THORNY TWIG AND THE TURTLE TOE

ONE DAY THORNY TWIG DECIDED TO SKIP SCHOOL. HE FELT VERY GOOD FOR A WHILE BUT HE SOON DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HIS TIME. HE TRIED CLIMBING A TREE SO HE COULD SEE A LONG WAY. HE SOON GOT TIRED OF SITTING AND CLIMBED DOWN.

THEN HE THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING A NAP IN THE COOL SHADE OF A TREE. HE COULD NOT GO TO SLEEP.

AT LAST HE WENT TO THE LAKE. HE WOULD GO WADING IN THE SHALLOW WATER.

HE WAS WADING IN THE COOL WATER OF THE LAKE WHEN A BIG TURTLE GRABBED HIS TOE AND WOULD NOT LET GO. IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD SUDDENLY GROWN A HUGE BIG TOE.

HE TRIED EVERY THING BUT THE TURTLE HUNG ON TIGHT. THE ONLY THING TO DO WAS GET HELP. WHERE WOULD HE GET HELP?

THE ONLY PLACE TO GO WAS TO HIS HOME. MAYBE HIS FATHER COULD GET THE TURTLE TO LET GO OF HIS TOE. HE DRAGGED THE BEAST THROUGH THE WOODS TO HIS HOME.

WHEN TWIGMAN SAW THORNY HE ASKED, "WHY ARE YOU NOT IN SCHOOL?" THORNY SAID, "JUST GET THIS TURTLE OFF MY TOE AND I WILL TELL YOU!" TWIGMAN SMILED AND SAID, "I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SCHOOL FIRST. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A HUGE BIG TOE." THORNY SAID, "PUULLEEZE!" TWIGMAN WOULD NOT HELP UNTIL THORNY TOLD HIM WHY HE WAS NOT IN SCHOOL.

WHEN THORNY ADMITTED TO TWIGMAN THAT HE HAD SKIPPED SCHOOL TWIGMAN TICKLED THE TURTLE UNDER THE CHIN AND HE LET GO OF THORNY'S TOE. THORNY JUMPED BACK AND THE TURTLE CRAWLED AWAY.

TWIGMAN EXPLAIND TO THORNY ABOUT THE BAD THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU WHEN YOU DO NOT DO WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND TOLD HIM THE REST OF THE FAMILY WOULD REALLY LAUGH AT HIM WHEN THEY LEARNED ABOUT HIS TURTLE TOE.

LEAFY. KNOBBY AND FUZZY ALL LAUGHED VERY MUCH AT THORNY WHEN THEY LEARNED ABOUT THORNY'S TURTLE TOE AND THORNY HUNG HIS HEAD. HE WAS VERY SORRY THAT HE HAD SKIPPED SCHOOL.