Translating A Turtle Story

From Tagalog to English

When I was a little kid, my grandmother often told me a Filipino fable titled “Ang Madaldal Na Pagong.” In English, that literally means “The Turtle Who Spoke Too Much.”

In the summer of 2014, I will go back to the Philippines after more than a decade of being away to teach English to underprivileged youth. I looked at various folktales and fables that are still taught in the Filipino schools today and discovered that “The Turtle Who Talked Too Much” is still a staple in storytelling.

I translated the fable from Tagalog to English (with much help from my mother and her friends) and one day hope to teach it to the children I will meet next summer. There is a simple moral to the fable, and hoping that meaning does not get lost in translation, I wish to share it with you.

“The Green Turtle”

One beautiful morning, the friends met at the riverbank. They were the Grey Goose, White Goose, and Turtle.

The friends recounted stories to one another, and sooner or later, they said goodbye.

“Take me with you to your home. I would love to see your home across the rocky river” says Turtle.

“How can you come when you don’t have wings to fly across the river?” replies Grey Goose.

“You’re right,” sighs Turtle.

“Hold on. I have an idea”, says White Goose. “You can fly with us only if you follow our instructions.”

“Thank you! I promise that I will follow what you tell me to do”, says Turtle with joy.

“Bite on the middle of the branch. Grey Goose and I will bite both ends, and we will both fly. But remember this: you cannot speak or else you will fall on the rocky river.”

“Alright. Let’s go. Bite on the branch, Turtle, my friend”, says Grey Goose. “Remember! You cannot speak or you know what will happen. You have no wings and you know what happens to animals who have no wings.”

“I will not speak,” promises Turtle once again.

Grey Goose and White Goose bit the opposite ends of the branch. Turtle, knowing full well what not to do, bit the middle of the branch. A few seconds later, the friends flew over the rocky river.

Turtle was ecstatic to be flying over the river and to be as high as the green trees. Turtle feels as though he is one with the heavens.

Some animals that were playing across the river saw the odd sight: the geese’s beak around the branch and the green turtle dangling in the middle, his shell facing down. The animals could not help but laugh.

The rabbits pointed and laughed. And the foxes sniggered and laughed even louder. “Look everyone! Look at Turtle flying over the river. What a ridiculous sight!” said everybody that was laughing at Turtle.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Turtled was angered. “Those damn . . . ”

Before Turtle could finish his words, he fell towards the rocky river, his tiny arms flailing as he dropped shell-first to the rocks in the water.

“Poor Turtle!” say the geese as they landed on the other side. “Poor green Turtle.”