Caleb & the Tortoise

One day as the sun rose up from the shallow waters that surrounded the island; all the sea turtles began to gather at the shore. They lifted up their heads and began to sing, the melody echoed over the beach, against the cliffs and deep within the cave that rested beneath them.

The cave was home to an old tortoise, some believed that he was the first tortoise to leave the sea. The old tortoise bellowed out a fierce cry to silence the sea turtles. Slowly the old tortoise emerged from his dwelling standing before the sea turtles looking them over. What reason had they gathered before him, to call on his wisdom?

A young female waddled slowly across the sandy beach with a strange creature clinging to her shell. The old tortoise stretched out his neck to peer closer at this child, yes a human child held firmly to her back.
Knowing that they could not care for this child they sought the wisdom of the old tortoise. The old tortoise recalled that just across the reef there was another island inhabited by humans. If they could get the child safely to that island he would be well cared for.

Only the island was surrounded by the reef and the waters that covered the reef were to shallow for the sea turtles to cross. Though their shells were sturdy their flippers were tender, but this did not discourage the old tortoise. He knew a way to cross from his island to the other; it would be difficult and dangerous though.

During low tide the reef would be exposed creating a bridge where the waters are deepest. The tortoise was old and slow which made his journey more difficult. If the old tortoise traveled too slowly the rising tides would trap him and the child, as the waves thrust them into the sea.

The old tortoise waded into the shallow waters at the shore to gather the child from the young sea turtle. The sun descended from the sky as the horizon echoed its golden hues fading blue into deep orange.
The last of the great waves crested upon the reef bridge as the old tortoise began his journey across the damp sands. He lifted high his claws reaching out as far as he could, the sand was cool and his heavy body pushed his claws deep. Trailing behind him deep wells left by his every step.

Nearing the reef he noticed the steep difference from the sand to the top of the reef. Stretching out his neck he bit down upon the reef pulling and clawing at it unable to climb over. The old tortoise looked left, searching for a less steep climb, nothing.

He looked right, not too far off was a piece of driftwood strewn against the reef. What luck this was the old tortoise haste fully made his way to the driftwood. The old tortoise climbed up to the top of the reef, as the soft gentle spray of a wave fell over him and the child.

The tortoise being wise grabbed the driftwood understanding that their time was short. Dragging the wood across the reef was difficult but he knew the waters on the opposite end would give them the same trouble. The water rippled across the surface of the reef passing over the old tortoise’s claws. The once gentle spray erupted into fierce rain, as the thunderous waves crashed into the reef.

As they approached the other end of the reef the waters were too high for the old tortoise to cross with the child on his back. It had been so long since the old tortoise had left the ocean that he had forgotten how to swim. The sheer weight of his shell would sink him and the child to the bottom. He lifted the child onto the driftwood and pushed him out to the shore, but the waves pulled him back against the reef.

The old tortoise knew what to do he leaped out into the water, stretched his neck out as long as he could griping one of the limbs from the driftwood. With the limb he towed the driftwood slowly to shore. The next morning as the sun rose up from the sleepy shallows, the child cried out and two humans approached the shore. A man and a woman the woman reached out and gathered him up into her arms.

“You are loved” she said to him, looking down to where to old tortoise lay still griping firmly at the limb. And she named him Caleb and they lived.


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