Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Yertle the Turtle, Lines 75 – 83 Summary

Hello, Moon 

  • Ha! Looks like there is something higher than Yertle. And, given Yertle's reaction, we can only assume his mother didn't read him Goodnight Moon when he was a kid.
  • That's right—Yertle sees the moon.
  • The moon, of course, is a stand-in (a symbol if you will… and we will because we're the ones who get to write this) for those things that are both greater than Yertle and entirely out of his control.
  • Yes, you heard that right. There are things that are out of Yertle's control. Yeah. He couldn't believe it either.
  • Sure, Yertle can say "I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!/ I'll build my throne higher! I can and I will!" (80-81), but let's just see if the moon obeys him.