Tortoise and Rabbit were good friends. Rabbit was a magician.

He would use his magic stick to point at a stone, turning it into food. He would eat to his satisfaction and his friends enjoyed this, too.

Whenever Rabbit and his friends were thirsty, he would bring out water from the ground with the magic stick to quench their thirst.

He planned to teach his friends how to perform magic.

Tortoise said, "I have watched you perform this magic keenly. I believe I can do it too. I already understand all that is involved."

One day, the daughter of a chief in a neighbouring village died. The chief's family and his subjects mourned for her.

"She can be brought back to life. There's a magician in the village next to us," suggested Akombobee.

The guards travelled all the way to bring Rabbit. He was accompanied by his friend, Tortoise.

They got to the palace and greeted the King. He asked, "Can you bring my daughter back to life?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Rabbit said.

Rabbit asked for a black clay pot, which was readily provided.

He placed it over the fire, poured a concoction into it and asked for the girl's name. "Her name is Mdoom," the King replied.

Rabbit asked them to chant, "Mdoom, Mdoom, come back to life!"

"Tortoise, look inside the pot. What do you see?" Rabbit asked. "I see a person," Tortoise replied.

Rabbit then looked up, asked them to step back, and struck the pot with the magic stick.

Smoke filled the room, and as it cleared,there stood Mdoom. There was celebration as Rabbit and Tortoise were cheered.

The King rewarded Rabbit with half of his wealth. In a generous gesture, Rabbit gave five bags of gold coins to Tortoise. Tortoise refused the gift.

Tortoise went home and told his son everything that happened. "You always say half a loaf is better than none, so go and take it," said his son.

Months later, Tortoise heard that a king had lost his only son far away. "Get up! Let's go, my son," he said.

His son doubted his father's magical powers but followed him. On arrival at the King's palace, Tortoise instructed his son to grind charcoal.

He demanded half of the king's wealth, if the child came back to life.

"I will even give you more," said the king.

Tortoise began his magic and worked till evening. He could not bring the king's only son back to life.

He tried to escape but was caught and brought back to the palace. He was thrown out and his shell broke.

That is how the tortoise ended up with a more broken shell than before.