The Turtle and the Heron

In a quiet pond that is round and bright, a turtle named Tilly lives near the mud and notices the small things others miss. She carries a little leaf satchel across her patterned shell. One morning a tall heron with blue-grey feathers and a red scarf arrives in the reeds, and when Tilly invites him to share the pond, the two become close friends. Heron describes the far-off places he has seen, while Tilly points out a beetle's door, a snail's slow trail and a hidden nest of feathers. Each values what the other can see: the big picture and the small details.

When a hot, dry summer shrinks the pond until the mud cracks, the friends must find a new home. Heron can fly high to search for a safe pond, but Tilly cannot fly and the way is long. Together they make a plan: Heron flies ahead and calls down directions, while Tilly follows on the ground and reports whether the path is safe. This gentle story by Jane MEADOW is written for young children and for adults reading aloud, and it can be read on Kids Tale Book.