Tina the Turtle lived in a beautiful pond with many other creatures. The sun always shone down, giving life to the grass and trees that surrounded their home. With spring in the air, Tina always felt happy as she swam around the pond.
The other animals thought that Tina was a bit odd; she was always trying to help everyone. If a bird couldn’t find a worm, Tina would lead her to the spot; if someone needed a piece of fruit that had fallen just out of reach, she would fish it out with her long neck; and if a cricket wanted to cross the busy path, Tina would come along and help him to safety.
But for all her kindness, no one seemed to notice her. Even when she called out, “Good morning,” no one answered back. The other animals quickly passed over her and continued with their own affairs. Now she never did it for praise; still, it is nice to be thanked sometimes.
Then one day, there was a great storm that frightened everyone. The wind blew down trees and the rain poured down. All the little animals did their best to hide. Hares, snakes, field mice, birds, and all—no one dared to leave their homes. The rain kept on down both day and night. The path that led down to the pond was now a river, and all the little animals were feeling badly frightened and hungry.
Suddenly, right in the middle of this little frightened crowd, there was a loud knocking. All of them gazed at the one who was responsible for this noise. It was the poor little cricket who had once asked Tina the Turtle to help him cross the path.
“Come quick, for your lives, dear friends!” he said. “It is nothing less than a huge tree that is breaking off and creeping its way down toward the pond. It will quite crush in all our homes and crush us too if we do not flee out of its reach.”
At once the poor little frightened crowd began to hurry. The turtle peeked her head out of the water. “Are you all saved, friends?” she asked. “This storm will blow over.”
“But what can we do?” cried her friends. “You are not frightened in that heavy shell of yours, but we have no home to go to.”
All were in great fear. “I am so small,” said the turtle, “that I really could not carry more than one or two friends at a time, and they must cling tight to my shell; but I should like to do all I can. Who will come first?”
The poor little hare jumped quickly on her back. The turtle started off, swimming gently along, while the little animals clung as tightly as possible to the heavy shell. She soon got very tired.
Then came a robin—hop, hop, hop—on to the animal that was already making its way through the water. “That is not a bad idea at all,” said the turtle. That is not a bad idea at all,’ said the turtle. “‘I can go just as fast again if you will only cling and keep me company.’ And on came some more of the ladies as they passed down to the hare, mended up from behind, stuck on the turtle’s head and back again, while one or two others caught on to her legs and tail.
So some went off and some stayed at home till all were safe. Then the others disappeared in the general hop, hop, hop about the pond; with the turtle saying, “We all get along most comfortably,” and “Is there not plenty of food for all of you?”
At last the wind gave in and the sun shone out as it was used to doing. After a day or two all the animals dried themselves on the banks of the pond.
When they looked round, what a change had taken place! Their houses were gone, as well as everything they had been accustomed to see about the pond. All were in a sad state of distress. “We are afraid we can do nothing for you, poor animals,” said a big voice that was above them.
“Pray do not say that!” said the turtle. “If we poor little animals can help on another, surely you big creatures can help us too.”
The big voice gave a little laugh. “Pray let me have the pleasure of introducing myself and my family to you all,” it said. “We are called The Farmers. Our great business is planting trees and vegetables. When the fall comes, we delight in repaying those little animals who help us the whole spring and summer in guarding and taking care of our plants with their food. But it is now so late in the season that we shall not be able to cover all the ground that we had planned, but we are very glad to help those who were kind enough to help us with what we shall be able to do.”
“That is very brave and noble of you,” said the happy little animals. “And now we will try to do what we can.”
“Instead of hoping,” added the turtle, “what we think little of our own power may often come to something in the end.”