# The Tort Who Walked By Herself. By Tidgy's Dad.



## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 5, 2020)

I must of course apologise to one of my personal top writers ever and this is actually my favourite story of all time. If you're a mum, or a dad and you don't read this to your children, then I despair. Do it.
Please don't post anything on this thread, I have set up another thread here https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-tort-who-walked-by-herself-chat-page.184920/
so you can all be horrid to me and Tidgy here and not spoil the flow of the thread.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 5, 2020)

Hmmm.
It should be HEAR and attend and listen,; for this befell and behappend and became, O my Romantic Roommates, when the Tame animals were wild. 
The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Cat was wild, and the Pig was wild - as wild as wild could be - and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones.
But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Tortoise. She walked by herself and all places were alike to her.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 7, 2020)

Of course Adam was wild too. He was dreadfully wild.


He didn't even begin to become tame til he met wifey, and she told him that she did not like living in his wild ways.
She picked out a nice dry Cave, instead of a heap of wet leaves, to lie down in; and she strewed clean sand on the floor; and she lit a nice fire of wood at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horse skin, tail down, across the opening to the Cave; and she said, 'Wipe your feet, dear, when you come in, and now we'll keep house.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 8, 2020)

That night, Rosaceous Roommates, they ate wild sheep roasted on the hot stones, ( which is probably why the Sheep doesn't appear in this story again) and flavoured with wild garlic and wild pepper; and wild duck stuffed with wild rice and wild fenugreek and wild coriander; and marrow bones of wild oxen; and wild cherries, and wild grenadillas. Then Adam went to sleep in front of the fire ever so happy; but wifey sat up, combing her hair.


She took the bone of the shoulder of mutton - the big flat blade bone (see above. No, not wifey, a couple of posts before!) - and she looked at the wonderful marks on it, and she threw more wood on the fire, and she made a Magic. She made the First Singing Magic in the world.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 9, 2020)

Out in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together where they could see the light of the fire a long way off, and they wondered what it meant.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 10, 2020)

And then the Tort joined them.


Late for a few reasons : 
1) She is The Tort Who Walks By Herself, so doesn't conform to the group arriving at the same time bit.
2) As a tortoise, she was a bit slower than the other animals.
3) I forgot to include her in the first couple of photos I took. 

CLIFFHANGER (for Yvonne)

Suddenly Wild Bear attacked Wild Antelope! 
? 
to be continued.........


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 11, 2020)

Cliffhanger resolution : 
As is traditional, the resolution is a cheat and was only put there in the first place to get people to watch next time. It does nothing to further the plot. 
Wild Bear gets Wild Antelope in a bear hug. But in a friendly sort of way. They become the best of friends. 

Anyway, on with Kipling..................


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 11, 2020)

Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said,"O my Friends and O my Enemies, why have Adam and wifey made that great light in that great Cave, and what harm will it do us?" 


That IS a Wild Horse, I tell you. 
Back then they were stripy for camouflage in the Wet Wild Woods. 
It's not a zebra at all. 
Honest.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 12, 2020)

Wild Dog lifted up his wild nose and smelled the smell of the roast mutton, and said, 'I will go up and see and look, and say; for I think it is good. Tort, come with me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 13, 2020)

'Nenni!' said the Tort. 'I am the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 14, 2020)

'Then we can never be friends again,' said Wild Dog, and he trotted off to the Cave. But when he had gone a little way the Tort said to herself, 'All places are alike to me. Why should I not go too and see and look and come away at my own liking?' So, she slipped after Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid herself where she could hear eveything.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 15, 2020)

When Wild Dog reached the mouth of the Cave he lifted up the dried horse-skin with his nose and sniffed the beautiful smell of the roast mutton, and wifey, looking at the blade-bone, heard him, and laughed, and said, 'Here comes the first. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want?'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 16, 2020)

Wild Dog said, 'O my Enemy and Wifey of my Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the Wild Woods?'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 17, 2020)

Then wifey picked up a fried sausage and threw it to Wild Dog, and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, taste and try.' Wild Dog gnawed the sausage, and it was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted, and he said, 'O Enemy and wifey of my Enemy, give me another.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 18, 2020)

wifey said, ' Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, help my Adam to hunt through the day and guard this Cave at night and I will give you as many sausages as you need.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 19, 2020)

'Ah !' said the Tort, listening. 'This is a very wise wifey, but she is not so wise as I am.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 21, 2020)

Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head on wifey's lap, and said, ' O my Friend and wifey of my Friend, I will help your Adam to hunt through the day, and at night I will guard your Cave.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 21, 2020)

'Ah ! ' said the Tort, listening. 'That is a very foolish Dog.' 
And she went back though the Wet Wild Woods waving her stubby wild tail, and walking by her wild lone. 


But she never told anybody.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 22, 2020)

When Adam waked up he said, 'What is Wild Dog doing here?' 


And wifey said, 'His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 24, 2020)

Next night wifey cut great-green armfuls of fresh grass from the water-meadows and dried it before the fire, so that it smelt like new-mown hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave and plaited a halter out of horse-hide, and she looked at the shoulder-of-mutton blade bone - at the big broad blade-bone - and she made a Magic. She made the Second Singing Magic in the world.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 24, 2020)

Out in the Wild Woods all the animals wondered what had happened to Wild Dog, and at last Wild Horse (who is not a zebra, honest) stamped with his foot and said, 'I will go and see and say why Wild Dog had not returned. Tort, come with me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 25, 2020)

' Nenni!' said the Tort. 'I am the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.' But all the same she followed Wild Horse (who is _still _honestly _not _a zebra) softly, very softly, and she hid herself where she could hear everything.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 26, 2020)

When wifey heard Wild Horse (truly not a zebra, honest) tripping and stumbling on his long mane, she laughed and said, 'Here comes the second. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want?'


(I note that Kipling failed to mention the 'dried wild-horse skin, tail down' that wifey hung over the cave entrance and Wild dog later lifted up with his nose. Perhaps it was being washed, or else wifey, clearly expecting Wild Horse had wisely hidden it for the night, knowing it might cause Wild Horse - not a zebra - to scream, shout 'Neigh!' and trot off, post haste, back into the Wet Wild Woods, knowing what had happened to the last Wild Horse that Adam and wifey had encountered. Rather remiss of Kipling, don't you think?)


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 27, 2020)

Wild Horse (still, positively, NOT a zebra) said, ' O Enemy and wifey of my Enemy, where is Wild Dog? '


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 28, 2020)

INTERLUDE



THIS is the picture of the Cave where Adam and wifey lived first of all. It was really a very nice Cave, and much warmer than it looks. Adam had a canoe. It is on the edge of the river, being soaked in water to make it swell up. The tattery-looking thing across the river is Adam's salmon-net to catch salmon with. There are nice clean stones leading from the river to the mouth of the Cave, so that Adam and wifey could go down for water without getting sand between their toes. The things like blackbeetles far down the beach are really trunks of dead trees that floated down the river from the Wet Wild Woods on the other bank. (on the other bank? Hmmm. This means the poor animals have to swim the river to get to the Cave and not like my pictures or how I imagined it at all. ) Adam and wifey used to drag them (the tree trunks, not the animals. maybe both at times.) out and dry them and cut them up for firewood. Mr. Kipling (makes _exceedingly _good cakes, you know.) didn't draw the horse-hide curtain at the mouth of the Cave, because wifey has just taken it down to be cleaned. (Aha! This may have been the time Wild Horse ,no zebras in this story, came to visit!) All those little smudges on the sand between the Cave and the river are the marks of wifey's feet and Adam's feet. (Wild Dog, Wild Horse and the Tort must have kept to the stepping stones.)
Adam and wifey are both inside the Cave eating their dinner. They went to another cosier Cave in Morocco when the Baby came (?), because the Baby used to crawl down to the river and fall in, and the Dog had to pull him out.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 29, 2020)

Back to the story :

wifey laughed, and picked up the blade-bone and looked at it, and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not come here for Wild Dog, but for the sake of this good grass."


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 30, 2020)

And Wild Horse, tripping and stumbling in his long mane (see picture immediately above for the reason), said, 'That is true; give it me to eat."


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 31, 2020)

wifey said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, bend your wild head and wear what i give you, and you shall eat the wonderful wonderful grass three times a day.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 1, 2020)

' Ah!' said the Tort, listening. 'This is a clever wifey, but she is not so clever as I am.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 2, 2020)

Wild Horse bent his wild head, and wifey slipped the plaited-hide halter over it. and Wild Horse breathed on wifey's feet and said, 'O my Mistress, and wifey of my Master, I will be your servant for the sake of the wonderful grass.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 3, 2020)

'Ah !' said the Tort, listening. 'That is a very foolish Horse.' (Notice she didn't say zebra.) And she went back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving her wild stubby tail and walking by her wild lone. But she never told anybody.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 5, 2020)

When Adam and the Dog came back from hunting stuffed bears, Adam said, 'What is Wild Horse doing here?"


And wifey said, 'His name is not Wild Horse any more, but the First Servant, because he will carry us from place to place for always and always and always. Until someone invents the motorcar. Ride on his back when you go hunting.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 5, 2020)

Bonus pic.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 5, 2020)

Next day, holding her wild head high that her wild horns should not catch in the wild trees, Wild Cow came up to the Cave, and the Tort followed, and hid herself just the same as before;


and everything happened just the same as before; and the Tort said the same things as before; and when Wild Cow had promised to give her milk to wifey every day in exchange for the wonderful grass, the Tort went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving her wild stubby tail and walking by her wild lone, just the same as before. But she never told anybody. And when Adam and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting and asked the same questions as before, wifey said, ' Her name is not Wild Cow any more, but the Giver of Good Food. (Cheese). She will give us the warm white milk for always and always and always (i can't drink it warm, gotta be quite cold, still no refrigerators back then, one suspects.), and I will take care of her while you and the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting. (and secretly gobble all the cheese, i suspect.)


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 6, 2020)

Next day the Tort waited to see if any other Wild Thing would go up to the Cave, but no one moved in the Wet Wild Woods, so the Tort walked there by herself; and she saw wifey milking the Cow, and she saw the light of the fire in the Cave, and she smelt the smell of prickly pear and tomatoes.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 8, 2020)

Tort said, 'O my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy, where did Wild Cow go?"


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 8, 2020)

wifey laughed and said, ' Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, go back to the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and I have put away the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends or servants in our Cave. '


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 9, 2020)

Tort said, ' I am not a friend and i am not a servant. I am the Tort who walks by herself, and I wish to come into your Cave.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 10, 2020)

wifey said, 'Then why did you not come with First Friend on the first night?"


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 11, 2020)

Tort grew very angry and said, ' Has Wild Dog told tales of me?'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 12, 2020)

The wifey laughed and said, ' You are the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to you. You are neither a friend nor a servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in all places alike.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 13, 2020)

Then the Tort pretended to be sorry and said, ' Must I never come into the Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire or in a thermostatically controlled enclosure? Must I never eat the juicy green prickly pear fruit? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not be cruel even to a Tort."


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 14, 2020)

wifey said, " I knew I was wise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So I will make a bargain with you. If I ever say one word in your praise, you may come into the Cave."


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 15, 2020)

' And if you say two words in my praise?' said the Tort.
' I never shall,' said wifey, ' but if I say two words in your praise, you may sit by the fire in the Cave. Until we've invented thermostatically controlled enclosures."


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 16, 2020)

' And if you say three words?' said the Tort. 
' I never shall,' said wifey, ' but if I say three words in your praise, you may eat the juicy green prickly pear fruit and the ripe red tomatoes and the crunchy, munchy lettuce throughout the day for always and always and always. Until we realize that it's best to feed you dandelions and weeds. And until someone invents Mazuri.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 17, 2020)

Then the Tort stretched her neck and said, ' Now let the Curtain at the mouth of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, and the Food Dish that stands beside the Fire, remember what my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy has said.' And she went away through the Wet Wild Woods waving her stubby wild tail and walking by her wild lone.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 18, 2020)

That night when Adam and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting, wifey did not tell them of the bargain that she had made with the Tort, because she was afraid that they might not like it.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 19, 2020)

Tort went far and far away and hid herself in the Wet Wild Woods by her wild lone for a long time till wifey forgot all about her. Only the Bat -- the little upside-down Bat -- that hung inside the Cave knew where Tort hid; and every evening Bat would fly to Tort with news of what was happening.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 20, 2020)

One evening Bat said, ' There is a Baby in the Cave. He is new and pink and fat and small, and wifey is very fond of him. '


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 21, 2020)

'Ah, ' said the Tort, listening. 'But what is the Baby fond of?' 
' He is fond of things that are soft and tickle' said the Bat. ' He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with. He is fond of all of those things.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 29, 2020)

'Ah" said the Tort, listening. ' Then my time has come.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Sep 30, 2020)

Next night Tort walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very near the Cave till morning-time, and Adam and Dog and Horse went hunting. wifey was busy cooking that morning, and the Baby cried and interrupted. So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of fossils to play with. But still the baby cried.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 2, 2020)

Then the Tort put out her cutie paw and patted the Baby on the cheek, and it cooed; and the Tort rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with her stubby tail. And the Baby laughed; and wifey heard him and smiled.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 3, 2020)

Then the Bat -- the little upside-down Bat -- that hung in the mouth of the Cave said, ' O my Hostess and wifey of my Host and Mother of my Host's So, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 4, 2020)

"A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be,' said wifey, straightening her back, 'for I was a very busy woman this morning and he has done me a service."

That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the dried horse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave fell down -


- because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Tort; and when wifey went to pick it up -- lo and behold! -- the Tort was sitting quite comfy inside the Cave.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 5, 2020)

' Oh my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' said the Tort, ' it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise, and now I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always. Until you invent nice thermostatically temperature controlled enclosures. But I am still the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me.' 
wifey was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up her knitting needles and began to knit.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 6, 2020)

But the Baby cried because the Tort had gone away, and wifey could not hush it, for it struggled and kicked and grew red in the face.


' O my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' said the Tort, ' take a strand of the wool that you are knitting and tie it to a tomato and drag it along the floor, and I will show you a Magic that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is now crying.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 7, 2020)

' I will do so,' said wifey, 'because I am at my wits' end; but I will not thank you for it.'
She tied the wool to a tomato and drew it along the floor, and the Tort ran after it and nudged it with her nose, and stretched out her neck really far, and opened her so wide mouth so you could see her pale pink tongue sticking out, an she chased it around the floor and batted it with her claws and sometimes seemed to lose sight of it, and the pounced on it again, till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had been crying, and scrambled after the Tort and frolicked all over the Cave till it grew tired and settled down to sleep with the Tort in its arms.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 8, 2020)

*INTERLUDE 2*

This is the picture of the Tort who Walked by Herself, walking by her wild lone through the Wet Wild Woods and waving her wild stubby tail. There is nothing else in the picture except some toadstools. They had to grow there because the Woods were so wet. The lumpy thing on the low branch isn't a bird's nest. It is moss that grew there because the Wild Woods were so wet.
Underneath the truly picture is a picture of the cosy Cave that Adam and wifey went to after the (fictional) Baby came. It was their summer Cave, and they planted wheat in front of it. Adam is riding on the Horse to find the Cow and bring her back to the Cave to be milked. He is holding up his hand to call the Dog, who has swum across to the other side of the river, looking for rabbits.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 11, 2020)

' Now,' said the Tort, 'I'm going to invent the hard bolster pillow and perform a magic that will keep the Baby asleep for an hour. ' And the Baby rested its head on the still as a rock Tort and fell asleep. wifey smiled as she looked down on the two of them, and said, ' That was wonderfully done. No question but you are very clever, O Tort.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 12, 2020)

That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the smoke of the Fire at the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof -- _puff! --_


because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Tort; and when it had cleared away -------lo and behold!-----the Tort was sitting quite comfy close to the fire.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 13, 2020)

' O my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' said the Tort, 'it is I; for you have spoken a second word in my praise, and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always and always until someone invents temperature controlled enclosures. But still I am the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 14, 2020)

Then wifey was very very angry, and let down her hair and put more wood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic that should prevent her from saying a third word in praise of the Tort. It was not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved, it was a Still Magic; and by and by the Cave grew so still that a little wee-wee prickly pear fruit crept out of a corner and ran across the floor.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 15, 2020)

' Oh my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' said the Tort, 'is that little fruit part of your Magic?' 
'Ouh! Chee! No indeed!' said the fructophobic wifey, and she dropped the blade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire and braided up her hair very quick for fear that the fruit should run up it.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 16, 2020)

' Ah,' said the Tort, watching. 'Then the prickly pear fruit will do me no harm if I eat it?" 
' No' said wifey, braiding up her hair, 'eat it quickly and I will be ever grateful to you.' 
Tort made a few high steps and caught the little fruit, and wifey said, ' A hundred thanks. Even the First friend is not smart enough to catch little prickly pear fruits as you have done. You must be very wise.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 17, 2020)

That very minute and second, O Best Beloved, the Food Bowl that stood by the fire cracked into pieces ---- 



---- because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Tort; and when wifey jumped down from the footstool ---- lo and behold! the Tort was lapping up the clear pure water that lay in one of the pieces.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 18, 2020)

' O my Enemy and wifey of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' said the Tort, 'it is I: for you have spoken three words in my praise, and now I can drink the clear, pure water three times a day for always and always and always. But _still _I am the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 19, 2020)

Then wifey laughed and and set the Tort a bowl of the clear, pure water and said, ' O Tort, you are as clever as a man, (hmm, bit mysogynistic, some of this. Apologies.) but remember that your bargain was not made with Adam or the Dog, and I do not know what they will do when they come home.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 20, 2020)

' What is that to me?' said the Tort. 'If I have my place in the Cave by the fire and my clear, pure water three times a day and nice food to eat I do not care what Adam or the Dog can do'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 21, 2020)

That evening when Adam and the Dog came into the Cave, wifey told them all the story of the bargain, while the Tort sat by the fire and smiled. Then Adam said, 'Yes, but she has not made a bargain with _me _or with all proper Men after me. (No True Scotsman Fallacy

) Then he took off his two leather boots and he took up his little wooden stick (that makes three) and he fetched a piece or rock and Harry the Geological Hammer (that is five altogether), and he set them out in a row and he said, ' Now we will make _our _bargain. If you do not catch runaway fruit and veg when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all proper Men do after me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 23, 2020)

' Ah! ' said wifey, listening. 'This is a very clever Tort, but she is not so clever as my Adam.'
The Tort counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and she said, 'I will catch runaway fruit and veg when I am in the Cave for always and always and always; but _still _I am the Tort who walks by herself, and all places are alike to me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 25, 2020)

' Not when I am near,' said Adam. 'If you had not said that last I would have put these things away for always and always and always; but now I am going to kick you with my boots and flip you over onto your back to watch you struggle, just for fun, and call you slow and stupid (that makes three) whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men do after me!'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 25, 2020)

Then the Dog said, ' Wait a minute. She has not made a bargain with _me _or with all proper Dogs after me.' And he showed his teeth and said, ' If you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always and always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catch you I will bite you. And so shall all proper Dogs do after me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 26, 2020)

' Ah!', said wifey, listening. 'This is a vey clever Tort, but she is not so clever as the Dog.'
Tort counted the Dog's teeth (and they looked very pointed) and she said, 'I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he doesn't pull my short, stubby tail too hard, for always and always and always. But _still _I am the Tort who walks by herself and all places are alike to me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Oct 27, 2020)

' Not when I am near," said the Dog. 'I you had not said that last I would have shut my mouth for always and always and always; but _now _I am going to annoy you occasionally and then treat you as a chew toy when no one is looking. and so shall all proper Dogs after me.'


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## Tidgy's Dad (Nov 27, 2020)

Then Adam called the Tort slow and stupid, flipped her on her back and watched her struggle and gave her a little kick (that makes three), and the Tort slowly crawled from the Cave and the Dog chased after her and chewed her for a while; and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Men out of five will always call a Tortoise slow and stupid whenever they meet her, and all proper Dogs will use her as a chew toy when no one is looking. But the Tort keeps her side of the bargain too. She will catch runaway fruit and veg and will amuse babies when she is in the house, just as long as they don't twist her legs too hard. But when she has done that, and between times, and when the sun rises early in the morning, or begins to go down at dusk, she is the Tort that walks by herself, and all places are alike to her. Then she goes out into the Wet Wild Woods or into the Dry Sub-Sahara or across the Great Grassy Plains, waving her short stubby tail and walking by her wild lone.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Nov 27, 2020)

*THE END*


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## Tidgy's Dad (Nov 27, 2020)

Open for comments on here now if anyone has anything to say.
Cheers,
Rudyard Adam.


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## EllieMay (Nov 27, 2020)

What a fun read! And your photography is just excellent!


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## Cathie G (Nov 27, 2020)

Tidgy's Dad said:


> Then Adam called the Tort slow and stupid, flipped her on her back and watched her struggle and gave her a little kick (that makes three), and the Tort slowly crawled from the Cave and the Dog chased after her and chewed her for a while; and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Men out of five will always call a Tortoise slow and stupid whenever they meet her, and all proper Dogs will use her as a chew toy when no one is looking. But the Tort keeps her side of the bargain too. She will catch runaway fruit and veg and will amuse babies when she is in the house, just as long as they don't twist her legs too hard. But when she has done that, and between times, and when the sun rises early in the morning, or begins to go down at dusk, she is the Tort that walks by herself, and all places are alike to her. Then she goes out into the Wet Wild Woods or into the Dry Sub-Sahara or across the Great Grassy Plains, waving her short stubby tail and walking by her wild lone.
> View attachment 311846


?


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## KarenSoCal (Nov 28, 2020)

Delightful!


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## Tidgy's Dad (Dec 25, 2020)

Merry Christmas All!


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