The Dream of the Tortoise Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  The Dream of the Tortoise

  Copyright

  Once upon a time, there was a tortoise who was very old, really old.

  It became harder and harder for her to get around.

  She bumped into things wherever she was going.

  It was a good thing she moved so slowly …

  She was big, and her shell was ever so heavy.

  One night when she was lying awake, she saw a light in the distance and began to wonder what it was.

  Slowly she got nearer and nearer to it, so close that she bumped into it.

  A sharp voice said,

  — What’s the matter with you, Tortoise? Can’t you see where you’re going?

  — A light that can talk?… the astonished tortoise said.

  — I’m not a light! I’m a glow-worm chewing a leaf.

  — Oh! I’m so sorry, said the tortoise, just recently my sight has been playing up…

  The glow-worm felt sorry for her when he saw how bewildered she was. And that is how they started to talk and became friends.

  Late one afternoon Tortoise told her new friend about a dream she had had for a long time.

  — I had a dream my dear friend Glow-worm, and I would like to tell you about it. I dreamt that I would like to be in the sea before I die. Other tortoises have told me about turtles that live in the sea and swim for miles and miles and they come out and lay eggs in the sand on the beach.

  There was a long pause, while the glow-worm was thinking and the tortoise was dreaming. Then, speaking from his heart, the glow-worm said,

  — It’s this way, Tortoise, we haven’t known each other that long, but I’ve really grown to like you, and it would be an honour to go to the seaside with you so you can have a swim.

  Tortoise was so moved she started to cry.

  — You’d really do that for me? You’re a true friend.

  The glow-worm climbed up on the tortoise’s shell and they set off.

  In a loud voice the worm told her which way to go so they got through the wood without bumping into the rocks and trees.

  When it got dark the glow-worm climbed onto the tortoise’s head in order to light the way, so the two of them together looked like a lorry trundling along the road.

  One morning there was a different, sort of salty smell in the air, and a steady noise in the distance.

  — That far-off sound must be the sea, don’t you think? said Tortoise.

  Just as the glow-worm was going to reply, a big white bird landed in front of them; its beak was orange, and it had big, long wings.

  It was a seagull.

  With a quick swipe with its beak, the gull tried to snatch and swallow the glow-worm, but the tortoise moved her head and the beak hit her neck.

  The angry gull screeched at the tortoise,

  — What kind of animal are you taking care of a grub like that?

  — He’s not a grub, he’s my friend, Glow-worm, said the tortoise.

  While they were talking, the glow-worm slowly crept inside the tortoise’s shell in order to hide in safety.

  Tortoise followed his example and pulled her head and legs inside, and there they stayed, while the gull pecked away at her shell.

  The glow-worm whispered in Tortoise’s ear,

  — I think it’s best I go back to the woods, it’s not safe for me here at the seaside. When the seagull gave up waiting to catch him and flew off, the glow-worm crept back into the light and said good-bye to his friend. They were both very sad because they knew they wouldn’t see each other ever again.

  But life is like that.

  So the little glow-worm slowly set off and disappeared in the undergrowth.

  The tortoise continued on her way alone. She could feel the burning hot sand under her feet and hear the splashing of the waves.

  She reached the water’s edge and without a thought carried on into the sea.

  A big wave splashed over her, but she went on, happy to be living her dream.

  She soon realised that her heavy shell was dragging her down to the bottom, so she held her breath.

  Tortoise didn’t know how to swim, she was going to drown.

  She had shut her eyes, ready to die, when Tortoise suddenly felt a strange knock on either side of her shell.

  ¡Clong!, ¡Clang!

  Two turtles had seen the difficulties their relative had got into and so they had come to help her get back to the shore.

  Tortoise could hardly breathe, she had swallowed a lot of water and was exhausted.

  When she got her breath back she thanked the turtles for saving her.

  Thank you, friends, I’d be dead if you hadn’t come to rescue me.

  The turtles nodded and one said,

  — What were you thinking of, getting into the sea like that? You’re a land animal, you tortoises don’t know how to swim.

  Tortoise looked down at the sand and she told them about her dream.

  The three of them were silent. Then one of the turtles made a suggestion:

  — The oldest tortoise in the world lives near here. She is ever so wise, you could go and see her and tell her about your dream.

  Waving one of his flippers, he pointed to a path and explained that this famous tortoise lived high up the hill.

  Tortoise set off to climb the hill, and after a long, slow walk found herself in front of a big rock. Suddenly, the rock started to move and two eyes appeared. Here was the very old tortoise.

  — Who’s so cheeky they come and disturb my nap? bellowed the enormous tortoise.

  To begin with, here in front of this elderly giant, Tortoise couldn’t move or speak, but finally got her courage up and said,

  — Its Me, your honour, I have a dream, I want to swim in the sea.

  The old tortoise looked at her for a long time, and when she was convinced that the dream was real and came from Tortoise’s heart, she said,

  — Many years ago I heard about a tortoise like you who had the same dream. I don’t know if it is legend or a true story. Anyway, I was told that tortoise managed to do it by stopping eating and breathing in a special way which I’ll explain to you.

  Tortoise spent several days and nights learning how to breathe the right way.

  It was hard because the old tortoise was impatient and strict, but after a lot of effort on Tortoise’s part, the old one said,

  — Well, that’s it, you’re ready now, my dear, and I can’t teach you anything more. From now on, it’s up to you, only your effort and determination can get you there. She closed her eyes and turned back into a great rock.

  It was very hot as Tortoise slowed dragged herself over the sand among the dunes. She saw some tussocks of grass and hid under them so they kept the sun off. She settled down and had nothing to eat for several days.

  Tortoise got thinner and thinner as all she did was sleep and breathe, breathe and sleep.

  However strictly she followed the routine, she still didn’t see how she was ever going to be able to swim in the sea. She was feeble and weak, but even so she was determined to go through with her plan.

  She hoped that if she followed the old tortoise’s instructions to the letter, something would happen. All the same, she sometimes felt like giving up and thought the whole idea was all in her imagination and felt as if she was going to die.

  One especially hot morning, perhaps because she wasn’t eating or moving, she was giving off a bad smell. That seems to be how the ants found out and came for her.

  More and more ants came and crawled into her shell through the openings for her legs and tail. She couldn’t stand it.

  The ants bit her all over and made her skin hurt ever so much.

  Tortoise made an enormous effort to get free of the ants and without realising suddenly found she had wriggled herself out of her shell.

  She felt she was burning like mad as the rays from the sun beat down on her soft, sensitive skin.

  She almost ran to the sea and plunged in.

  And before she knew it.. she was swimming, floating in the water. She dived and came up again. She had done it! She was so happy, she could swim and felt free at last. After a long endeavour, Tortoise was living her dream.

  She was swimming in the sea!.

  She swam off to her left where she could see a spot of shade below some rocks, and when she got close she rested while the waves broke around her.

  Out of nowhere, two very ugly iguanas, covered in spikes, popped up on the rocks. Astonished they looked at her and one asked,

  — Hello, Good Morning, what kind of animal are you? Are you an iguana?

  Tortoise thought for a while and then said,

  — Yes, I am an iguana from the southern ocean.

  — Ahh, said the two iguanas and walked off over the rocks.

  Tortoise spent the rest of her days there on those rocks,

  swimming, fishing and lying in the sun.

  Happy to be herself in the beautiful, great blue sea.

  I thank immensely my beloved husband Michael for all the care and support he gave me in all the creativity process of the creation of this book.

  Thanks to Dermot Murphy for his work of the translation.

  April 2019

  Copyright

  The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  Written & illustrated by Nyako Nakal.

  All rights reserved. No part of t
his publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that with which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ISBNs:

  978–1–912850–96–9 hardback

  978–1–912850–97–6 ebook

 

 

  Nyako Nakar, The Dream of the Tortoise

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