Mbe the tortoise sits beneath a twisted acacia, his clever eyes scanning the horizon. Nearby, lions pace with restless hunger, and antelopes graze with little hope. All around, the silence is broken only by the distant cawing of birds.

The Birds huddle together, reading the message aloud. "A feast in the sky? And nobody invited me? Hmm… we shall see about that," Mbe whispers, his mouth curling in a sly grin. He approaches with feigned tears, the dust streaking his shell.

"My dear friends… are we not one family? When good things come, should we not share?" Mbe pleads, his voice thick with false emotion. "But Tortoise, you have no wings," a bird protests. "If each of you lends me one feather… I too can fly," Mbe continues, and soon he is ready to soar.

"In the sky they may ask our names. Let us choose fine names," Mbe suggests, his eyes gleaming. The birds pick names—"Bright Morning," "Strong Wind," "Beautiful Rainbow"—while Mbe says, "My name… is All of You." The birds shrug, not understanding his trick.

Sky People announce, "Welcome, Birds! This feast is prepared for all of you." Mbe jumps in, "You hear that? The feast is for All of You and that is my name," and greedily devours the banquet. The birds stand in shock, anger rising as Mbe eats nearly everything, leaving scraps behind.

"My friends! My brothers! Don’t leave me!" Mbe cries, his voice echoing. One small bird calls back, "If you jump, tell your wife to bring out soft things so you will land safely." Mbe shouts to his wife, "Bring out all the soft things in the house!" But the mischievous bird changes the message, and his wife brings out hard objects.

The tortoise’s shell is now rough and cracked, scarred from the fall. The animals gather around, whispering and pointing, learning the lesson that greed may take you up, but it will surely bring you down. The sun sets, painting the savanna in hues of gold and crimson, as the story ends.