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Author: Howard Buchin The Write Place
The Turtle Learns from the Hare
Part One
A Friendly FableThe Turtle Learns from the Hare about Friendship
On a cool windswept autumn day in the hills of Farmer Brown's meadow, the sun was shining brightly and the leaves rustled. This was a sure sign that the seasons were about to change. There was a movement somewhere not too far off in the distance. It was a slow-moving turtle by the name of Ferdinand. Slowly he moved up the hill, at a pace that resembled a snail's. Forward he struggled. Moving with true turtle determination, he plodded his way up the steep hill. He was fully determined to find some food to eat. He was hungry! He had a plan. With the winter close at hand, he would set some food aside so he could have a supply when he awoke from hibernation. Turtles like to hibernate in winter.
Suddenly, there was gust of wind, and Ferd (as his friends knew of him) just saw out of the corner of his eye a splash of red-brown fur. That splash was no other than a Red Fox named Freddy, and he was bolting directly for Ferdinand. Freddy the Fox hoped to make of this rounded little turtle a nice snack before a more serious lunch. Ferdinand sensed the predator was close on his trail. He tried picking up the pace, but as you know about turtles, however fast he tried to go, he wouldn't ever be able to beat the Fox. In fact, he started to become anxious and then began to slow his pace down.
Meanwhile, a little way off, a Hare named Herbert saw what was unfolding. That poor little turtle, he thought to himself, how sly the Fox is! He'll chew him up like a granola bar. Being a quick thinking Hare, Herbert decided to do something that might save Ferdinand. Herbert thought to himself what a good deed it would be to try to help Ferdinand. Herbert the Hare dashed directly in the path of the hungry Fox. The Fox almost tripped over Herbert. Freddy the Fox forgot about his pursuit of the turtle and started to chase down the Hare. Herbert was not only fast, but he was also nimble as he darted hither and thither. Eventually he lost the Fox and threw him off his trail.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand the Turtle was just catching his breath and resting upon a rock on the side of the hill.
"Hey," called Herbert the Hare, "Over here, Ferd!"
Slowly the turtle ambled his way over to where Herbert was sitting just off to the side of the hill. Ferdinand didn't know how to thank Herbert enough.
"You saved my life!" mumbled Ferdinand. "I don't know how I will ever repay you. What you did was fantastic!"
Herbert was proud of being able to save the turtle. Herbert said, "Oh don't think about it. I was off to the side and I saw what Freddy the Fox wanted to do to you, and I just thought that it wasn't fair. The best thing you could do for me would be to be my friend. I really like having friends, and I've never had one that's a turtle."
Ferdinand the Turtle couldn't have been more pleased.
Part Two
Weeks turned into months as Old Man Winter spread his icy chill far and wide. Here in Prince Edward County, Herbert felt at home. At times the wind would whip fiercely, so hard that all the inhabitants would shiver. Every once in a while when the whistling winds died down, it was actually quite a beautiful place to be. The fact was that Herbert had trouble finding any food these past few months. During this particular winter period, he was just barely surviving. The harsh conditions coupled with hungry predators made life tough for a hare. March came in like a lion, but was going out like a lamb. In some spots, the snow had now melted. It had been quite some time now and Herbert hadn't caught the slightest glimpse of Ferdinand. Once in a while, he thought about Ferdinand, his newfound friend. Often he would wonder about Ferd. Where had he gone? He wondered if Ferd was okay. After all, they were now friends.
As sometimes happened before to Herb, a friend would go from his thoughts to magically appearing in real life. Tha's what happened with Herbert. Herbert had been thinking of Ferdinand and had the image of a turtle pop into his head. He'd been gazing out across the frozen pond with the meadow still ringed by winter's whitening when suddenly Herbert saw a shape moving slowly along. Right away he knew it was his friend, Ferd the Turtle.
I know that walk, Herbert thought to himself. That's Ferdinand!
Herbert bounded towards Ferdinand with great haste, but then a very scary accident happened. Herbert ha't been paying close attention to the path he been hopping on. All of sudden, he found himself falling quickly down into a foot wide hole. He should have been more careful. He tumbled down at least five feet into a fence posthole within the frozen earth.
Herbert cried out, "Ferdinand, are you close enough to hear me? I need you to help me." Again he rasped, "Hey there, my turtle friend, you really must help me out of this! This is what friends are for!"
Ferdinand heard Herbert, but he continued to travel slowly on in his way. "I can hear you Herbert," replied Ferd. "I doubt that there is much I can do for you though." Ferdinand was a typical turtle, never wanting to take a chance on facing danger. "Herb", Ferdinand replied, "That hole you have fallen into- well I would't want to join you." he paused. "I could fall in trying to get you out."
Herbert The Hare replied, "But there's something I want you to do. Bring a small branch and lower it in. Maybe I'll be able to climb up the branch." He had a pleading tone. Ferdinand did not stop to look around. He was cold and would not risk circling too close to a dangerous spot. Ferdinand's voice started to trail off and Herbert knew he was moving farther away.
"I'm sorry, Herb, but I don't see any branches. I'm actually quite tired - maybe I can come back for you later." Just like that, Ferdinand the Turtle waddled away leaving Herbert alone in his miserable hole. Seven days he waited there, but to his dismay, Ferdinand never returned. On the seventh day, it snowed just enough for Herbert to make a little snow pile.
He climbed out of the hole over the snow pile he had built. Herbert was weak and still upset about his friend not helping him out. When he had the chance, Herbert thought, he'd tell Ferdinand just what he thought of his abandoning him.
It was now late spring and the flowers had begun to bloom, and the sun started warming the ground for arrival of summer. The bees were busy at their work pollinating the flowers. As Herbert was running along, he heard a familiar sound. It was Ferdinand calling as h'd become stuck in the sand. The turtle had slipped while climbing a sandbank and couldn't get out of a culvert.
"Hey Herbert, how about a nice big tunnel to get me out of here? How about it?"
Herbert remembered how Ferdinand ignored him when he was stuck in his big posthole.
"Ferd," Herbert replied. "This time, my friend, you are on your own. When you had the chance to help me, you chose not to."
Part Three
It had been at least two maybe three hours since Herbert the Hare had abandoned Ferdinand in his sand trap. Many thoughts went through Ferd's head as he struggled to get out. Why had his friend not helped him? Ferdinand soon realized the reason why Herbert did what he did.
When the opportunity arose, Ferdinand hadn't given any help to Herbert. Ferdinand realized it was wrong for him not to help his friend. Suddenly Ferd thought he had heard a thump-thump sound, almost like the sound made by a hare.
"Hey Ferd you still down there in your sand trap!" The sound of Herbert’s voice crackled, "I guess you thought I had just taken off didn't ya?"
"Yes, I did! I figured that you planned to leave me here, much the way I left you." Ferd replied. He continued, "Have you come back here to help me or ...?"
"Of course Ferd. I helped you when you needed my help, and I can't forget the fact we're good friends. We're friends, right?" asked Herbert. "I just thought that I would make you see how it felt to be stuck, so next time you won't leave a friend behind."
"Yes, of course I will! I -ah - mean, of course, I wouldn't. I-I would never walk off again. I wouldn't abandon a friend ever again. A friend in need is a friend indeed," Ferd said.
With that being said, Herbert tunneled his way through the moist sand and freed Ferdinand. "Boy isn't it great having friends?" sighed Ferdinand. Off they trotted together and they continue to be good friends to this day.
The moral of this tale is to always be kind and considerate to others. Some day, we might be in need of help, and we'll be looking towards others to show understanding and compassion.
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