air, begged an eagle to teach him to fly.
The eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, as nature had not provided him with wings; but the tortoise pressed him with entreaties and promises of treasure, insisting that it could only be a question of learning the craft of the air.
So at length, the eagle consented to do the best he could for him, and picked him up in his talons. Soaring with him to a great height in the sky, he then let him go, and the wretched tortoise fell headlong and was dashed to pieces on a rock.
English proverbs from the short story
Here are some proverbs that thematically relate to this Aesop’s fable:
Know thyself.
This proverb emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s limitations, a lesson the tortoise ultimately learns in the fable.
Pride comes before a fall.
The tortoise’s desire to fly, despite being a land creature, can be seen as an example of pride leading to a negative outcome.
This proverb suggests that it’s best to leave things alone if they are not causing any problems. In the fable, the tortoise could have been content on the ground but chose to disrupt the status quo.
Vocabulary in real context
- tortoise: a slow-moving land-dwelling reptile with a large dome-shaped shell like a turtle
- discontented: unhappy, dissatisfied
- lowly: low in status or rank, poor, ordinary
- envious: jealous
- disport themselves: to amuse themselves by doing things that are active and enjoyable
- protest: to complain about something, assert, announce, declare
- idle: futile, worthless, vain, pointless
- entreaty: desperate plea or request, appeal
- at length: eventually, at last, finally, in the end
- consent: to give permission, agree
- talons: hooked claws of birds of prey
- wretched: miserable
- soar: to fly or rise high in the air
- headlong: with the head in front of the rest of the body
- dashed: crushed, shattered
It shows that you should not try something that is impossible for you for example the turtle wanted to fly but the nature didn’t give him wings for flying. The was actually kinda unexpected I didn’t know the little poor turtle is gonna die.
That’s right. The tortoise was not meant to fly and he lost his life due to a pang of jealousy and living out of harmony with nature.
The initial desire of the tortoise was to fly like the birds. The eagle protested against his request because the nature didn’t provide wings for the tortoise. At the end, the tortoise insisted on his wish and ultimately he fell on a rock and crashed into pieces.
Thanks for your comment on the story of the tortoise and the eagle.
Feedback
You should know the difference between “in the end” and “at the end”.
The ultimate outcome of the tortoise’s attempt to fly was that he exceeds his limit so he’s died.
You’re absolutely right. In fact, the tortoise did not know himself and his limitations or weaknesses, and for this reason, he jeopardized his own life.