Jabutí the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon

**Lisa Bueno** (0:00)
Okay, our friends. So today, we are reading another one of our stories from Around the World Collection. This particular story is another trickster story by Gerald McDermott. We've read a couple of his others, and I think we still have another one or two more to go.
But this particular story is a trickster tale from the Amazon. Now, you know where the Amazon is? Yes. Where is the Amazon?

**Philip** (0:30)
It's a giant rainforest in South America.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:33)
Yeah, it's a giant river surrounded by a rainforest in South America. So you would find a turtle in the Amazon, and that's exactly where this guy is. Are you ready to hear about what he gets into?
I am too. So today, we will be reading about Jabutí the Tortoise, the trickster tale from the Amazon.

**Philip** (1:06)
It sounds like a Z, but it starts with a Z.

**Lisa Bueno** (1:09)
Yeah, the way it's pronounced, it definitely has a Z sort of sound to it. Jabutí. Jabutí.
Jabutí.
And we're going to read it today. So today's story is read by Mommy and...
Philip. Philip. Okay, here we go. Jabutí the Tortoise played a song on his flute. His shell was smooth and shiny and his song was sweet. His music wove through the tangled vines and floated above the treetops and all the creatures of the rainforest listened to his song. For some, Jabutí's song was sour. Jaguar could remember when Jabutí tricked him into chasing his own tail. Oh, that's not very kind. Lizard could remember when Jabutí tricked him to giving Jabutí a ride on his back. Oh, in the picture we can see, it's almost like he's riding him like a horse, huh?
Tapir could remember when Jabutí tricked him into a tug of war with whale. Well, that's not gonna be much of a fun tug of war, is it? You're gonna get dunked into the water. But the birds of the air loved Jabutí's music. And they sang when he played in the pictures. We can see all the birds. It almost looks like the Tiki Room at Disneyland, because there's all these bright and colorful birds and they're all singing. Well, all except Vulture, who could not sing at all. He was jealous of Jabutí and waited for the day when he could eat the little tortoise. He does not look happy at all. He's mean looking, isn't he?
He's got red eyes that glare. And he doesn't have any bright colors on him, I'm afraid. And I guess if you're a bird, it's hard to not be brightly colored. There was a time when the birds of the air were invited to a festival in heaven. The king of heaven called them all together to sing, to rejoice and to receive his blessing. And when Jabutí saw the great gathering of birds, he wanted to go too.

**Philip** (3:43)
I want to play my flute for the king of heaven, he said.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:49)
Vulture laughed at him.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:51)
I may not be able to make music like you, said Vulture, but I can spread my wings and soar all the way to heaven.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:04)
Stick me with you, Jabutí pleaded and Vulture saw his chance.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:11)
Climb on my back, little friend, he said.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:18)
Uh-oh, should we trust him?

**Lisa Bueno** (4:21)
I don't know.

**Lisa Bueno** (4:22)
Vulture spread his dark wings and rose up in the air. Jabutí held tight to Vulture's feathers as they flew high above the treetops. The dense forest in the Great River stretched far below. They had almost reached heaven when Vulture suddenly swooped and turned upside down. Now, let me ask you a question. Can turtles hold things?
No, they can't. They don't have fingers like we do. So sure enough, Jabutí lost hold of Vulture's feathers and slipped off his back. Jabutí went tumbling down through the sky. The earth came rushing toward him and he cried out, Twigs and bushes, flowers and trees, move aside, make way for me. And all the plants and the trees of the forest spread apart to make way for Jabutí, but he had forgotten to call to the rock. Jabutí came down on it with a crack and his smooth, shiny shell broke into pieces.
That is the saddest thing, isn't it?
At that moment, the music of the Festival in Heaven stopped, and the King of Heaven looked down and saw Vulture joining the other birds.

**Lisa Bueno** (6:07)
Where is Jabutí?

**Lisa Bueno** (6:10)
Asked the King of Heaven. Vulture shrugged.

**Philip** (6:14)
How would I know?

**Lisa Bueno** (6:17)
He answered, Jabutí wanted to play for me, and you offered to bring him here, said the King of Heaven sternly. Tell me where he is.