(artist- Miranda Mae Nations)
One bright day Richard the turtle was sunning by the lake. He was writing a book and couldn’t think of what to write next, so he went down to the creek and found a nice sunny log. There he sat, relaxing by the lake, thinking about what to write next and if what he had just finished writing was historically accurate with all the correct dates. Richard was always careful and deliberate with his writing.
“You can’t rush perfection.” his Dad always told him.
“You have to do the work if you want anything good to happen in life,” he remembered his Mom saying when he was a young turtlette. He resigned to letting himself relax. To not think about his writing for a bit and simply enjoying the beautiful day.
Just then a rabbit with really long ears came hurriedly hopping up. He was carrying some crumpled pages in his teeth. The rabbit saw Richard sunning on the log. He put on his trusty jackrabbit brakes and came to a screeching halt in front of Richard.
“Hey man, what is up brother?” said the rabbit, “My name is Rodney. I am a jackrabbit and I write superfast stories. I am the best writer in all the lands. Nobody writes faster than me and I am─” Richard the Turtle raised his head and opened one eye to peek at this boisterous rabbit.
“Are they any good?’ asked Richard.
”What? Are they any good?” replied Rodney
“Your stories!”
“What does that matter.'' snapped the Rabbit, “I make good money and that’s all that counts.
“Uhh, excuse me.'' said Richard as he dove into the creek water, then climbed up onto the bank in front of Rodney, “Sir Rabbit, may I inquire as to your full name and title? Maybe I have read some of your work.”
“Well, I’ll have you know I’m super-famous far and wide.'' boasted Rodney.
”So what writing name do you go by?” Richard again inquired.
“I am the one, the only Rodney the Rapid Writing Rabbit. And who are you?“ Rodney asked as he lowered his head and glared into Richard's wrinkled turtle face.
“My name is Richard the Story Telling Turtle,'' the turtle stated, “I have been working on a novel for a few years now.”
“What? A few years,” laughed Rodney, “That’s pathetic. I finished three just this morning.”
“Novels?” asked Richard.
“What does it matter,” said Rodney, “I get paid for them.”
“Don’t you want your writing to mean something and to touch people in a special and profound way?”
“No, why would I care about that?” laughed Rodney, “Now if you will excuse me, I must deliver these books to my village.” Then the rabbit gathered his crumpled bits of stories in his teeth and hopped away as quickly as he came.
Suddenly Richard knew how to end the novel that he had been researching, writing, editing, and agonizing over for nearly four years. Slowly he made his way back to his house.
Once there, he laughed and laughed as he finished his story in a unique and wonderful way. All thanks to that funny Rodney Rabbit. He said to himself out loud,
“What a character he was, and I am happy I met him. He taught me how not to be. Not to rush things that should come from the heart. To give it my all no matter the difficulty, and to write to touch people so that it helps them when they read it.”
Richard neatly strapped his sealed manuscript onto his back and slowly made the trip to mail it to the publisher. Then he settled in for the long wait to hear back from them.
The long, long wait...
One day Richard’s mail included a letter inviting him to read his book in the town square during the summer wildlife picnic extravaganza. There were to be many forest animals as well as seabirds and even some lake-loving reptiles. This once-a-year event was one of the highest honors held in the forest so Richard slowly headed to the creek for a bath to spruce himself up before the big reading of his story.
As Richard, the Storytelling Turtle sat on a throne in the middle of the party reading his delightful story to all the wildlife, more and more turtles gathered to hear from this, ‘keeper of the stories’. For that is what the animals now called him and they were all enthralled, enchanted, and mesmerized by Richard’s story.
Richard was getting thirsty from all this reading aloud, so he asked if he could have a glass of the delicious lemonade that Rita the Raccoon had made. In a few minutes, Rodney Rabbit came hopping up with a glass of lemonade on a silver tray. The lemonade was spilling out of the glass all over the tray. When the Rabbit set that near-empty glass down next to Richard, they recognized each other. The Turtle said to Rodney the Rapid Writing Rabbit,
“Good to see you again. How are you?”
“Not too good. I am no longer writing and I just serve drinks now. I spilled most of your drink on the way over here so I don’t think I will keep this job very long.”
Rodney said as he set the lemonade in front of Richard.
“Any job worth doing is worth doing well Rodney. You serve lemonade like you write your stories.
You are in a hurry and careless and once you get to where you're going, there isn’t much substance left in the glass or your stories,
“I suppose you’re right,” Rodney sighed, “I never did get anyone to like my work. I lied to you and I’m sorry. I don’t think I am a very good writer.”
“Don’t say that,” said Richard, “we all have the potential to be great writers but it takes time, hard work, and dedication to write a story.”
“Will you teach me to be a better writer?” asked Rodney.
“That depends,” answered Richard.
“On what?” Rodney asked.
“It depends on if you can take your time and go get me a full glass of lemonade. I have more stories to tell and I’m parched.”
“It’s a deal.” said the Rabbit, “I will try very hard not to spill it.”
And Rodney hopped off to the lemonade stand then slowly, patiently, and with care returned with a full glass of lemonade for his beloved teacher. The End
By Pamela Nations-Weissman (Namdag Tsomo) 6/21/2020
Dedicated to Richard Weissman, my husband, and best friend.
‘My Beloved Turtle Writer’
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