Original artwork, not a still
Yertle the Turtle · 1958
And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he, Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see. And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The tyrant's grand title has shrunk to ruling over mud, and that is all he can perceive. Meanwhile the turtles are free, and the closing thought extends this to a wider hope: perhaps every creature should enjoy the same freedom.
Context reviewed
