Chimpanzee lived in a big kola-tree. "Come enjoy my kola-nuts!' he proclaimed, and the animals came, standing in line. As each animal reached the front of the line, they bowed to Chimpanzee and received a kola-nut.
Tortoise, however, stood quietly off to the side.
As each animal received their kola nut, they said to Tortoise, "Why don't you get in line?"
"Oh, I'm just a small fellow," he said modestly. "I don't need a whole nut. Just share yours with me; that's all I need."
So one by one, Tortoise got half of all the nuts, more than anyone else!
[an Edo story from Nigeria]
Inspired by: "Tortoise Gets Half" in Thirty-Two Folk-Tales of the Edo-Speaking Peoples of Nigeria (published in Folklore) by Northcote W. Thomas, 1920.
Notes: You can read the original story online.
Oh that's so clever of him haha
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