The Turtle and the Squirrel
by Danny C. Wash
The squirrel boasted to the turtle, “can you climb a tree like me?”
The turtle thought and then replied, “can you hide in a shell like me?”
The squirrel bragged to the turtle, “can you hop around the meadow most free?”
The turtle retorted to the squirrel, “can you swim in the pond or the sea?”
The squirrel said to the turtle, “can you bury pecans in the garden of flowers?”
The turtle replied to the squirrel, “can you stay under water for hours?”
Okay, Okay said the squirrel, “we can both do different things and not the same.”
The turtle thought, as he does, and said, “Okay, I agree but for this we are not to blame.”
The squirrel then said, “well then who is to blame for the way we were done?”
The turtle thought and said, “whoever made us this way, it is the fault of that one.”
The wise old watching owl interrupted, “Who, who has caused all this foolish talk?”
The turtle said, “the squirrel started this disagreement when I was on my walk.”
The wise owl said, “the great creator who made everything made you this way
and you should thank him for what you can do & want in this manner to stay.
The great creator has made all of us in a perfect way and different from all others.
He gave us all unique bodies and inner natures so we are distinct from one another.
Respect others for their special ways and think of the other animals as just different brothers.”
The squirrel looked at the turtle and said, “O, brother have a good swim today in the pond.”
The turtle smiled at the squirrel & said, “Have a great climb my brother of which I’m fond.”
And both agreed that they wanted to stay their way until they went away to the great beyond.
