Story: When Mr. Terrapin Went Riding on the Clouds
Book: “Animal Tales from North Carolina,” in Journal of American Folklore v. 11
Author(s): Emma Backus
Published: 1898
Internet Archive link.

Notes: Eye-dialect removed, plus editing for paragraphing and punctuation. This is not a trickster story per se, but the African trickster tortoise goes flying in order to eat all the food at a heavenly party, so I wanetd to include this flying turtle story here.

The Day Terrapin Went Flying

So Brer Terrapin, he get on Miss Hawk’s back, and they go higher and higher, and Brer Terrapin he enjoy it fine, and he say to hisself, “I’se getting up in the clouds now, sure enough.”

But directly here come King Eagle, and he say, “Oho, Brer Terrapin, you don’t call this here sailing. Oho, Sis Hawk, if you gonna sail Brer Terrapin, why don’t you take him up where he can get a sight?” But Miss Hawk, she obliged to allow that just as high as she can go.

Then King Eagle say, “Well, just get on my back, and get a sure ‘nough ride.”

So Brer Terrapin, he get on King Eagle’s back, and they go up and up, till old Brer Terrapin he get scared, and he beg King Eagle to get down, but King Eagle, he just laugh and sail higher and higher, till old Brer Terrapin say to hisself he wish he never study about flying in the clouds, and he say, Brer Terrapin did, “Oh please, King Eagle, take me down! I that scared, I’se about to drop,” and he fault hisself ’cause he was such a grumbling fool, and he say to hisself if he ever get on he own foots once more, he never grumble ’cause he can’t fly in the clouds, but King Eagle, he just make like he going up higher and higher, and poor old Brer Terrapin, he that scared, he can’t hold on much more, and he about lose he hold.

Just then he think how he got a spool of thread in he pocket, what Miss Terrapin done send him to fetch home from the store that day, and he tie the end to King Eagle’s leg, unbeknownst to him, Brer Terrapin did, and then he drop the spool, and he take hold of the thread, and hold it fast in he hands, and he slip down to the ground, and you never hear old Brer Terrapin grumble ’cause he can’t run or fly, ’cause the old man he done fly that here day to satisfy hisself, that he did, sure’s he were born, he did fly that here day.

Photo of turtle from Pixnio https://pixnio.com/fauna-animals/reptiles-and-amphibians/turtles-pictures/diamondback-terrapin-turtle/diamond-terrapin-turtle-reptile-malaclemys-terrapin