Characters
Choose the character you will play.
For another Indian fable, read “The Elephants and the Mice,” a play that explores the importance of kindness.
Art by Dave Clegg
Play,
The Tale of the Too-Talkative Turtle
Will Turtle learn his lesson before it’s too late?
By Rekha S. Rajan | Adapted from the Panchatantra Tale “The Talkative Tortoise” | Art by Dave Clegg
From the February 2025 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will identify how the main character of this play changes from the beginning of the story to the end.
Complexity Factors
Featured Skill:
How a Character Changes,
Other Key Skills: main idea, text features, visual literacy, plot, cause and effect, opinion writing, explanatory writing, narrative writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension
Standards
Storyteller 1
Storyteller 2
Child
Turtle
Duck 1
Duck 2
Crane 1
Crane 2
Crocodile
Scene 1
Storyteller 1: I am going to tell you a Panchatantra story.
Child (pronouncing each syllable): Pan-chah-TAN-trah?
Storyteller 2: Yes. They are fables from long ago in India—
Child (interrupting): What’s a fable?
Storyteller 1: It’s a story that teaches you a lesson.
Storyteller 2: This one is an old tale of a young turtle—
Child (interrupting): How can a young turtle have an old tail?
Storyteller 1: Not that type of tail. T-a-l-e.
Storyteller 2: As we were saying, in this story, the turtle learns—
Child (interrupting): Why does the turtle need to learn a lesson?
Storyteller 1: You may need to learn the same lesson if—
Child (interrupting): But I don’t have a tail!
Storyteller 2: Listen up and we’ll begin!
Scene 2
Storyteller 1: Long ago, in a river in India, we meet Turtle.
Storyteller 2 (waving): Hi, Turtle!
Storyteller 1: Turtle does not wave back. He is too busy talking. Let’s meet the other animals.
Storyteller 2: Hi, Ducks! Hello, Crocodile! Greetings, Cranes!
All animals except Turtle (waving): Hi!
Storyteller 1: What is Turtle talking about?
Storyteller 2: Let’s listen in and find out.
Scene 3
Turtle: As I was saying, I love swimming.
Duck 1: This river sure is beautiful. I love—
Turtle (interrupting): —the nice cool water!
Duck 2: It’s so—
Turtle (interrupting): —refreshing to swim here.
Duck 1 (glaring at Turtle): Lately, my favorite lunch—
Turtle (interrupting): —has been fish! They’re so tasty!
Storyteller 1: Above, the Cranes soar through the sky.
Crane 1: Oh look! Our friends are in the river. Let’s go say hi.
Crane 2 (rolling his eyes): Fine, but Turtle always interrupts. We’ll never get a word in!
Crane 1: Hi, Turtle! Hi, Ducks! Beautiful day—
Turtle (interrupting): —to swim in the sun, isn’t it?
Crane 2 (annoyed): Um, sure. But as we were saying, the sun is shining—
Turtle (interrupting): —almost as brightly as my shell!
Storyteller 2: Suddenly, the Ducks and the Cranes spot Crocodile gliding through the water . . .
Scene 4
Duck 2: Let’s get out of here!
Storyteller 1: The Ducks waddle onto the shore, and the Cranes fly into the sky.
Storyteller 2: But Turtle is too busy talking to notice.
Turtle: I wonder what scrumptious fish I’ll find for lunch today!
Duck 1 (calling from the shore): Turtle, look out for the—
Turtle (interrupting): —fish! I know, I’ve been looking. But I don’t see any. How odd.
Duck 2: Swim away before—
Turtle (interrupting): Good idea, I’ll swim away to a new section of the river to look!
Crocodile (swimming closer): Not so fast, my friend!
Turtle: Oh! Hello, Crocodile! I was just conversing with the Ducks and the Cranes. Where did they go?
Crocodile (smiling and showing her big teeth): Maybe they were hungry.
Turtle (nervously): Well, it is almost lunchtime, so I’d better go . . .
Crocodile: Why don’t you stay for lunch?
Turtle (trying to swim away): Because fish are my favorite lunch, and there aren’t any here, so . . .
Crocodile (smirking): Well, my favorite lunch is here: turtles!
Turtle (gulping): Turtles?
Scene 5
Turtle: HELP!
Storyteller 1: The Cranes look down from the sky.
Crane 1: Turtle is always talking his way into trouble!
Crane 2: Let’s use that stick to pick him up.
Storyteller 2: The Cranes swoop down. They each grab one end of a stick.
Storyteller 1: Meanwhile Crocodile is circling Turtle in the water.
Turtle (fearfully): Wouldn’t you say fish are tastier than turtles?
Crocodile (licking her lips): Nothing is tastier than turtles.
Crane 1: Turtle, up here!
Turtle: Oh Cranes, you came to save me!
Crane 2: Listen carefully!
Crane 1: Bite on this stick and we’ll carry you to a pond.
Crane 2: But you must keep your mouth closed or you’ll fall.
Turtle: Got it, bite the stick.
Crocodile: Not if I bite you first!
Storyteller 2: The Cranes swoop down to Turtle, who bites the stick.
Storyteller 1: They fly away with Turtle, just as Crocodile dives toward him.
Crocodile (snapping her jaws): Just missed!
Scene 6
Storyteller 2: The Cranes carry Turtle through the air.
Crane 1: It’s not far now.
Crane 2: I hope that pond has some yummy snails.
Crane 1: I’m tired of snails. Let’s find berries.
Storyteller 1: Turtle starts to wiggle, trying to talk while biting the stick.
Crane 2: Turtle, hold still or you’ll fall!
Storyteller 2: Has he ever gone this long without talking?
Crane 1: Anyway, berries are the best!
Crane 2: No, snails are!
Storyteller 1: Turtle can’t stand it any longer.
Turtle (letting go of the stick): FISH ARE THE BEST!
Cranes 1 & 2: Nooo!
Storyteller 2: Turtle falls down, down, down.
Storyteller 1: SPLASH!
Scene 7
Storyteller 2: Turtle lands in a nearby pond.
Storyteller 1: The Ducks swim over, and the Cranes swoop down.
Ducks 1 & 2: Turtle, are you OK?
Turtle: Yes, luckily I landed on a lily pad.
Duck 1: We tried to warn you about Crocodile!
Duck 2: But you wouldn’t listen.
Crane 1: We told you to hold on tight!
Crane 2: But you wouldn’t listen.
Turtle: You are all good friends. I was too busy talking to listen, and I almost got hurt.
Storyteller 2: The Ducks and the Cranes nod.
Turtle: I have one more thing to say . . .
Cranes 1 & 2: Ughhh.
Turtle: I’m ready to listen. Tell me, what’s your favorite food for lunch?
Epilogue
Storyteller 1: And there we have it.
Storyteller 2: The tale of a turtle who loved to talk.
Storyteller 1: He learned that there’s nothing wrong with talking.
Storyteller 2: Even talking a lot.
Child (smiling): As long as you take time to listen to others.
Turtle: I learned my lesson.
Crocodile (winking): Now, who is ready for lunch?
Think and Write
Imagine you are Turtle. Using details from the play, write a letter to one of the other animals explaining what you learned.
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Meet other turtle characters in “Two Turtle Tales,” a play featuring two Native American folktales. Students can read a letter from author Joseph Bruchach himself!
You just read about a character who loves to talk. Read “Two Traditional Tales” to meet a character who loves to brag. Like Turtle, this character also learns his lesson!
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
5. Differentiate and Customize
Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing
1. Preparing to Read
Introduce the Text and Preview Text Features
- Ask students to predict what this play will be about based on the title and subtitle on page 24, and illustration on pages 24-25. Review the predictions after reading.
Set a Purpose for Reading
- Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 24 and the Think and Write box on page 29.
- Remind students to keep these prompts in mind while reading the play.
Introduce Featured Skill
- Build on the Think and Read prompt by explaining the play’s featured skill: How a Character Changes. Encourage students to describe how Turtle acts at the beginning, middle, and end of the play.
Introduce Vocabulary
- Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading.
2. Close Reading
Reading and Unpacking the Text
- Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
Perform the play as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud.
Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions.
Perform the play as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud.
Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions.
Close-Reading Questions
- Read Scene 1. What is a Panchatantra story? A Panchatantra story is a fable from long ago in India that teaches a lesson. (key detail)
- Read Scenes 2 and 3. What happens when the Ducks and the Cranes start talking? When the Ducks and the Cranes start talking, Turtle interrupts them. He doesn’t let them finish a sentence or thought. (main idea)
- What part of the story do the illustrations on pages 26 and 27 show you? The illustrations show what happens in Scene 4 when Crocodile swims over to Turtle and the other animals. The illustration on page 26 shows the Ducks and Cranes waddling and flying away and Turtle talking as Crocodile swims up to him. The illustration on page 27 shows Turtle noticing Crocodile. Turtle looks nervous and Crocodile looks excited. (text features and visual literacy)
- Read Scene 5. What happens after the Cranes hear Turtle call for help? The Cranes decide to help Turtle. They swoop down and grab a long stick. They tell Turtle to bite on the stick and they will carry him to a pond. Then they fly away with Turtle just as Crocodile dives toward him. (plot)
- Read Scene 6. Why does Turtle fall into a pond? Turtle falls into the pond because when he opens his mouth to talk, he lets go of the stick and falls into the water. (cause and effect)
- Read Scene 7. How does Turtle change in this scene? Turtle realizes that because he was too busy talking to listen, he almost got hurt. He tells the Ducks and Cranes that he is ready to listen to them. He asks them what their favorite food for lunch is. (how a character changes)
Critical-Thinking Questions
- Read the Epilogue. What lesson do the Storytellers want you to learn from this fable? In the Epilogue, the lesson the Storytellers want students to learn is there is nothing wrong with talking, even talking a lot. But you must always take the time to listen to others. (moral)
- Do you think the Ducks and the Cranes are good friends to Turtle? Why or why not? Explain your answer with details from the play. Answers will vary. Sample response: I think the Ducks and the Cranes are good friends to Turtle because they try to help him get away from Crocodile when they see Crocodile swimming toward them. They are good friends to Turtle because they come up with a plan to get Turtle to safety by having him bite the stick. They also check on him after he falls into the nearby pond. (expressing an opinion, connecting to the text)
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: How a Character Changes
- Distribute or digitally assign the How a Character Changes Skill Builder.
- Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 29.
Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers
Before reading the play, preview the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions so students know what to focus on. Then read the play together, pausing to answer each of the questions.
For Multilingual Learners
Some of your multilingual learners might know stories, myths, or folktales that have been passed down in their culture or other cultures. Ask them to share a story they have been told and explain that this play is adapted from a fable in the Panchatantra, a group of Indian fables from long ago. Afterward, listen to the audio read-aloud of the play while following along in the magazine.
For Advanced Readers
Invite students to look up another fable from the Panchatantra. Have them read the story and then write a short paragraph that describes how the tale is similar to and different from the play. Invite students to share their paragraphs with the class or in small groups.
Text-to-Speech