In 1958, Dr. Seuss wrote a story called Yertle the Turtle about a nice little pond called Sala-ma-Sond, where there were enough resources for everyone to thrive. But Yertle, the turtle king, sat on his little rock throne and was not happy. He had already decided he owned everything he could see, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to see more, own more, be king of more.
(This is a work of fiction, of course. And while you could say that any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental, Seuss was very clear that he based Yertle directly on Adolf Hitler. Any connections to current events, therefore, is entirely up to you.)
So Yertle commanded the surrounding turtles to climb up in a pile, with him always at the top, of course, so he could be higher and see further. And for some reason, the turtles did. (We never quite understood what they thought they were getting out of this arrangement. Yertle was always very clear this was completely about him.)
It was a turtle named Mack, on the very bottom of the pile, who spoke up, explaining to the king that this was hurting them. That they were hungry and sore and tired. Yertle got mad and told Mack he didn’t matter (an interesting point, considering Mack was the foundation of Yertle’s pile). Then Yertle ordered even more turtles to climb up so he could be even higher, king of even more. And, for some reason, they did.
Then Mack spoke up again, pleading that the turtles who were in great pain, and starving. Yertle yelled at him again, saying Mack had no right to even speak to such an important king as him, and demanded the pile grow even higher.
But then Mack did something interesting.
He didn’t do anything big.
He did something small.
“He burped. And his burp shook the throne of the king.”
And Mack’s little burp sent such a shock up the turtle pile that Yertle lost his balance and the entire turtle tower collapsed, leaving Yertle down in the pond, “the king of the mud.”
So whatever it is you are doing today, please remember to burp, in whatever way you are best at burping. Every burp matters. Each little burp can help dislodge a king from his throne. Although burping in large groups could be magnificent, too. (Whatever you do, at least try not to climb into the turtle pile?)
And so, in honor of Dr. Seuss, and in honor of No Kings Day, we offer this “Call to Burping:”
Please burp in your home, please burp in your church
Burp anywhere that makes the turtle pile lurch
You can burp in the streets, you can burp in the mall
You can burp anywhere, make the turtle pile fall
No one needs a king who can see for a mile
For turtles should not be stacked up in a pile
They should be alive, eating food, having fun
In a line, on a log, being warm in the sun
So please burp as you’re able, if, we hope, you agree
That turtles, as all living things, should be free.
The Serious Mirth Society 