*****
Giggle Book Two
Tommy’s Shell
Toot, toot sounded the big ships as they floated by the little island in the middle of the bay. Toot, toot tooted another ship as it passed by. Old Billy, the bullfrog, sat on the banks of the river and watched the ships go by.
“Ribbit, ribbit,” he sang back as the ships tooted.
Suddenly, Billy stopped singing, tilted his head and listened. He thought he heard something; he listened again, but heard nothing.
“Ribbit, ribbit,” he croaked out across the water.
“Help, help,” came a faint cry.
Billy quickly hopped onto a post that stood at the edge of the water. He looked out across the river to see if he could tell where it was coming from.
“Help, help me,” came the faint cry again.
Billy saw something bobbing up and down in the water.
“Help me,” the little voice cried, this time weaker than before.
Billy splashed into the river and swam toward the cry for help.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he croaked.
Finally, Billy reached a little turtle struggling to swim.
“Hold on little fellow,” yelled Billy as they swam back to shore.
“Thank you,” said the little half-drowned turtle as he spit water out of his mouth.
“You’re welcome,” replied Billy. “You are one lucky fellow. That’s a long swim across the river for such a little fellow,” said Billy.
“I know,” the little turtle replied. “I thought I could make it. By the way, my name is Tommy.”
“My name is Billy,” ribbitted the old bullfrog. “What brings you across the river, Tommy?” asked Billy.
“Oh, I just wanted to look around,” replied Tommy.
Old Billy eyed Tommy, rubbed his chin and said, “I see.”
He knew in his heart that Tommy was trying to run away.
“I would like to live here on the island,” exclaimed Tommy, “like you do, Billy.”
“Oh, you would,” uttered Billy as he sat back on the bank and watched the ships go by.
Tommy was from the east side of the river. He had run away from home because he felt like he didn’t fit in. Tommy thought things might be better for him on the west side of the river. He thought he just might fit in better with the turtles on the west side. As Tommy wandered toward the woods, he peeped back over his shoulder and waved goodbye to his new friend, Billy.
“Goodbye, Billy,” whispered Tommy.
“Goodbye, Tommy. Be careful young fellow,” replied Billy.
Billy turned and continued watching the ships go by. The island was beautiful with all its flowers and trees. Tommy smelled the flowers as he walked along the path. This is a wonderful place, he thought. This is great. With a deep long breath, Tommy stuck his nose in a flower and smelled it. Quickly, he pulled his nose away from the flower; it had an angry honey bee on the end of it. Zoom darted the bee as it chased Tommy. Zoom went the bee again as Tommy ran, leaped under a bush and hid in his shell. As Tommy peeped out from his shell, he saw the bee coming straight at him; Tommy closed his eyes. Bang, boom, bang went the bee as it bounced and ricocheted off of Tommy’s shell. Achoo, Tommy sneezed from inside his shell. Tommy peeped out when everything was quiet again.
“Bless you,” came a small voice from under the bush.
“Thank you,” answered Tommy. “But, who are you?”
“I’m Toad,” belted out the little green toad. “I couldn’t help but laugh at you when I saw the bee chasing you; it was so funny,” laughed Toad.
“It wouldn’t have been too funny if he had stung me,” giggled Tommy.
“I guess not,” replied Toad. “But, did you see him sail through the air?”
“Yeah, that was funny,” laughed Tommy. “Thank goodness for my shell.”
“Are you new around here?” inquired Toad. “I’ve never seen you around before.”
“Oh, I’m from the east side of the river,” stated Tommy. “I swam across to check the island out.”
“Do you want me to show you around?” asked Toad.
“Sure,” yelled Tommy. “That would be great.”
The two new friends took off through the woods. They talked, played and laughed about the angry bee chasing Tommy.
“That is so beautiful, Toad,” shouted Tommy when they came upon a pond. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Hey, guys, who’s the new kid on the block,” came a voice from within the tall grass.
“What’s your name?” came another voice from behind a log.
“Do you mean me?” asked Tommy as he looked around.
“Yeah, you,” snapped Snappy the turtle as he walked out of the tall grass. “Who are you and where are you from?” he asked.
“I…I’m Tommy from the east side,” stuttered Tommy.
Toad jumped on the back of Tommy’s shell and yelled, “And he swam the river all by himself.”
“Big deal,” laughed Snappy. “He’s Tommy from the east side and he swam the river. What about that, gang?” laughed Snappy and his gang of turtles as Tommy eased back into his shell.
“Come on, Tommy,” yelled Toad. “Don’t let them get to you.”
“Get out of the way little green toad,” snapped Snappy as the turtles moved back into the tall grass.
Toad turned to Tommy and exclaimed, “Don’t let that bunch of hard shells get next to you.”
“Oh, it’s not that,” mumbled Tommy as he slowly eased out of his shell.
“Then what is wrong?” asked Toad.
“It’s the same thing everywhere I go,” he said. “I just don’t fit in. Toad,” said Tommy, “I want to be alone. Do you mind?”
“Are you sure, Tommy?” replied Toad.
“Yes, I’m sure,” he mumbled. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, see you later,” yelled Toad.
Tommy waved as Toad disappeared in the tall grass. As Toad hopped off, he stopped and peeped out of the tall grass and saw Tommy crying.
“Nobody likes me,” cried Tommy. “Nobody cares. I just don’t fit in anywhere.”
“Pssst, pssst,” Tommy heard as he raised his head.
“Who is it?” asked Tommy. “Where are you?”
“Over here in the pond,” came a small bubbly voice. “I’m over here.”
Tommy looked over at the edge of the pond and saw a beautiful goldfish.
“Cheer up little fellow,” the goldfish said.
“Who are you?” asked Tommy.
“Goldie,” she answered.
“My name is Tommy Turtle.”
“What’s the matter, Tommy?” asked Goldie.
“Oh, nothing,” he mumbled, “I’m just sad.”
“Are you sad about what happened with Snappy and his friends?” asked Goldie.
“No, not really,” he replied. “I just don’t fit in.”
“Why do you think you don’t fit in?” asked Goldie.
“Everyone laughs and makes fun of me,” he explained.
“Well, Tommy, you have to learn how to laugh back,” she said. “If you can’t laugh at yourself, then what can you laugh at?”
“I don’t see very much that’s funny,” he cried as he turned and disappeared into the tall grass.
As Tommy wandered through the tall grass, he thought about what Goldie had said. He knew she was right, but it was going to be hard for him to do. Unexpectedly, Tommy heard someone talking. He looked up from the tall grass and saw a man painting a picture of the woods. Tommy tried to ease by the artist’s feet; he didn’t want to disturb him. Just when he was right by the artist’s feet, the artist dropped his paintbrush onto Tommy’s back. Splat went the brush. It left a red and blue spot on the back of Tommy’s shell.
“That’s just great!” yelled Tommy. “Now everyone will surely laugh at me.”
Tommy eased back into the tall grass and circ
led around by the pond. On his way back, Tommy ran into Snappy and his gang again.
“Wow,” yelled Snappy, “that’s a neat shell. Hey guys, dig Tommy’s new look,” boasted Snappy.
“That looks great!” they all shouted.
“You like it?” asked Tommy. “You really think it’s cool?”
“Sure we do,” replied Snappy. “You can be one of us now.”
As Tommy joined his new friends, Toad hopped up.
“Hi, Tommy,” yelled Toad. “Do you want to play?”
“Hi, Toad,” replied Tommy. “Well, I don’t know.”
“Come on, Tommy,” yelled Snappy. “We don’t hang around little green toads.”
Everyone laughed; well, everyone except Tommy.
Tommy looked at Toad, then at Snappy and said, “I am one of them now.”
“You’re not like them, Tommy,” replied Toad.
“Well, I got to go,” said Tommy. “I’ll see you later.”
“Sure,” answered Toad, “go ahead. Have fun with your new friends.”
Time passed and Tommy hung out more and more with Snappy and his gang. He missed Toad and all the fun they used to have. Tommy learned that being in the spotlight was not all it was cracked up to be. He just wanted to be himself. The weather and rain slowly washed off the spot on Tommy’s shell and he became more and more like himself. One day, Snappy noticed the spot on Tommy’s shell was almost gone.
“Hey, Tommy,” he said, “the gang and I don’t feel like you fit in with us anymore. You’re sort of like your old self again.”
“But…but… Snappy,” stuttered Tommy.
“Go on, kid,” said Snappy. “Go on back and play with your little green friend.”
Tommy dropped his head and disappeared into the tall grass.
“I just want to go home,” cried Tommy.
Suddenly, up popped Toad.
“Hey, Toad,” yelled Tommy. “I’ve really missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” replied Toad.
“Toad, I want to go home,” Tommy cried. “I want to go back to the east side. It doesn’t matter to me anymore if I am accepted or not, I just want to be me.”
Toad shook his head and replied, “Tommy, you have learned a big lesson. You have finally come out of your shell. It’s time for you to go home.”
As they neared the banks of the river, they saw old Billy Bullfrog sitting and watching the ships go by.
“It’s time for me to go back home,” stated Tommy.
“So you have learned a good lesson,” said Billy.
“Yes, I have, Billy,” replied Tommy. “I want to go home.”
“Tommy, I don’t think you can make it back by yourself,” commented Billy.
“How will I get back?” asked Tommy.
“Well,” suggested Billy, “I guess I will have to take you.”
“Gee thanks, Billy,” he yelled. “I’ll never forget you. Goodbye, Toad.”
“Goodbye, Tommy,” replied Toad.
“If you are ever on the east side, look me up,” hollered Tommy.
“I sure will,” yelled Toad. “I’ll miss you, Tommy Turtle,” he hollered as he waved goodbye.
Toad watched Billy and Tommy disappear as they got further out in the water. Toot, toot, toot went the ships as they passed by.