Short Stories for Kids

The turtle and the flute short stories for kids | Story in English for Kids

Adaptation of the Brazilian folk tale

Many years ago a long-necked turtle lived in the Brazilian rainforest. From a very young age, her great hobby was playing the flute. The sound that came out of her was wonderful, because she had taken great care to play better every day.



The rest of the animals appreciated waking up each morning to such beautiful melodies. As soon as they stretched out, many of them looked for the little turtle to sit next to him and listen to some good music for a while.

One day, a man who was passing by heard those beautiful musical notes and tuned his ears to discover where they came from. He walked around for a while and finally found the tortoise distracted blowing the flute.

– Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do we have around here? A turtle to make soup I have to hunt it anyway! – thought.

Cautiously and trying not to make noise, the man approached behind the little animal and wham… He threw a rope around its long neck, tied a slip knot and caught it. The turtle tried to scream but no one came to its aid, as they had all run away when they saw a threatening human prowling there. In a matter of seconds, the poor turtle, clinging to his beloved flute, found himself locked in a dark sack from which he could not escape.

When the man got home, he locked the tortoise in a cage with rusty bars that smelled musty. He turned the key and looked at his children.

– Kids, I have to run some errands. I put the key to the cage on the table. Don’t even think about opening it!

– Don’t worry, dad. Go easy – said the older sister, who was the one who was in charge of her little brothers.



The father left and the tortoise, overcome by melancholy, began to play. Sadness was perceived in every note that came out of the flute, but the music was beautiful. The children, excited, listened open-mouthed. At the end, one of them broke the silence.

– Little turtle … How nice! You’re a great artist!

– Yes … That’s what they say about me around here. What you don’t know is that I dance better than I play – said the turtle, seeing an opportunity to save his life.

– Really? Can you dance despite being loaded with that shell and having short, chubby legs? – Asked the smallest.

– Clear! And believe it or not, I can do both at the same time. Open me up and I’ll show you.

The children were so excited that they went for the key and without thinking about the consequences, they released the turtle. As promised, he began to play and dance to a ring of laughter and applause. After a while, the turtle stood still.

– Hey, don’t stop, friend! This is very funny! They yelled.

– I know, I know … But let me take a break to stretch my legs a bit. I need to walk a bit and regain strength. I’ll go out for a walk for a minute and I’ll be back in no time.

It seemed like a logical request to the children and they let the turtle wander into the garden while they stayed inside, commenting on how much fun they were having.

The turtle walked slowly camouflaged among the grass and as soon as it turned the corner of the house, it ran as far as it could until it managed to reach the jungle. He managed to save his skin thanks to his intelligence and of course, his little wooden flute.



The story goes that never again a human crossed his path and that he continued his happy and peaceful life. Of course, there are those who say that once, when crossing the thicket of the tropical forest, they have been able to listen to beautiful melodies that seem to come from the sound of a flute. Who knows if the little turtle from our story will walk there!

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