Theodor Seuss Geisel, an editorial cartoonist, published 1942 a small cartoon in a New York newspaper with the words “You Can’t Build A Substantial V Out of Turtles.” The cartoon showed a pile of turtles and was signed by Dr. Suess, who later stated, that Yertle represented Adolf Hitler, who was trying to takeover various parts in Europe. “Yertle the Turtle,” the book was published years later, in 1958 and became a bestselling children’s book.
I look at Donald Trump, the Billionaire, who is trying to bully himself into being the next President of the United States of America and all I see is a wanna be King, who’s pond got too small, who now wants it all.
Yertle The Turtle
by Dr. Seuss
On the far-away Island of Sala-ma-Sond,
Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
The turtles had everything turtles might need.
And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.
They were..until Yertle,the turtle,the king of them all,
Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.
“I’m ruler”, said Yertle, “of all that I see.
But I don’t see enough. That’s the trouble with me.
With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond
But I cannot look down on the places beyond.
The throne that I sit on is too, too low down.
It ought to be higher!” he said with a frown.
“If I could sit high, how much greater I’d be!
What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”
So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.
He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.
He made each turtle stand on another one’s back
And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.
And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile.
What a wonderful view! He could see ‘most a mile!
“All mine!” Yertle cried. “Oh, the things I now rule!
I’m king of a cow! And I’m king of a mule!
I’m king of a house! And what’s more, beyond that,
I’m king of a blueberry bush and cat!
I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
And all through that morning, he sat there up high
Saying over and over, “A great king am I!”
Until ‘long about noon. Then he heard a faint sigh.
“What’s that?” snapped the king
And he looked down at the stack.
And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack.
Just a part of his throne. And this plain little turtle
Looked up and he said, “Beg your pardon King Yertle.
I’ve pains in my back and my shoulders and knees.
How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?”
“SILENCE!” the King of the Turtles backed back.
“I’m king, and you’re only a turtle named Mack.”
“You stay in your place while I set here and rule.
I’m king of a cow! And I’m king of a mule!
I’m king of a house! And a bush! And a cat!
But that isn’t all. I’ll do better than that!
My throne shall be higher!” his royal voice thundered,
“So pile up more turtles! I want ’bout two hundred!”
“Turtles! More turtles!” he bellowed and brayed.
And the turtles ‘way down in the pond were afraid.
They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed.
From all over the pond, they came swimming by dozens.
Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins.
And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack.
One after another, they climbed up the stack.
THEN Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,
He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky!
“Hooray!” shouted Yertle. “I’m king of the trees!
I’m king of the birds! And I’m king of the bees!
I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air!
Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!
I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
Then again, from below, in the great heavy stack,
Came a groan from that plain little turtle named Mack.
“Your Majesty, please… I don’t like to complain,
But down here below, we are feeling great pain.
I know, up on top you are seeing great sights,
But down at the bottom, we, too, should have rights.
We turtles can’t stand it. Our shells will all crack!
Besides, we need food. We are starving!” groaned Mack.
“You hush up your mouth!” howled the mighty King Yertle.
“You’ve no right to talk to the world’s highest turtle.
I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea!
There’s nothing, no NOTHING, that’s higher than me!”
But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise
That the moon of the evening was starting to rise
Up over his head in the darkening skies.
“What’s THAT?” snorted Yertle. “Say, what IS that thing
that dares to be higher then Yertle the King?
I shall not allow it! I’ll go higher still!
I’ll build my throne higher! I can and I will!
I’ll call some more turtles. I’ll stack ’em to heaven!
I need ’bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!”
But, as Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And started to order and give the command,
That plain little turtle below in the stack,
That plain little turtle whose name was just Mack,
Decided he’d taken enough. And he had.
And that plain little lad got a little bit mad
And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.
He burped!
And his burp shook the throne of the king!
And Yertle the Turtle, the king of the trees,
The king of the air and the birds and the bees,
The king of a house and a cow and a mule…
Well, that was the end of the Turtle King’s rule!
For Yertle, the King of all Sala-ma-Sond,
Fell of his high throne and fell Plunk! in the pond!
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.
Great analogy. I love the kingly image of Trump with his shouting head. Awesome. King Donald will never take the throne, thank goodness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh finally someone who says it can’t be. I needed to hear that, I am getting scared by the poll numbers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It can’t be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I stumbled across the backstory to Yertle (after reading it to my kindergarteners for years and not actually thinking about what it said) while I was at my daughter’s in Maryland. We’d been to the Holocaust museum in DC and something there was said about it. I was flabbergasted. Donald Trump is a scary man. VERY much with that same religious political zeal as Hitler in his earlier years. He scares the hell out of me. Most humans are just sheeple and don’t realize they could be on the brink of setting us up for another Holocaust here on our own shores.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s up to the Republicans. It they care about this country and the people, then they nominate Cruz. If they don’t care they will nominate Trump.
I look at Trump exactly the same way. I wouldn’t really compare him to Hitler, but to Mussolini.
I wish someone would tell me that Trump as President will never happen.
LikeLike
Bran said last night that Sarah Palin was getting involved with Trump. Now THERE would be a combo out of hell!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She endorsed Trump a couple of days ago. Dumb and dumber…the perfect match, sadly we have too many dumb people in this country.
LikeLike
Dumb and dumber! I like that. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! I had no idea. As an English teacher with a husband who graduated from Dartmouth, I absolutely love Seuss books. But you made a great connection here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Seuss did not me 🙂 But I am glad you liked it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked it, I liked it, I liked it a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad. I think it’s time for all of us to get up and show our disapproval about this election circus and Trump, before he ends up being the nominee.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just posted an article I read about Trump and narcissism on Facebook and got blasted, of course, from some people. They want a real businessman not a “lying” politician. I suggested they read some of his comments from a couple of years ago when he sounded like a democrat. There. I wrote all of that without rhyming like Seuss.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes we have to be able to look behind the mask and that’s not always easy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Genial, Bridget!
LikeLike
One of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories!
LikeLike
how perfect is that?? Thanks for sharing- you are so clever indeed to put them together!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
LikeLike
I love that story and this post is wonderful!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Maggie~!
LikeLike
I’ve read that story — poem — I don’t know how many times, but until today thanks to you, I didn’t get it. Thank you. Really, thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It never made sense to me either, until I found Dr. Seuss on a list of authors who wrote against Hitler. I researched it and then it made sense.
You’re welcome
LikeLike
Surely, Americans are not that silly to get Trump as president.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know. I hope not, it scares me.
LikeLike
Let’s dump Trump~
LikeLike
Oh I love that, can I add it at the very end. “Dump Trump?”
LikeLike