In a jungle far away lived a turtle and a rabbit, they were the best of friends but every day the rabbit would run to waterfalls and leave the turtle all alone. One day after the rabbit returned from the falls the turtle asked “What is it like to be at the falls? How does the water from the falls taste like? Does it taste sweeter than the water from the nearby lake?”.
“I will tell you my friend the water at the falls is like heavens gift to the earth, water at the falls has the sweetest taste of anything you would taste in the wilds and it’s truly a blessing to drink that water every day, every drop of it replenishes your soul, if you ever get a chance go there and drink the magical water, you will understand what I am talking about.”
Words of the rabbit made the turtle dream of magical water day and night. After that day all he could think about was to go to the falls and taste the magical waters of the falls.
One day he decided he will leave for the falls today and asked his friend rabbit to accompany him. The turtle and the rabbit set out to the falls but soon the rabbit was miles ahead of the turtle. He ran he walked he pushed himself but his friend rabbit was way ahead of him and the falls were nowhere in the sight.
The turtle stopped, losing all hope he cried for the slow pace the god gave him.
He cursed the god for not giving him the ability to run fast, to go to places quickly, and to run around the world like the rabbit.
God on hearing his cries in the form of an eagle came in front of him and asked “What is it you want dear turtle?”
The turtle replied, “All I want is to go to the falls and drink the sweetest water.”
“As you wish my child, I will get you to the place you want but first tell me why is it that you want to go there” replied God.
“My friend rabbit says the water at the falls is the sweetest”
“Have you tasted the water at the lake nearby? I feel they are the sweetest water in the jungle”
“I have tasted the waters at the lake and felt they are the sweetest water of the jungle but since the rabbit told me about the falls, they don’t taste the sweetest”
“You must be tired by your journey, why don’t you go taste the water at the lake nearby, and then I will take you to the falls”
The tired turtle went to the lake nearby and tasted the water, “They taste sweet but I know the water at the falls are way sweeter”
“Well then let’s see”
God in the eagle form clinched the turtle by his claws and flew him over to the falls, the place which had the sweetest water of them all.
They reached the falls and the turtle felt the cold breeze of the falls on his face and was overjoyed from the experience. Turtle reached the riverside and finally tasted the water.
On drinking the water, he was disappointed.
“Is this what you call the sweetest water, this is just like any normal water, the rabbit fooled me.”
The rabbit arrived in the next moment all tired and still catching his breath, as he was welcomed by the turtle who was very angry with him and shouted “Why did you lie to me about the water of the falls, they taste just like any other water.”
Rabbit all shocked drank the water and said “What are you talking about, this is the sweetest water in the world that I have ever tasted”
Turtle argued “But it’s just like any other water available anywhere in the jungle”
The rabbit replied “Well it's better than the old river’s water and the water from the lake nearby”
Turtle all confused asked the rabbit “Where’s the old river?”
Rabbit surprised by the response of the turtle asked “The old river by the side of the Mr. bears shop”
Turtle not getting a word he said, asked “Now, who’s Mr. bear”
Surprised by all this rabbit asked “How did you not meet Mr. bear on the journey, his shop is just in the middle of the way from our home to the falls. Which way did you take to come to the falls?”
Turtle told, “I reached till the lake nearby and from there was accompanied by God’s eagle.”
Hearing their argument God asked, “So what do you think, which water is sweeter?”
Turtle accepted “You were right God the water at the lake is the sweetest water of all”
Rabbit disagreed “No, the water at the lake can never match how magical the water at the falls is”
“There’s nothing magical about the water at the falls”
“You would never understand the value of things that are precious, your taste buds are ruined drinking the wastewater at the lake”
“The only thing ruined is your brain, which must have fallen on your journey here”
“At least, I have brains that could fall and not a brainless animal like you”
They fought for hours and hours. After finally getting tired of all the fighting and the arguments they decided to ask the creator of nature itself “Which one of us is right? which water did you make sweeter, water at the lake or water at the falls?”
“Oh, my dear turtle and rabbit, neither is the turtle wrong nor is the rabbit right. You both are right in ways of your own,
“But how is that possible, only one of us can be right and one has to be wrong” questioned the turtle.
“None of you are wrong, you are just different, the water at the lake, the water at the old river, and the water at the falls are all the same”
“Then why do they all taste different,” asked the rabbit.
“What matters my child is not the water you drink but the path you took to it, the journey you went through, and the struggles you faced on the way, for turtle reaching the lake nearby is a tough task because of his slow pace but that same lake will take only seconds for the fast rabbit to go to, that is why the water at the lake doesn’t feel as magical to the rabbit as the water at the falls.”
They both started understanding how pointless their fight was and finally understood,
“A destination earned without going through the journey will always be underwhelming"