When a hot, dry summer in Zambia leaves all the animals hungry, they go to a magic tree to ask for food, but no one knows the tree's name. One by one, the animals trek to the old mountain to ask him the tree's name; but they each forget by the time they get back. The slow tortoise makes the trip, even though the other animals think him too small and slow. The tortoise surprises them all by bringing back the correct name.