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The Story of Bob The Magic Tortoise
By Leann P. Christenson
Copyright 2007 Leann Christenson. All rights reserved.
There was once a wonderful kingdom that was overseen by the Royal Family of Sullivan: King and Queen Sullivan and their son, Prince William. Everyone in the kingdom heard that Prince William had a special condition; some even thought he was sick. But the prince wasn’t sick like some people have a cold, but his head was so full up inside he hardly said anything to anyone. Because there was so much going inside his head, the Prince would sometimes have thunderstorms in his head and thoughts no one understood.
One day, a magic tortoise named Bob saw the Royal family and Prince William and decided to live with them. At first, no one but the Prince noticed that Bob the tortoise was magical. But soon the family could see something wonderful happen for the Prince soon began to speak to Bob and Bob understood him. Even though no one could hear Bob the tortoise speak, Prince William could hear Bob, and Prince William understood everything Bob said. Indeed, the Royal family came to see that Bob was a magical turtle.
Everyday, the prince would bring flowers and clovers for Bob to eat, and he would tell Bob about his day at school. Prince William told Bob about the things he saw and he would tell Bob when was feeling bad. Prince William told Bob the thoughts in his head stampeded like buffalo, and storms rushed through his head like lightning. Bob told the Prince a great secret: when you can breathe like all the winds of the world like I do, your thoughts will fall away like feathers and your thunderstorms will loose their lightening. And Bob taught the Prince to breath in deep like the ocean, to blow slowly like a breeze, to puff strong like a tornado, to breathe warm like the desert and even blow funny like a raspberry. The Prince got better, he slept well and few thunderstorms happen in his head.
Word about the magic of Bob got around to other kingdoms. A boy in another kingdom wanted to know what kind of magic a tortoise could have so he took Bob from the Sullivan Kingdom. This boy brought Bob to a mountain top where he tried to make Bob do magic for him. He tried harder and harder and harder to get Bob to do magic. So Bob became sick as the boy tried repeatedly to force Bob to do magic. When no magic happen, the boy got very angry and he left Bob sick on the mountain so far from the Sullivan Kingdom that Bob could not find his way home again.
Lost and hurt, Bob could do nothing but cry for he could not find his friend the Prince. Bob wanted so much to go home for he knew that the Prince may forget to breathe like the winds and the Prince would forget how to stay well. Bob wanted to go home again very badly. Bob the tortoise cried and cried so much that tiny golden tears surrounded Bob on the mountain top.
Living in the mountain were many creatures, some scary and some wonderful. It is difficult even for a magical tortoise like Bob to know which were friends and which were not. A very scary monster came across Bob on the mountain top and saw that Bob was lost. But the monster took pity on sick Bob and decided to help him. He collected all the golden tears that Bob cried for the Prince and made a trail of golden tears that started from Bob and went all the way down to the Sullivan Kingdom.
On that day, the King and Queen were looking for their lost tortoise as they had for many days before. The King and Queen came across the trail of golden tears shinning so beautiful that they knew that the tears could only be shed by the magical tortoise. The King and Queen followed the trail of tears up into the mountain and there, hidden among trees and bushes, was Bob, very, very sick.
The King and Queen ordered the Calvary to bring Bob back to the kingdom where a Healer was called to care for Bob. Since Bob was a magical tortoise, only a very special Healer could help him. Bob was brought to a cottage outside the castle to a Healer named Jeanie. Jeanie understood not only about turtles but magical turtles like Bob. Special herbs and elixirs were mixed to make Bob feel better. Until Bob felt better, he would not eat any flowers or clovers.
That night, the Queen told Prince William that Bob was found but he was very, very sick. Prince William, who was already upset that Bob was missing, became even more upset to find out that someone had stolen Bob and tried to make him do magic. Prince William knew that Bob’s magic was a gift and could not be taken by force. While Bob was missing, Prince William had forgot to breathe like all the winds of the world, and he too had become sick again. Now Bob was sick and could not give any magic to Prince William.
Bob had to stay with the Jeanie the Healer at the cottage while he got better but Prince William came to see him when he could. Prince William was not sleeping well and his thoughts were like the trampling of horses and thunderstorms in the desert again. Prince William struggled to stay well while he waited for Bob to get better so that Bob could give him magic again. Both magical tortoise and Prince, friend and boy, struggled to get well again.
One day, when Prince William was visiting, the Prince asked if Bob would please eat one of the flowers that he brought him, for Bob had refused for weeks to eat any flowers or clovers that the Prince had brought him. Bob looked up to the Prince and silently said, “I will eat a flower, but you must show me how the wind blows warm in the desert.” And Prince William took a long slow breath and slowly blew a steady whistle of air that was warm and soft like the wind in the desert on a hot day. When Prince William finished, Bob said, “Now we will both get better and soon I can go home with you”. And Bob ate the flower the Prince had brought him.
Very soon, Bob the magical tortoise moved back to the castle with Prince William. Everyday, after school, Prince William would rush to the back garden and show Bob how all the winds in the world sounded while Bob would eat clover and flowers. William and Bob lived happy after that, for everyone knows that turtles can heal boys and boys can heal turtles; that there really isn’t magic, it’s really just love, and love is all that really matters.
Copyright 2007 Leann Christenson. All rights reserved.
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