The Tortoise Beneath the Mountain

As the gods and asuras churned the great ocean, the mountain they used as a churning-stick grew too heavy and began to sink down into the soft seabed.

Just in time, Vishnu took the form of an enormous tortoise, Kurma, and dove beneath the mountain, letting it rest steadily upon his broad back.

With the patient tortoise holding firm below, the churning went on, and all the great treasures could be won. The biggest tasks, the story says, need a steady support no one sees.