Where Did My Home Go?

Where Did My Home Go? Layla Audi

One morning near the river bank, Witty Turtle woke up under her favorite coconut tree. Witty began her daily morning exercise, going in and out, in and out of her cozy carapace.

Then, Witty sat down to relax. But, suddenly . . .

. . . a coconut fell and knocked Witty right out of her shell! She felt dizzy and confused. "Where am I? Where has my carapace gone?" she said as she looked around.

Without her shell, Witty would be cold and unprotected. She must find it! "I will look everywhere until I find my carapace," she said.

Witty walked along the edge of the river to look in the mud and sand. Soon, she found a hard round shell. She knocked on it and said, "Are you my carapace?"

The ball uncurled into an angry armadillo! "No, this is my home. I curl up inside it to hide from cold and predators." "Yes, I see," Witty said. "My home cannot roll into a ball. My scales are made of hard rings that show how much I have grown each season."

Witty continued searching and soon found another hard shell. She knocked and said, "Are you my carapace?"

A quiet voice whispered, "No, this is my shell." Then a snail poked its head out. "The strong shape holds my body in place, as I have no bones."

"Yes, I see," said Witty. "My shell is not a spiral shape like yours. It has a top and bottom that form around my bones."

Next, Witty Turtle searched for her carapace in the river. But the water was strong and pushed her over onto her back!

Finally, she managed to turn over and swim down under the water. Soon, she saw a hard shell on the bottom. She knocked and said, "Are you my carapace? "A deep voice growled, "No, I am an oyster. I open my shell to eat and close it to hide from predators."

'Yes, I see," Witty said, "I can go in and out of my carapace, but it does not close up tight!"

Witty Turtle didn’t give up. Every time she found a new shell, she knocked and asked if it was her carapace. But each one turned out to be the home of another animal.

Suddenly, Witty saw a dark shadow moving towards her. An alligator! She quickly hid behind a rock. If an alligator found her without her shell, she would become its dinner in a moment!

After the alligator swam away, Witty raced to the surface and swam to the shore as fast as she could.

Witty returned to her coconut tree, afraid she may have lost her cozy home forever. But then . . .

BOOOOM!!! Something fell and landed on her head.

It was her carapace! "Yes, this is it! My carapace has rings that show how I've grown each season, a hard top and bottom to protect me, and comfortable holes for my head and legs to poke in and out. I am so happy to be home!"

That night, Witty Turtle went to sleep under her favorite coconut tree, safe and warm at last.

THE END