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Illustrated by Neal Stepp |
TORTOISE YOU CANNOT SEE
by Monica M. Graham
Sitting in the shade of the tall acacia tree Jessica felt sad. It was October, the beginning of spring in South Africa. The golden weaver was busily building his nest above her. The catfish were enjoying a lazy swim in the river. Beyond the river, the gazelles were grazing on the lush green grass. None of this mattered to Jessica.
Papa once told her that she was very special. Today, Jessica didn't feel special at all. She wanted to help Papa on the farm. Instead of helping she made a terrible mistake. Rubbing the tears from her eyes she looked into the river. She thought how nice it would be to swim far away.
"Hello, there," said a small voice.
Startled, Jessica glanced down at the tall grass. She was surprised to see a tortoise sitting next to her. He was the most unusual tortoise she had ever seen. His shell was not the ordinary green. It was bright yellow and glowed like precious gold.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am the Tortoise You Cannot See. I have come to make you happy."
"How can you do that?" asked Jessica.
"I can change you to whatever you wish to be. What would you like to be?" asked the tortoise.
Jessica thought for a moment. "Can you turn me into a fish?"
"Of course I can. Close your eyes," he instructed.
Jessica closed her eyes. The tortoise chanted, "koykoy kuu, koykoy kee. A fish is what you shall be."
Splash! Jessica fell into the river. When she opened her eyes she was a fish. She swam around and around. She blew bubbles and popped them. "This is fun," she thought.
A strong water current moved her downstream. It pushed her straight into a bushman's fish net. "Oh no! I can't move," thought Jessica.
"Help, help," she yelled, but only bubbles came from her mouth. Jessica tried to wiggle herself free. It was no use. Closing her eyes she thought, if only I had wished to be a gazelle.
The tortoise heard her thoughts. Just as the fish net was being raised he quickly chanted, "Koykoy tutu, koykoy kee, a gazelle is what you shall be."
Jessica opened her eyes. "I am a gazelle," she shouted with relief. Feeling safe, Jessica munched on the tender grass. "Mmmm this tasted good," she thought.
A golden cheetah with black spots was watching her. Jessica lifted her head and saw his yellow black eyes glaring at her. The hairs on her back stood up straight. On instinct she sped away. The cheetah ran after her. Fortunately, the cheetah tired quickly and gave up his chase.
Panting and catching her breath, Jessica thought it would be much safer to be a bird. A bird could fly away from danger, she concluded.
"You want to be a bird?" asked the tortoise.
Surprised by his sudden appearance Jessica replied, "Oh, yes, I do."
"Close your eyes." Again the tortoise chanted, "Koykoy kuu, koykoy kee, a bird is what you shall be."
"Whee, I am flying," Jessica exclaimed.
Suddenly, a gust of wind like a miniature tornado swirled by. It caught Jessica's tiny wings and flung her to the ground.
Dazed, Jessica looked up at the tortoise.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I think so," replied Jessica, "But I no longer want to be a fish, a gazelle, or a bird. I want to be me. I want to go home."
"Keep your eyes open and look towards the sky. Now count 'one, two, three' and Jessica you shall be," said the tortoise as he disappeared into a puff of smoke.
"I'm me, I'm me," said Jessica. "That's who I always wanted to be." She searched for the tortoise but he was gone. In his place lay a shiny clear crystal. Jessica picked it up and placed it in her apron pocket and ran all the way home.
Papa was so happy to see her. He held his in her arms and said, "You didn't make a terrible mistake. You wanted to help, but pulled the wheat instead of the weeds. Anyone could have done the same. Tomorrow we will plant more wheat." Papa gave her a great big hug. He felt the hard lump in her apron. "What is this?" he asked.
"It is a pretty crystal the tortoise left for me," replied Jessica. She took it out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Looking at it closely, Papa saw that it was a valuable diamond. With excitement he twirled Jessica around and exclaimed, "We must celebrate our good fortune with our friends."
That evening many ox-drawn wagons assembled in front of Jessica's home. After Papa gave thanks, the music of the fiddle filled the air. There was dancing, laughter and plenty of good food to eat.
Jessica stood outside on the front porch. Facing the river she silently said, "Thank you, Tortoise You Cannot See."
For more Information, you may wish to visit the following web sites:
Peace Corps Explore the World: South Africa
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