by Ben Lewis

Created on: June 27, 2008   Last Updated: July 06, 2010

THE TORTOISE

A brown tortoise moved along the curb of West Bullard Street. It crept with electric-like motion, wagging its thumb shaped head side to side. The mouth turned down in a frown and bead black eyes stared unblinking. At the corner it stopped and tried to slide over the curb to the pavement, but a tortoise's shell is no good for crossing curbs. The awkward creature tumbled head first and landed on its back. There, doomed to paddle helplessly, its armor had become its anchor.

In June the sun shines hot on a tortoise's belly and boys take short cuts home from school.

"Wow! A turtle!", Donnie cried.

"Yeah, and somebody turned im upside down!", Joey said. Arlie stooped over and gave Tortoise a spin. He revolved on the round of his back and the whole world rolled with him.

Donnie picked him up and Tortoise covered his face behind scaly crawlers. Buddy tried to pull one of the hind legs out of the shell. They were shaped like miniature elephant legs, round all the way down and flat on the bottom. Tortoise pulled back and Buddy's finger was pinched in the shell. Buddy yelled and Donnie dropped Tortoise who clattered on the sidewalk and tried to crawl away. The boys gathered around and he withdrew into his shell.

Arlie said, "My Gramma says if you scratch a turtle on the back, he'll crawl." Joey scratched but Tortoise stayed home.

Joey said, "Let's put im in some water, that'll make im go!"

In Joey's back yard Tortoise paddled frantically in a tin tub half filled with water. His claws scraped the sides as he tried to climb out.

Calvin stood at the back fence swinging a rope. "Hey you guys, whatchu doin"?

Joey yelled, "Boy! Cal, come see. We found a turtle!"

As Calvin climbed over the fence Arlie said, "My Gramma says if a turtle bites you, he won't let go let go till it thunders."

"Awwah. . .yer lyin!", Joey said.

"I am not! That's what my gramma says."

Peering into the tub, Calvin said, "That's a land turtle anyhow. They don't bite."

"Land turtle?", Joey mimicked, "Yer crazy! There ain't no such thing."

"There is too!"

"Ain't!"

"Is!"

Joey grabbed Tortoise from the tub and ran toward the front yard. The other boys followed. They put him down on the sidewalk.

"What are we gonna do with im?"

Calvin stepped onto Tortoise's back with feet close together and arms outstretched for balance.

"Hey, get off", Donnie yelled, "Yer hurtin him."

"You can't hurt a turtle", Calvin replied.

"You can too. I seen a car smush one."

As though he had heard, Tortoise started off.

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