Bedtime Stories: The Turtle's Trick🐢

Hello, and welcome back to BabyBus Bedtime Stories. Kids, what did you do to brighten your day? Alright, let's lie down, tuck in, make yourself, ourselves, comfortable, and prepare for today's story. It's another fantastic story, written just for you. Wow, my tummy is as empty as a turtle shell with no turtle in it. Where is all the tasty food in the river today? Hey, I'm a turtle. That means I'm just as awesome on land as I am in the water. Hmm, maybe there's a feast waiting for me on the riverbank. Think I will climb out of the water and have a look-see. Don't do that, turtle. You never know what might be waiting on land. That's why we fish stay in the water. Don't worry, you're a fish, and you wouldn't be able to walk around on land, but we turtles can go anywhere. Watch and see. Okay, I made it all the way up the riverbank. Hmm, but I don't see any good food here either. Alright then, guess it's time to take a walk into the forest and look for some treats. Here I go. Maya the Magpie here. No, up here, in the branches. Hello! Are you ready for a story? I bet you haven't heard it before, unless you're an ancient magical bird like me who has flown all over the world and heard every tale ever told. You're not. Well then, sit back and enjoy one of my very special forgotten tales. This episode, The Turtles Trick. This little turtle looked like most others, bald head, short legs, and a green and brown shell. You might have seen turtles just like him swimming in the water or crawling around on dry land. But, when it hasn't rained for a while, it can be hard to find food. And you know turtles can't go to grocery stores, they don't have any money. Well, bless my shell, I just can't find anything good to eat today. Hmm, I guess I'll walk a little farther. The turtle walked from the riverbank into the great woods. The ground was very dry and none of the plants looked too tasty. It was sort of like being in a restaurant where all they serve is liver and brussel sprouts. So the turtle kept walking deeper and deeper into the forest. I don't think I've ever been this far from the river before. My, that sun is hot today and I'm starting to get tired. Now turtles can go about on the land, but it's not good for them to be out in the hot sun for too long. This turtle had started walking early in the morning and now it was almost noon. The sun was high overhead and it was hot enough to fry an egg on the little turtle's shell. And they don't sell sunscreen for turtles, you know. I think I had better go home. Yes, I've gone far enough. Time to turn around. Here I go. Turning around. Hello, turtle. You're taking an awful long time to turn back the way you came. Oh, hi Snake. You're looking very colorful today. Well, I'm a turtle, you know. We do everything slowly. You better hurry back to the water, little guy. We snakes don't mind the heat, but it's no weather for a turtle like you. Snake was right, but even with her pushing, turtle just couldn't go very fast. Why a couple of snails raced right by him. Finally, Snake gave up and went on her way. Hey turtle, you look as tired as I do when I've flown across an ocean and back. I'll never make it back to the river. Maybe I can rest in the hollow of that tree over there. Oh, why did I ever leave home? I think I'm going to cry. Just then, tiptoeing with a curious snout, a big sand-colored coyote arrived, sniffing around the forest. He had pointed ears, a bushy tail, and looked a lot like a small wolf. In fact, all his wolf friends called him Shorty. What's that delightful tune tickling my ears? Is someone having a concert in the forest? Whoa! Cool, turtle. You are amazing. Stoop, pandas. Good even. I've never heard such beautiful singing in my life. Singing? What's singing? Well, that song you were just doing is amazing. Come on, do some more. But the turtle was all cried out. He tried to make some tears come, but it was like asking for rain in the desert. He couldn't cry, so he couldn't make that sound the coyote loved so much. The best he could manage was a sound like this, snuffle, snuffle, snort, and no one would mistake that for singing. I can't. Besides, I wasn't singing, I was… I get it. You don't want anyone else to know that song. You want it just for yourself. I guess coyotes aren't good enough for turtle songs, huh? No, no, please listen. You see, I was sad, and so I… You sang a sad song. Now I want you to sing it again for me, or else. Turtle squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the tears come. He thought about things that made him sad, like being stuck inside his shell. Or getting picked last for relay races, but nothing worked. He just couldn't cry. Listen, turtle, either you teach me your special song, or I'll swallow you whole. Oh, no, you wouldn't want to do that, Mr. Coyote. Why not? I have a hard shell, you see, and it would get caught in your throat. Hmm, I suppose you're right. So swallowing me would be a bad idea. But whatever you do, please don't throw me in the river. The coyote paced back and forth, flicking his tail like a detective trying to solve a mystery. He paced so much that he wore a path in the forest floor. In fact, he wore such a deep path that all you could see were the black tips of his ears. Then he hopped out with a big toothy grin on his face. I have it, turtle. If you don't sing your song, I will throw you up into the hot sun. That would be a very long way to throw anyone. Are you sure you could throw me that far? Of course I can. I'm the turtle tossing champion of the whole forest. Haha, because if you throw me high in the air and I fall back down, I will bump you right on the head. And that would hurt. Yeah, I guess it would. And that's the truth, a turtle landing on one's head could ruin a perfectly good day. I don't want to give you a bump on the head. If I could fly, it wouldn't be a problem, but turtles don't have wings. A flying turtle would look pretty silly. Look out for that flock of turtles. Imagine that, a flock of flying turtles, wow, the sky would never be the same. But I need to think of some way to make you sing. I won't go back home without learning your song. Well, you can do whatever you like, just don't throw me in the river, anything but that. The coyote raised an eyebrow. This turtle seemed to be really scared of the river, he couldn't imagine why. Anyway, if that was what the turtle was afraid of, maybe that was the thing to do. Don't throw you in the river? Oh no, anything but that, awful, awful, I hate the river. All that water and mud and smelly old fish, the coyote smiled a big smile that showed all his sharp teeth, gave me the shivers just to look at it. Turtle, I'm going to give you one last chance, sing me your song or I will throw you in the river. Oh, no, please, Mr. Coyote, don't do that. Then sing, turtle, I can't, I'm very sorry, but I can't share my song with you. Then it's into the river with you. The coyote picked up the little turtle in his mouth and trotted off toward the river. It was a very long trip. All along the way, the turtle pleaded and begged the coyote to stop. I wasn't worried. When you're not as fast on your feet, you have to be pretty quick with your brain. Now what was turtle up to? No, please help, please put me down, the river is so cold and wet, it's not the place for a little turtle like me. I'll throw you in the river, you ask for it. What's that? I can't understand you. You shouldn't talk with a mouthful of turtle. Finally, the coyote and the turtle reached the river's edge. The sun glinted off the water like a million tiny diamonds. Without a word, the coyote tossed the turtle right into the water. It was a small splash, because he was a small turtle. But all the fish stopped to look and see what was going on. Fish are very nosy, which is why people say they smell. There, I said I would throw you in the river, and I did. Now will you sing your song? I couldn't, Mr. Coyote, because I'm not sad at all anymore. But thank you, thank you, thank you so much. Thank me, thank me for what? For bringing me all the way back to the river. This is my home, where I love to be. I was so far away, I thought I would never make it back. And just like that, the turtle dove and banished beneath the ripples on the surface of the river. Now, wait, I said I would throw him in the river, and he said no, no, don't. Then I did it, and he was happy? The coyotes had spun with questions. His thoughts, a whirlpool of confusion, what had just happened here? And I still didn't learn his song. Well, I will go after him and drag him out of that river. Suddenly, all the fish and turtles in the river rose to the surface, looking right at the coyote. He had never been stared at by fish before. He didn't even know they could do that. You go away and leave our friend alone. Oh, all right, but see if I ever teach you any cool coyote songs. The end. That brings us to the end of this episode. I hope you enjoyed it. Little ones, you matter to me. Good night and sleep tight.