TYRONE THE TURTLE LOSES HIS WAY Chapter (3).

 

Back at the Crystal pool Tyrone’s mummy, Tina, had returned without finding her little Tyrone.

“Don’t worry.” Said Terry the Tilapia. “A little elephant came by and she has gone to find her friends so they can help to look for him. I’m sure he’ll be home soon.”

Tina sat on the bank as tear drops began to run down her scaly cheeks. 

“Please don’t cry.” Said Terry. “Tyrone is probably having an adventure and he’ll want to tell you all about it when he gets home.”

Tina wasn’t convinced, she was upset and she was also a bit cross with Tyrone for going away without telling her.

Sid has lost sight of Toucan and was already back on the ground. ‘Now where would I be hiding if I were a bit frightened?’ Sid said to himself. He slithered along the ground making his way around the roots of a large tree then under a small bush and finally came to the big bush with the large leaves. As Sid passed a hole near the base of the bush, he thought he could hear a tiny voice calling.

“Hello.” Said Sid. “Isssssss sssomebody there?”

A faint little voice answered him.

“I’m down a hole and I can’t get out. Can you help me please?” Sid looked around but he couldn’t see who it was speaking to him.

“Who are you?” Asked Sid.

“I’m Tyrone the Turtle and I live in the Crystal pool.” Sid felt happy, he’d found Tyrone.

“Where are you?” Sid asked again.

“I’ve fallen down a hole under the big plant.” Sid slithered around the plant and found the hole. He peered into the hole but it was so dark he couldn’t see anything.

“Are you down there?” he called.

“Yes.” Came the reply in a tiny squeaky voice. “Can you get me out? I want to go home.”  Just at that moment Ellyphina was making her way back along the jungle track closely followed by a strange looking animal with thin legs and a very long neck and a tongue that flopped about as he walked. It was Ellyphina’s friend, Clyde the giraffe.

Sid spotted them and slithered quickly out from under the bush, raised himself up on his tail and called to Ellyphina. High above the treetops Toucan had also spotted the little group of friends and he swooped silently down and landed gently on the path.

“Hello, is it a party? Is there some fruit?” He asked. Sid raised himself up again and looked toucan straight in the eyes.

“Listen to me, this is not a party, we are looking for a little Turtle called Tyrone. I do wish you would concentrate.” Toucan turned his head to one side, clicked his beak, pak, pak.

“No fruit then.” Said Toucan. Sid flopped down and sighed.

“I give up.” Sid turned to Ellyphina and said. “I’ve found Tyrone, he’s stuck in a hole and he can’t get out.” Ellyphina and Clyde came over to the bush and knelt down to get a better look.

“Ummmm.” Said Ellyphina. “That’s going to be awkward.”

“Yeth.” Said Clyde as his tongue flopped again. Ellyphina had an idea.

“Sid perhaps if you lower your tail into the hole, Tyrone can climb out.” Sid moved back under the bush and put his tail down the hole as far as he could reach. Ellyphina shouted to Tyrone.

“Tyrone can you climb out using Sid’s tail?”

Tyrone tried to grip onto the tail but it was too slippery and he kept sliding back down.

“I can’t climb up, this tail is too slimy.” Said Tyrone. Hearing Tyrone say his tail was too slimy, Sid pulled his tail out of the hole and said with an indignant aire.

“My tail is not slimy. It may be a little slippery but it is most definitely not slimy.” And with that he curled up under a leaf and tucked his head under his tail.

“Oh dear.” Said Ellyphina. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. He’s just a baby turtle he probably doesn’t know the difference between slimy and slippery. Stop being so silly and come and help us. Sid knew Ellyphina was right so he got up again and rejoined the others.

“We’ll have to find another way to get him out.” Said Ellyphina. “Anybody got an idea?” Sid gave a little hiss.

“Perhapsssssss if you used you trunk it’sssssss longer and all crinkly. I’m sssure Tyrone could climb out on it.” Said Sid.

“That is a good idea.” Ellyphina replied and she tried to put her trunk down the hole but it was too wide and she could only reach a few inches.

“Maybe I can get him out.” Said Clyde. “My neck ith long and covered in hairth. It will be eethier for him to climb out.” And with that Clyde stuck his head down the hole.

“Ummppppffff woooooooofff bweerrrr ummmph.” Came up from the hole. Ellyphina curled her trunk around Clyde’s neck and pulled. Clyde’s head came out of the hole with a loud POP.

“We couldn’t understand what you were saying.” Explained Ellyphina.

“I thed, my head ith thtuck and itth dark down there.” Then Clyde’s tongue started to spin around and around in front of his face. Sid couldn’t help it and he started to giggle.

“He looks like an aeroplane.” Said Sid and he laughed out loud. Toucan started to laugh too.

“He’ll take off in a minute.” Said Toucan as he laughed some more.

“Ith not funny. It duth thith thumtimeth when I get exthited. It withiz round and round by itth thelf.” Hearing Clyde try to talk with his tongue whizzing around made Sid  laugh so hard he fell over and Toucan was laughing so much it made his tummy hurt. Toucan laid on the floor and held his tummy with his wings.

Ellyphina was not laughing. Ellyphina was cross. Clyde was her friend and he couldn’t help it if his tongue was so long that it sometimes went a bit wild.

“Sidney Greentree... just what do you find so funny?” She asked in a loud stern voice.

“Oooo...” said Clyde. “theee thed thidney, theee never calls him thidney. Theee muthed be very croth.” And then Clydes tongue wrapped itself around his mouth and stuck fast.

Sid stopped laughing and looked at Ellyphina, he could see she was really quite cross. Toucan was still rocking back and forth on the floor when Ellyphina grabbed him around one leg with her trunk and lifted him upside down. Toucan stopped laughing. Pak pak went his beak.

“Why is everyone upside down? Are we having a party? Did anyone bring figs?” Said Toucan who had laughed so much he’d forgotten why he was there.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves. Clyde is a young Giraffe and it is quite normal for his tongue to waggle about until he gets big enough to control it. I want you to apologise.” Said Ellyphina.

“Sssorry Ellyphina.” Said Sid

“Sorry.” Said Toucan still hanging upside down.

“NOT TO ME.” She cried. “Say sorry to Clyde.”

“Ssssorry Clyde I shouldn’t have laughed at you.” Said Sid looking down at the floor and feeling a quite ashamed.

“Yes me too.” Said Toucan. Clyde’s tongue had relaxed and was hanging down from the side of his mouth.

“Thatth alright. Juthed give me a thecond.” With that Clyde tipped his head backwards and opened his large mouth. Then with a few shakes of his head he made the wobbly tongue go back inside his mouth. Clyde closed his mouth and swallowed hard.

“That is much better.” He said when the tongue was back under control. “So long as I don’t put my head down and open my mouth, my tongue will stay there until I need it for pulling leaves from the trees again.”

“If you’ve all quite finished we still have to get Tyrone out of the hole.” Said Ellyphina who was trying hard to think of something.

“Well...” said Toucan still hanging upside down. “ What we need is something that is long enough to reach him and thin enough to go right down the hole.” Sid, Ellyphina and Clyde could not believe it. Toucan had actually said something sensible. Ellyphina let go of Toucans leg and he fell to the ground.

“Ouch.”

“Do you have anything in mind?” Asked Ellyphina. Pak, pak went the long beak.

“Well I was thinking of your hair ribbon.” He said, pointing to the pink bow on the top of Ellyphina’s head with one wing and rubbing his own head with the other.

“That is a great idea.” Said Ellyphina. “But I can’t get it undone by myself. My Mum always ties it and she is very strong.”

Now it was Clyde’s turn to help.

“If Toucan holds one end with his beak...” Said Clyde. “...and Sid holds the other end with his mouth, and they both pulled, it might come undone.” The two friends each took an end and gripped it tightly.

“I shall count to three...” said Clyde. “...and then pull. One....two....three.” The two pals pulled hard. The ribbon came undone and floated to the ground.

“We did it.” Said Sid. “Now let’sssssss put it down the hole so that Tyrone can get out.” Ellyphina used her trunk to hold one end of the pink ribbon as she carefully lowered the other end down into the hole. At the bottom of the hole little Tyrone was sitting patiently when the end of the pink ribbon dropped down beside him.

“Can you wrap it around your flipper and grip it with your mouth?” Called Clyde.

Tyrone gripped it as tightly as he could with his mouth. Then Ellyphina slowly pulled the ribbon out of the hole. Tyrone held on with all his tiny might. As the end of the ribbon came out of the hole, Tyrone was hanging on to it for all he was worth. All the pals cheered.

Hooraayy.

 

 

Author's Note

Clive Tilley has asserted his right to be identified
as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
All rights reserved by the author.