Yertle The Turtle and Other Stories

YERTLE the TURTLE

On the far-away Island of Sala-ma-Sond, Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond. A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat. The water was warm. There was plenty to eat. The turtles had everything turtles might need. And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

They were . . . until Yertle, the king of them all, Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small. " I'm ruler, " said Yertle, " of all that I see. But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me. With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pondBut I cannot look down on the places beyond. This throne that I sit on is too, too low down. It ought to be higher! " he said with a frown. " If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be! What a king! I'd be ruler of all I could see! "

So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his handAnd Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command. He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone And, using these turtles, he built a new throne. He made each turtle stand on another one's backAnd he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack. And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile. What a wonderful view! He could see 'most a mile!

" All mine! " Yertle cried. " Oh, the things I now rule! I'm king of a cow! And I'm king of a mule! I'm king of a house! And, what's more, beyond that, I'm king of a blueberry bush and a cat! I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see! "

And all through that morning, he sat there up highSaying over and over, " A great king am I! " Until 'long about noon. Then he heard a faint sigh. " What's that?" snapped the kingAnd he looked down the stack. And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack. Just a part of his throne. And this plain little turtle Looked up and he said, " Beg your pardon, King Yertle. " I've pains in my back and my shoulders and knees. How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?"