Turtle carries the world on her back: this story has been told by different cultures around the world for generations. Like Mother Nature, Turtle is unhurried, wise, and enduring. She walks on land, swims in water, and breathes the air—and so embodies three of the four elements of creation. We have much to learn from Turtle.

The eleven stories in this collection come from Africa, India, Japan, Australia, and the Americas. "The Courting of Miss Python" tells how Turtle outwits the brutal King Python; "The Monkey's Liver" explains why Monkey never rides on Turtle's back and why Jellyfish has no spine; and "The Talkative King" tells how a chatty ruler learns from Turtle why it is often wiser to listen than to talk.

READING LEVELS: Lexile Level: 760L; Guided Reading: P