ਗੱਲਬਾਤੀ ਕੱਛੂਕੁੰਮਾ
The Talkative Tortoise
Bilingual Punjabi + English Panchatantra Ages 4-8
ਤਾਲਾਬ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ । , ਤਾਲਾਬ ' ਆਉਂਦਾ । , ।
In a calm pond lived a friendly Tortoise. He had two good friends, a pair of Geese who came to the pond each day. The three of them talked and laughed together for hours, for the Tortoise loved to chatter.
। ਤੇਜ਼ ਤਾਲਾਬ ਸੁਕਾ , ।
But one year, no rain fell. The hot sun dried the pond smaller and smaller, until only a little muddy water was left.
“ ,” , “ ਤਾਲਾਬ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ, । ਨਾਲ ' ਚੱਲ।”
"Dear friend," said the Geese, "soon this pond will be gone, and you cannot live without water. Come with us to a great lake far away."
“ ,” ਨਾਲ ।
"But I cannot fly," said the Tortoise sadly.
। “ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ,” ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ , “ ਵਿਚਕਾਰੋਂ ਫੜੀਂ। ਜਾਵਾਂਗੇ। , , ਡਿੱਗ ਜਾਵੇਂਗਾ।”
The Geese thought of a clever plan. "We will hold the ends of a strong stick in our beaks," they said, "and you will bite the middle. Then we will carry you through the sky. But you must not open your mouth, not even once, or you will fall."
, । ਗਏ, ।
The Tortoise bit the stick tightly, and the two Geese lifted him high into the air. Up they flew, over fields and villages.
, । “ਦੇਖੋ! ਦੇਖੋ !” , ।
Down below, people looked up and pointed. "Look! Look at that funny tortoise flying through the sky!" they shouted, and they laughed.
। ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ , “ ਨਾਲ ਰੱਖੋ!” — ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ।
The Tortoise grew angry. He wanted to shout back, "Mind your own business!" He tried and tried to stay quiet — but at last he could hold it in no longer.
ਬੋਲਣ — , , , ਜ਼ਮੀਨ ' ਡਿੱਗ ।
He opened his mouth to speak — and the moment he did, he let go of the stick and tumbled down, down, down to the ground.
, ਜਾਂਦਾ।
If only he had kept his mouth shut, he would have reached the great lake safely.
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A public-domain Panchatantra tale, retold and translated into Punjabi (Gurmukhi) for diaspora families by Maastarji. Read together to build Punjabi reading confidence.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is "The Talkative Tortoise" written in Gurmukhi?
- Yes. The full story is written in Punjabi (Gurmukhi script) as “ਗੱਲਬਾਤੀ ਕੱਛੂਕੁੰਮਾ”, with the English shown alongside so you can read both together. You can hide the English to read in Gurmukhi only.
- Can my child read this if they are still learning Punjabi?
- Yes. Keep the English on so a new reader can follow the meaning while they sound out the Gurmukhi. As they grow more confident, switch to “Gurmukhi only” for reading practice.
- Is this story free to read?
- Yes — every story on Maastarji is free to read online, with no sign-up. “The Talkative Tortoise” is a public-domain Panchatantra tale, retold and translated into Punjabi for diaspora families.
