The Turtle and the Rabbit p2
The two friends went out to where they were going to build the wall. The Rabbit bounded this way and that while the Turtle lumbered forwards. He sat in the shade and took out his book.
"First we need some stakes and string." The Turtle said, looking at the list of instructions. "Then we need a shovel and hoe to prepare the ground."
The Rabbit went into the shed the two friends shared and came back with the equipment, talking the whole time about how wonderful and beautiful their wall was going to be. Rabbit also talked and talked and talked about how high the wall should be, how wide the wall should be, and where the wall should be. The Turtle listened and read, looking over as the Rabbit pointed here and there.
Once the equipment was ready and the Rabbit seemed all talked out, the Turtle put down his book and stood up, walking over to the string. "First, we must mark out the boundaries of the wall. I will hold this end, you can hold that end." Between the two, they lifted and measured with the string until they had the layout of the wall. They tied the string to the stakes and pushed them into the ground.
"Next, we must dig some to make a firm foundation." the Turtle said.
The Rabbit jumped around, talking all the while sometimes even singing as he and Turtle dug. The Rabbit dug hard and deep, hacking with his hoe and throwing the big clumps of dirt around. The slow Turtle used his tools slowly and surely until the ground was straight and flat.
"This rock," Turtle said, pointing to the largest, flattest rock in the pile, "is too big for me. Will you help me place it here, right in the middle?"
The two friends picked up the huge rock and placed it right in the middle, the turtle nudging it this way and that until it was just right.
"Now, I need some small rocks to fill in gaps and some water for mortar. Could you go to the stream and get some, my friend?" the Turtle asked. Rabbit agreed and bounded away carrying two buckets and singing a nonsense song about how wonderful and high and strong and beautiful and great their wall was going to be. While the Rabbit was getting the small rocks and water, the turtle placed all the large rocks on the bottom of the foundation, keeping between the lines of the string so the wall would be straight and true.
The Rabbit returned and mixed up the mortar, splashing the water and the limestone into a thick paste. All the while singing a song about how happy he was to be out in the sunshine and fresh air and how cool the breeze was. The Turtle nodded and smiled, checking the consistency of the mortar from time to time, listening all the while. Soon the mortar was mixed and the Turtle said, "You are quite covered. Why don't you clean up and make a snack for us? I am quite hungry, since it has been a full morning." The Rabbit happily agreed and bounded away, singing about how wonderful and tasty and refreshing his snack was going to be.
The Turtle worked slowly, putting the mortar on the wall and pushing in the small rocks in the gaps and putting bigger stones here and there, within the boundaries of the stakes the two friends had put up earlier.
Soon enough, the Rabbit returned cleaned and with a tray of wonderful veggies and fruits and slices of meat and warm bread and cool water. The turtle washed his hands, using the left over water from the bucket the Rabbit got earlier and the two friends ate. The Rabbit talked about how wonderful and high and strong and beautiful their wall was going to be. He talked and he ate and he got crumbs and bits of food everywhere. On himself, on the ground, over their plates. Turtle just sat and nodded and ate, slow and ponderous as turtles are.
Once they were done eating, the Turtle said, "I am nearly out of mortar and stones and these dishes are dirty. Could you go to the stream, get more water, get more stones, and clean these dishes? I would ever be so grateful."
"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I would be so happy to, my friend." And the Rabbit bounded away with the dishes and bucket while the Turtle used the last of the mortar and placed another layer of rocks on top.
When the Rabbit came back, the Turtle mixed the mortar while the Rabbit put away the dishes and put away the string and stakes. He went to put away the shovel and hoe but noticed some large dirt clumps that had been tossed into their garden. He hacked at them with the hoe, breaking up the soil. The turtle pointed out some weeds in the garden and the Rabbit tore those out and used the hoe to smooth the dirt around the lines.
"Oh what a beautiful garden, oh what a beautiful wall," the Rabbit sang as he worked. "The plants will grow big and tall." (Note to self, either write or find a song about gardening and food and plants and friendship.)
The Turtle smiled and listened and put stone by stone down, using the mortar as he went. After a while, he said to Rabbit. "This stone is very large and I am quite tired. Will you put this stone up here?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I would be most happy to, my friend." The Rabbit picked up a medium stone, about the size of a pillow and heaved and hefted and grunted as he picked up, the Turtle laughing as the Rabbit exaggerated how heavy and large and rough the rock was. He put the rock where indicated, the Turtle tamping it down and wiping away the mortar that squeezed out.
"What next? Which rock to you want me to place next?" The Rabbit asked, looking around. But there were no more stones. And no more mortar. He was about to grab the buckets to get more, when he saw the wall. He gasped, looking at the long, straight, tall, beautiful wall. "The wall is done! How can that be? I only put two stones in! You built this wall all by yourself! I didn't do anything at all!" he wailed in dismay.
The turtle chuckled. "You built this wall and garden as much as I did, my friend. When you were talking and pointing and planning, I was reading about how to make a wall. You helped place markers so that the wall would run straight and true. You helped me with the ground, making a good foundation. You placed the first stone. I am slow and steady and cannot bound around like you. But I can put stones piece by piece while you were the one to fetch stones from the stream and water for the mortar. You made lunch and cleaned it up. You also put away the tools for next time and weeded the garden. And you put on the last stone. Why, you put in more work to build this wall then I did. And you sang and talked and were so happy about this wall that I was not discouraged and kept on putting stone by stone, rock by rock to build this wall. It was a good day."
And the Rabbit laughed and hooted and cried because he knew the Turtle was right. If the Turtle had made the wall alone, he would have had trouble with carrying the water and getting the stones. And the Turtle would have had to stop to make lunch. And the Turtle wouldn't have the garden bed looking so nice. If the Rabbit had tried to make the wall by himself, he would have gotten distracted and the wall would be half done and probably be crooked and not very beautiful.
Their beautiful wall and beautiful garden was made by friends and friendship. The Rabbit full of energy and song. The Turtle slow and steady and sure.
"Yes, yes, yes. It is a very beautiful garden, a very beautiful wall, and a very good day," the Rabbit said. "I am all dirty and you are probably sore. Lets go to the stream and swim and watch the sun set."
And they did.
"First we need some stakes and string." The Turtle said, looking at the list of instructions. "Then we need a shovel and hoe to prepare the ground."
The Rabbit went into the shed the two friends shared and came back with the equipment, talking the whole time about how wonderful and beautiful their wall was going to be. Rabbit also talked and talked and talked about how high the wall should be, how wide the wall should be, and where the wall should be. The Turtle listened and read, looking over as the Rabbit pointed here and there.
Once the equipment was ready and the Rabbit seemed all talked out, the Turtle put down his book and stood up, walking over to the string. "First, we must mark out the boundaries of the wall. I will hold this end, you can hold that end." Between the two, they lifted and measured with the string until they had the layout of the wall. They tied the string to the stakes and pushed them into the ground.
"Next, we must dig some to make a firm foundation." the Turtle said.
The Rabbit jumped around, talking all the while sometimes even singing as he and Turtle dug. The Rabbit dug hard and deep, hacking with his hoe and throwing the big clumps of dirt around. The slow Turtle used his tools slowly and surely until the ground was straight and flat.
"This rock," Turtle said, pointing to the largest, flattest rock in the pile, "is too big for me. Will you help me place it here, right in the middle?"
The two friends picked up the huge rock and placed it right in the middle, the turtle nudging it this way and that until it was just right.
"Now, I need some small rocks to fill in gaps and some water for mortar. Could you go to the stream and get some, my friend?" the Turtle asked. Rabbit agreed and bounded away carrying two buckets and singing a nonsense song about how wonderful and high and strong and beautiful and great their wall was going to be. While the Rabbit was getting the small rocks and water, the turtle placed all the large rocks on the bottom of the foundation, keeping between the lines of the string so the wall would be straight and true.
The Rabbit returned and mixed up the mortar, splashing the water and the limestone into a thick paste. All the while singing a song about how happy he was to be out in the sunshine and fresh air and how cool the breeze was. The Turtle nodded and smiled, checking the consistency of the mortar from time to time, listening all the while. Soon the mortar was mixed and the Turtle said, "You are quite covered. Why don't you clean up and make a snack for us? I am quite hungry, since it has been a full morning." The Rabbit happily agreed and bounded away, singing about how wonderful and tasty and refreshing his snack was going to be.
The Turtle worked slowly, putting the mortar on the wall and pushing in the small rocks in the gaps and putting bigger stones here and there, within the boundaries of the stakes the two friends had put up earlier.
Soon enough, the Rabbit returned cleaned and with a tray of wonderful veggies and fruits and slices of meat and warm bread and cool water. The turtle washed his hands, using the left over water from the bucket the Rabbit got earlier and the two friends ate. The Rabbit talked about how wonderful and high and strong and beautiful their wall was going to be. He talked and he ate and he got crumbs and bits of food everywhere. On himself, on the ground, over their plates. Turtle just sat and nodded and ate, slow and ponderous as turtles are.
Once they were done eating, the Turtle said, "I am nearly out of mortar and stones and these dishes are dirty. Could you go to the stream, get more water, get more stones, and clean these dishes? I would ever be so grateful."
"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I would be so happy to, my friend." And the Rabbit bounded away with the dishes and bucket while the Turtle used the last of the mortar and placed another layer of rocks on top.
When the Rabbit came back, the Turtle mixed the mortar while the Rabbit put away the dishes and put away the string and stakes. He went to put away the shovel and hoe but noticed some large dirt clumps that had been tossed into their garden. He hacked at them with the hoe, breaking up the soil. The turtle pointed out some weeds in the garden and the Rabbit tore those out and used the hoe to smooth the dirt around the lines.
"Oh what a beautiful garden, oh what a beautiful wall," the Rabbit sang as he worked. "The plants will grow big and tall." (Note to self, either write or find a song about gardening and food and plants and friendship.)
The Turtle smiled and listened and put stone by stone down, using the mortar as he went. After a while, he said to Rabbit. "This stone is very large and I am quite tired. Will you put this stone up here?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I would be most happy to, my friend." The Rabbit picked up a medium stone, about the size of a pillow and heaved and hefted and grunted as he picked up, the Turtle laughing as the Rabbit exaggerated how heavy and large and rough the rock was. He put the rock where indicated, the Turtle tamping it down and wiping away the mortar that squeezed out.
"What next? Which rock to you want me to place next?" The Rabbit asked, looking around. But there were no more stones. And no more mortar. He was about to grab the buckets to get more, when he saw the wall. He gasped, looking at the long, straight, tall, beautiful wall. "The wall is done! How can that be? I only put two stones in! You built this wall all by yourself! I didn't do anything at all!" he wailed in dismay.
The turtle chuckled. "You built this wall and garden as much as I did, my friend. When you were talking and pointing and planning, I was reading about how to make a wall. You helped place markers so that the wall would run straight and true. You helped me with the ground, making a good foundation. You placed the first stone. I am slow and steady and cannot bound around like you. But I can put stones piece by piece while you were the one to fetch stones from the stream and water for the mortar. You made lunch and cleaned it up. You also put away the tools for next time and weeded the garden. And you put on the last stone. Why, you put in more work to build this wall then I did. And you sang and talked and were so happy about this wall that I was not discouraged and kept on putting stone by stone, rock by rock to build this wall. It was a good day."
And the Rabbit laughed and hooted and cried because he knew the Turtle was right. If the Turtle had made the wall alone, he would have had trouble with carrying the water and getting the stones. And the Turtle would have had to stop to make lunch. And the Turtle wouldn't have the garden bed looking so nice. If the Rabbit had tried to make the wall by himself, he would have gotten distracted and the wall would be half done and probably be crooked and not very beautiful.
Their beautiful wall and beautiful garden was made by friends and friendship. The Rabbit full of energy and song. The Turtle slow and steady and sure.
"Yes, yes, yes. It is a very beautiful garden, a very beautiful wall, and a very good day," the Rabbit said. "I am all dirty and you are probably sore. Lets go to the stream and swim and watch the sun set."
And they did.