Sunday 20 October 2013

REWRITTEN TEXT: THE TURTLE, THE MUSHROOM AND THE EGG

The turtle, the mushroom and the egg

There was this wee turtle that lived in the deep blue sea, 500 miles away from where he was born. He had a weird desire. To eat a mushroom but not just any mushroom, a special one that only grows once a year in the far end of the world. Everyone laughed at this poor turtle. The only thing to be punished for was this desire and the dream of getting it. Sad and annoyed he swam away from the other turtles. “How cruel they are!!” Lost in his own thoughts, drifting more than swimming, he found himself next to an old wreck... 
“Massive ship, it must have been fantastic in his days of sailing” the turtle thought and overwhelmed by his own curiosity he swam inside. It was so dark and after blinking a few times, his eyes got use to it and he started to recognize the silhouettes of little fishes, little by little he saw the algae growing from the ceiling, walls, floor, animals like prawns and snails crawling everywhere. Inside this wreck felt like there was more life than in the ocean out there. There was so many rooms at his disposal for him to visit, every one of them filled with extraordinaire beings and weird human objects. Distracted with this little adventure of his he come across this strange room, it was packed till the ceiling with lots of contraptions. He was fascinated... so many different things that he couldn´t even name it. Tubes here and there with water bubbling up and down. Watching through a glass he realized there was this old creature working on something in front of him, so concentrated this creature was that when the turtle got close the creature got spooked.
“Good Gracious what were you doing sneaking behind me like that? Spyyying on me?” said the old creature really upset.
 “No, no... I’m sorry. I felt drawn to this place and was exploring it when I found myself in your wonderful room. I’m very sorry if I disturbed you...” He turned his shell and was ready to go out when suddenly the creature said with a deep naughty voice: “I know what you are looking for”.
If there was a startled look in a turtle’s face this would be the biggest one ever “What do you mean....” trembling his voice “What am I looking for?”
 “You know it. Why play games with words? You want the Mushroom”. Moving around, still busy in what he was doing before “The Golden Mushroom... the Eldorado of the Mushrooms...Oh boy... You have it cut it for you don’t you? Couldn’t wish for anything simpler.. Could you?” Without giving a chance to the turtle to explain himself, the creature continues “Oh yes, I was a little octopus when the last turtle went on an adventure to seek this mushroom. Never heard of him again. My great-great grandfather knew where to look for... Oh yes he did” Laughing to himself... the turtle was listening carefully to every word that he said. “Here they are”... Looking at a big pile of papers. He started to go through them. Papers swimming, hovering everywhere. What a sight... papers with the human writing, doesn’t make sense to anyone of us, papers with maps and others with drawings of strange objects, stranger creatures of the deepest sea levels. “Hey... here it is... My fine young turtle prepare yourself for an obscure secret that only me, my great-great grandfather and the old turtle knew... the map for the far end of the world.
Poor turtle, his heart was beating so fast, that he thought it would come out of his shell. “Easy little heart, calm yourself down .. this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey” he said to himself. The old creature spread the map over a table, that minutes ago was full of stuff. “Must be handy to have all those tentacles”, thought the turtle. The creature then picked some snails that where walking around on a wall next to the table and attached them to the ends of the map. The turtle closed his eyes in anticipation and when he open them....”wow”. The light shinning on the map was beyond this world... Mesmerized as if looking at an old pirate trunk full of gold... His eyes run across it following every line... so many lines they were...
“Before I reveal the way, I have to ask you, Are you ready??!! If there’s any doubt in your soul you’ll not succeed” said the old creature.
“Am sure. This is what I want for so many years... Every time I close my eyes, in my sleep, it’s always there and it’s taking control of my life” said the turtle before filling his chest with hair, tall and confident, assuming a position of bravery. A silver light passed quickly on a window. Both of them startled.
 “What was that?” Asked the turtle trying to maintain his confident pose.
 “That my young turtle is the first of many dangerous you’ll have to face and survive!!!” The old creature turn around with a sad trembling voice “I wish I was young like you to embark on such a journey. You have no idea how I envy you right now”. He sat down in his chair going back to his project. The turtle was also sad for this old creature but taking a look at this room he thought that this old octopus must have had a wonderful life full of adventures.
“Farewell young turtle, I wish you success and that you get everything that you desire from this adventure”.
With a smile the turtle the turtle answered “Thank you for everything. I’ll be back to tell every single detail of my journey!”
“Tentacles crossed that you do”. If only octopus could cry. “Go through the second room at your right there’s a corridor that leads you to the end of the boat. In there, there’s a hole, big enough for you to pass through it. You’ll be safe from that shark. Old as me...he is. Still waiting to catch me.”

The turtle with his heart full of hope and determination, turn around and started to swim, going throw the second room...


rewritten text, let me know what you guys think about it. Do you like it. Would it be a story that you would read to your kids or grandkids. Illustrations will be posted eventually 

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