Escape Tortoise Escape

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A note from the author

I have come to the thought that if people nowadays do really understand the meaning of helping a friend, they must have entered the next stage of life already.  They would be freed from the dirty politics and find a better way to serve the people.

Escape of the Tortoise 

                       A story by Lee Chard

When the bird saw the tortoise, he had just slipped into a stone pit accidentally. He tried very hard to climb out, but the stone fence was taller than his body, he can only have felt upside down. He tried desperately to turn over with his long neck to try again and felt the next time. 

The bird said, “Sir, can I do anything to help you?”

The tortoise said, “Oh please, can you bring me a stepping stone? If I can step a little higher, I am sure I can climb out.”

The bird said, “Oh yes, I will.”

She flew immediately away to search for a stepping stone. When she came back, she spitted out a piece of small pebble the size of a sand from her beak. That was all she could carry. 

The tortoise said, “Oh, I am sorry, I ought to know a stepping stone is too heavy for you.”

The bird said, “Never mind, I will go again.”

The bird had flown an unknown number of times. She carried back only a small amount of sand. The tortoise tried to pile up the sand, but it was futile. The bird wanted to go again though she was very tired. 

The tortoise said, “Oh, please don’t. It is too much for you. I don’t want to waste your life to save me. I will try some other means to do that. “

The bird said, “You just wait a little more. I will go again.”

The tortoise said, “Oh no, I will dig sand from the ground. “The tortoise used his strong beak to dig on the stone ground, the stone did loose some sand for him. However, he was bleeding heavily after a few trials. 

The bird said, “Oh no, that won’t work. Let me go to find some more sand for you. “

Without waiting answer from the tortoise, the bird flew quickly away. The tortoise could only shout, “Don’t, it would kill you.”

When the bird flew back, the tortoise pleaded with the bird in tears. He said, “You are an angel. But I don’t want to exchange my life with yours. I will not go out even you bring back a ton of sand. I shall never step on your sand.”

The bird said, “You are an angel too. I will stay here together with you.”

When they were looking at each other with tearful eyes, no one can tell whether they were sad or happy. They were both trembling like some electric had shocked their minds. 

And suddenly a sparkle sprang from their eyes almost at the same time. 

The bird said, maybe we will try other things. 

The turtle said, “Yes.”

The bird flew again. She brought back a piece of branch. And then another piece of branch. Then another. She would build a nest near the stone wall. She brought back a large piece of foam plastic finally. 

When the turtle was out of the trap of the stone pit, both of them were in a very special ecstasy. The bird danced on the back of the turtle. 

The wise pair had become very good friends forever.