In ancient times, six spirited horses roamed the forests of the Central Plains. Facing scarce water and grass, they decided to leave and find a better place to settle.
One morning, the horses left the mountain forest together, galloping aimlessly ahead—but where were they heading? Even they themselves did not know.
Just then, a warm greeting came from the roadside: "Good morning, horses!"
Six horses stopped to look closely and found that the one greeting them was a lame turtle. As it greeted them, it struggled forward. The horses also called out to the lame turtle, "Hello! Brother Turtle, where are you going?"
A lame turtle said, "I want to go to the Promised Land. There are countless lakes, lush water plants, abundant food, and it's warm like spring all year round—it's a paradise on earth..." The horses, excited, asked, "Is that true? How far is this Promised Land from here?" The lame turtle replied, "I don't know. I only know it's to the south, maybe a thousand li away, or even two or three thousand li..."
The horses glanced doubtfully at the lame turtle and said, "It's so far—can you really make it? Only we can cover a journey of a thousand li. With your lame leg, who knows how many years it would take you. We think you'd better not go!"
The lame turtle remained steadfast and said firmly, "No! I must go. Though I walk very slowly, as long as I persevere, one day I will get there! If you also wish to go to the promised land, come with me!"
With that, the lame turtle began hobbling southward. The horses watched and started debating among themselves whether to follow. But they couldn't agree—some wanted to go, others opposed; some proposed the vast northwestern grasslands, others argued for the southeastern marshes. Unable to convince one another, they stayed exactly where they were.
Meanwhile, the lame turtle, taking one steady step after another, trudged forward with determination. After three grueling years of travel, it finally reached the long-dreamed-of paradise. As for the six horses, even after another three years, they still hadn't arrived. Where had they gone? No one knows.
Later, the idiom "A Lame Turtle Travels a Thousand Li" came to describe how where there's a will, there's a way. With persistent effort, even those with poor conditions can achieve remarkable success.
Source: *Xunzi*, Chapter "Self-Cultivation"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "跛鳖千里" came to describe how where there's a will, there's a way. With persistent effort, even those with poor conditions can achieve remarkable success.