“I’ve found a hair! I’ve found a hair!” Tessy the Tortoise shouted over and over. Patty Turtle climbed out of her pond
and rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re running races with rabbits again?”
“Not hare H...A...R...E,” Tessy said, “Hair H...A...I...R. Look!” Tessy stretched her head far out of her shell and waggled
it so Patty could see the long, thick, red hair sprouting from the top of her head.
Patty blinked. “My goodness.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I wouldn’t talk too loudly about it, Tessy.”
“Why not?”
“Because...well, just because.”
Tessy smiled at her reflection in the pond water, posed this way and that, then looked at her friend. “You’re jealous.”
“Am not. It’s just--”
“Hey, what’s that sticking out of your head?” called a voice. Katrina and several of her soft-shelled turtle sisters grouped
around Tessy, each of them staring.
“It’s my new hair,” Tessy said. “Don’t you think it looks nice?”
“It looks weird!” said one sister.
“Yeah,” said another. “It’s double weird.”
“Sure is,” added Katrina. “You’re a reptile. Reptiles have scales, not hair.”
“Yes, but...well....” Tessy felt her throat tighten up as each of the sisters lifted their thick front legs and pointed at
her, laughing.
“Ha! Ha! Weirdo!”
Tessy burst into tears, but they only laughed harder.
“Stop!” Patty shouted, but still they laughed.
Finally, Tessy did the only thing she could think of. She withdrew into her shell. Tessy remained in her shell long
after the laughter faded. Maybe she’d never stick out her head again.
A shout came from somewhere not too far away. Tessy moved her head forward just a little bit. The sound came again.
Not laughter, but something else. Something that sounded like frightened cries.
Tessy inched her head forward some more and peeked out of her shell. Someone needed help down by the creek!
She hurried as fast as a rabbit-racing tortoise could hurry. First, she passed several of the soft-shelled sisters.
Then, with a final burst of effort, she puffed up beside Patty and a sobbing Katrina. Katrina’s little brother Timmy was
trapped on a rock in the rushing creek.
“We’ll never save him,” Katrina wailed. “The water’s moving too fast.”
Tessy knew she had to act quickly. “Patty...Katrina,” she said, “each of you hold one of my back legs.” She stretched her
neck out, waggled her head several times, then swung it forward. “Grab my hair, Timmy,” she shouted.
Timmy opened his mouth and grabbed on to her hair.
“I’m sorry I laughed at you,” Katrina said. “You’re lucky you have such a wonderful hair. In fact, if you’d like, maybe
my sisters and I can help you style it.”
Tessy grinned. “Thank you, Katrina, but right now I like it just the way it is.”
“Not hare H...A...R...E,” Tessy said, “Hair H...A...I...R. Look!” Tessy stretched her head far out of her shell and waggled
it so Patty could see the long, thick, red hair sprouting from the top of her head.
