The story is told in Babrius 115, though the present entry's headword phrase does not appear there. (See rather Arsenius 12.18c -- and Comica adespota fr. 1225 Kock, but not in K.-A.) The tortoise wishes he had wings so he could fly. An eagle asks how much the tortoise will pay him for instruction. Offering the eagle all the gifts of the Red Sea (proverbial: see Perry p.150 n.a), the tortoise is then carried aloft by the eagle into the clouds, but is dropped. Dying, the tortoise asks himself: "what need did I have of clouds and wings, since even on the ground I move with difficulty?" (ti/ ga\r nefw=n moi, kai\ ti/s h)=n pterw=n xrei/h, th=| kai\ xama=ze dusko/lws probainou/sh|;).