Pre IT

 When newspapers encouraged children to read and engage, by having a 'Children's Corner' in the Saturday edition - when the height of luxury was to have a telephone in your home (instead of going round to the telephone box at the end of the next street). 

                      Circus Parade

      Bears and horses, elephants, too.

      This is a circus and a zoo.

      Dogs, lions, monkeys, tigers,

      Now here come the bare-back riders.

      The big parade comes through the town,

      The children's favourite is the clown.

      The tents will all be gay and bright

      When the circus starts tonight.

Written by Susan Livesley, 28 Ferndale Road

                      Liverpool 15

Old-fashioned

 Rain splashing, slipping gently

Off petals, bruising

Soft, scent-filled aromatics

Engulfing the senses.

Dark to Light.

 Once upon a time, a long time ago, the Moon was shining down on the land between the green sand and the salt sea. A time when the sun shone all day and the moon glowed all night. Every day, every night.

The Moon enjoyed being up high in the dark sky, shining, shimmering, casting subtle light all around.

But after awhile She noticed it was always the same and perhaps a different view would be interesting. If She was below, the sky would not be the same. Of course, there would be no moon in the sky (because she would be on the ground below) and therefore it would be black. Perhaps different shades of black, but still black. A dark sky. Lots of dark sky. Would that be interesting?

She thought some more, then decided there needed to be something more than darkness, some random points to catch the eye, engage the interest. But what?

The only thing that belonged in the night sky was Her and although she sometimes crossed the sky during the day, the sun was so bright it outshone everything else.

Owls shared her sky at night and owls were wise so she decided to ask their advice - how could the night sky change and be more interesting? 

The owls thought and talked and eventually came up with an idea.

'You have so much light, so bright' they said. 'Why not share some?'

The Moon thought. If she gave some of her light away, she might not be able to shine all the time through every night, or as brightly. Would it be worth being able to look up at the sky and see more than darkness?

The Moon shrugged her shoulders, picked off a pinch of her Light and flicked it into the sky..

'Gosh, that looks good' and she smiled, pleased. But then the light fell to the ground and winked out. The smile went. She would have to think of a way to keep the light up high in the sky - glue? hooks?

The Moon picked off another pinch of light and gently pulled out five finger points of Light and curled them softly round a little so they might catch on the fabric of the sky. If she could flick them just right.

Up they went, one, two but they fell as they had fallen before. But then one caught and pulled itself up so all five points latched on to the blackness. 

She smiled again and settled back.

The Moon kept pinching and flicking until the sky was twinkling with random patterns of light.

It did look pretty.

She sat there watching until the sun came up, out-shining her display so she slipped back into her place in the disappearing darkness.

After that, the Moon would travel across the night sky, smiling and twinkling with the little moonlights. She found there were times when her light dimmed, not as bright as it used to be and then she would stay on the ground, watching the stars which seemed to shine more brightly because she was dark, relaxing below.

The owls could still fly when the Moon was dark so decided the nights were more interesting now.

And the stars were very pretty.

Tales of Terry 2 (part 2)

Terry blinked and pulled in to his shell to think for a moment. Then a voice in the blackness.
   "Hello again. Sorry I didn't stop before. Couldn't. On the trail of breakfast and could not stop. They might move slowly but they certainly know how to hide."
            Terry slowly poked his head out and prised open one tightly closed eye and then the other. It did not help, it was just as black, just as empty. Then it moved.
The Blackness moved.
Or at least something black moved in the Blackness, Terry thought. There must be different shades of blackness! But how.....?
   "Cann't you talk? Cat got your tongue?" asked the Black something, cheekily.
    "Well?" it asked. Not nastily, not impatiently, Terry thought, so he tried to answer. It was not words that came out but a loud hiss, which made the Blackness jump hastily backwards.
    "What are you?" it asked in a scared voice. "A snake?"
Terry swallowed and tried again.
    "No, of course not. Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Only, you frightened ME!"
The Blackness came closer to Terry again and peered at him. Light was reflected from somewhere in the alley and Terry could just make out two small eyes, one either side of a pointed nose. It gave the animal shape and he realised it was not much bigger than himself.
   "What are You?" he asked curiously, then added "sorry" as he remembered his manners.
He tried to stand a little higher. "My name is Terry", he told the Blackness bravely, politely. "And I am a tortoise."
   "Really?" said the black shape. "How interesting. I have only ever met one other of your kind and she was a big yellow boss pot who chased me out of her garden. Foreign, she was, spoke funny." He fell silent.
Probably thinking about the bossy tortoise, thought Terry. I hope he doesn't think all tortoises are bossy.
   "My name is Peasy," said the shape, "I am a hedgehog. I expect you knew that."
   "No," said Terry, "I can't see very much at night. Well, nothing at all, really. All I can see are black things surrounded by blackness. And," he hesitated. Would Peasy think him stupid? Brainless? Oh well, it was a chance he would have to take, there was no use pretending. He took a deep breath.     "And I don't know what a hedgehog is."
The night time was silent as Peasy thought about this.
  "Well," he finally said. "Well! I thought tortoises knew everything! That Boss Pot certainly thought she did!"
Terry thought Peasy sounded disappointed, so apologised again.
  "I am sorry, perhaps she did know everything, but I do NOT know everything and that includes what a hedgehog IS. I probably know lots and lots of things and one of them is not all tortoises are bossy."
  "I'm sure they are not" replied Peasy quickly, not wanting to upset this new friend. He changed the subject.
  "As you can not see me, can you smell me? Is that how you get about at night?" he asked curiously.
Terry shook his head. "I don't get about at night. I stay in the bicycle shed." He stopped. "Used to stay in a bicycle shed. Used to," he amended sadly.
Peasy decided to ignore the last bit and moved closer to Terry.
  "Then perhaps you would like to walk around me, get to know what a hedgehog is like".
Terry smiled gratefully and began to walk around the prickly ball, a long prickly ball. The spikes tickled his shell and they grew all around the animal. Except for his front. Terry lifted a hard scaly paw to Peasy's face and gently felt around the small area of thick skin and the soft, damp, pointed nose. He replaced his paw on the ground.
  "Thank you" he said. "Your nose, is that how YOU get around at night?"
  "Yes" confirmed Peasy. "And now I am hungry. Are you?"
  "Oh yes"' said Terry, surprised to find he was.
  "Well, come with me. There is a place down here, it is a garden belonging to a house and the Humans there keep animals. All sorts of different animals. There is always plenty of food there, bound to be something you like. Always something I like! Come on."
Peasy scurried off and Terry tried to follow. "Don't rush. Please wait!" he panted, afraid of being left behind. Being in the dark by himself again.
                 But he need not have worried. Peasy was waiting patiently  for him by the entrance to the garden. Terry looked up.
    "No door?"
   "No" said Peasy. "Sometimes there is a gate, to keep the dogs in, but not tonight."
  "Dogs?" asked Terry, warily. He did not like dogs.
  "Not tonight" reassured Peasy. "Now come over here. Lettuce and such things, that's what you like, isn't it?"
   "How do you know that?" Terry asked, surprised.
  "Easy peasy - Mrs. Boss Pot of course!" he replied. "Now here it all is, next to the rabbits. Tuck in!"
  "Wont anyone mind?" asked the cautious tortoise.
  "No. I will just be over here if you want me, getting my own dinner. Don't go rushing off now, this is a nice place to stay at night. There are quiet corners where no-one comes. I will clear a space for you and then you can rest. And be safe."
Peasy smiled and Terry was very happy. A friend, food and a safe place to hide during the dark time. But he couldn't help whispering, "Boss Pot!"
Peasy only chuckled. "Yes, a little. Do you mind?"
  "No. We are friends, aren't we?"
  "Yes" replied Peasy. "And I don't know about you, but this friend needs feeding. See you later."

                                                  *************************

  "Was he always bossy?" asked the child.
  "'Course he was" said the squirrel, "hedgehogs always are."
  Prickles grunted, too sleepy to argue.
   "Where is he now?" asked the child, "and what did you eat? Did you always sleep there? Are the rabbits still there? How many were there? Can anyone get food in the garden? And.......?"
  "Questions, questions" sighed Terry. "They will all have to wait until tomorrow. Now shoo, all of you. Your parents will be expecting you back and I need my sleep."
  "But I want to know....." cried the child.
   "No, not today" interrupted Terry, "although......" he relented, "I will answer one question." He smiled. "One you did not ask. And then you must promise to go."
Reluctantly the child nodded agreement and the animals followed suit.
  "Peasy" Terry began, "Peasy was a girl."
  "A girl!" the child exclaimed, "how boring!"
  "Not at all" smiled Terry, "it made no difference. In fact it was a long time before Peasy told me she was female. It was not obvious, with all those prickly bits."
  "Like shell" muttered Prickles, as he fell soundly asleep.

                                           *********************************

Tales of Terry 2 (part 1)

"Once upon a time. Once upon a time," the young ones chanted. "Once upon a time. Plea..ea..eas...ase."
Terry opened on eye and saw his audience gathered on the lawn. The grey squirrels, the pet rabbits in their special cage, two young geese who were nibbling at the grass and a very small hedgehog sitting shyly at the edge of the group, in the shade of an old rowen tree. Terry stared at the animal, seeming to recognise him. But it could not be his old friend. Hedgehogs do not live so long, perhaps he was a relative?
  "You there, young prickly. Not seen you before. Do you live round here or just passing through?"
The hedgehog snuffled at the ground and looked up at the tortoise.
   "Yes - well, used to. Too old to stay at home now. Time to find a new place. My place."
He looked proud for a moment, proud to be thought old enough to fend for himself. Then he looked at Terry and felt young and embarrassed. He shuffled his feet.
   "Do you mind? Shall I go? It's just that the weather is so warm and this looked like a cool place to rest."
He began to move backwards.
   "Safe. Friendly. But I can go....." He moved further in to the shadows, reluctantly.
   "Sorry. I didn't mean to bother anyone."
"No bother. Stay."
The hedgehog stopped when he heard the firm voice.
  "What is your name?" The tortoise was being friendly but the hedgehog had never met a tortoise and did not know this. But he answered politely as he had been taught at home.
   "Prickles".
"Really? You have the look of someone I used to know."
The hedgehog grew cautious, not knowing if the comparison was going to be a good one or not.
  "Hmm. Even more so," Terry muttered to himself. Out loud he said "I bet you can't run faster than our friend the squirrel, here."
  "'Cause I can," replied Prickles confidently.
"Bet you can't" piped up the squirrel, trying to look big and fast. Prickles looked him up and down.
  "Easy peasy" he replied and settled down with his eyes closed.
The squirrel bounced over and pushed him - very carefully because of the spines - and said "Okay, let's do it. Go on, try and see if it is so easy peasy."
The tortoise, not wanting to see the young animals competing, intervened.
  "No, no, it is too hot to run around. I did not want to start an argument, I just wanted to see if this hedgehog was any different from the rest of his kind."
The squirrel stopped but the rabbits asked the question first.
  "And is he?" stopping for only a moments inquisitiveness before returning to grazing the grass.
Prickles sat up to listen and the other animals also paid attention.
  "No" replied Terry. "All the same, they are. It is either a family trait or something peculiar to all hedgehogs, but they all seem to think every problem is 'easy peasy' and therefore no problem at all."
He sighed and lowered his head, while still looking at the young Prickles.
"That might be why they are so relaxed about life." He paused, then added, It might also be why they are, in the main, solitary creatures. It is hard to live with someone who has fearless confidence."
  "Do you know many hedgehogs?" asked Prickles, who wasn't sure if he liked this tortoise person.
"Course he does," butted in the squirrel. "You don't live as long as he does and not know lots and lots and LOTS of hedgehogs."
 "Was any ever a special friend?" ventured Prickles, awed by the evident age of the animal.
Terry smiled; at least his mouth stretched and his eyes blinked (this was how a tortoise smiled).
"Yes. Once I had a very special friend - the sort of friend who makes your heart feel warm. We shared many adventures, a long time ago."
His head nodded slowly as he remembered those times, so far away. Terry opened his eyes lazily as he felt the long forgotten caress of prickles against his shell.
"Tell me a tale of your friend, please. The one who made your heart warm."
Terry looked down.
"Please. If you feel like telling a story."
He was hesitant, after all he was new here. But then the others began to chant..........Story....story...... and Terry raised himself on his paws and waited for silence. The animals all settled down and Terry closed his eyes, remembering.

                                                   ***********************


                      The friends had met that first evening after Terry had decided to leave his Place. The garden and yard where he had spent so many happy times with the Little Lady and her family. Right from that day, so long ago, when she and her first Small One had chosen him out of all the other animals gathered in the pet shop, he had been happy with that growing family.
But that was behind him now. He had pushed his way through the Red Door, fallen off the ledge and learned how to get right way up (all by himself!) after landing upside-down on his shell.
               Now he was walking down the dark alleyway, tall dark walls on either side of him. It was growing darker and he wanted to find some quiet, secure place to spend the night. He could not see in the dark and was used to spending the dark time in a warm dry corner of the bicycle shed.
            He looked about, left and right. there were no bicycle sheds in the alley. There might have been one in one of the yards, but the yards were all hidden behind closed, dark yards, firmly latched.  He was too shy to push his way under any of the doors. There might be a big stripy cat waiting to pounce on intruders. Or an even bigger dog.
No.
 He did not like other animals when they were so big you could not see them all in one eyeful. They might shout at him or try to bite him and his shell had been bashed enough for one day.
So he marched as quickly as he could, down the stone path. He stopped suddenly and looked about. In front was as dark as the walls on either side. Was this the end of the alley or was it night-time? He walked slowly forward and .......bump!
       Oh good, he sighed. It was just another wall. He stretched his neck, looking up as far as he could. There was still some light up there. Still some time to find a place in which to await morning.
          He turned round to the left, slowly, as tortoises do.
Front left paw back a bit.
Front right paw left a bit.
Back right paw up a bit.
Back left paw picked up and put down in almost (but not quite) the same place.
Then repeat it all. Front left paw. Front right paw. Back right paw. Back left paw. Until he was facing left of where he was at the beginning.
It all sounds very complicated but to a tortoise it is quite normal and he doesn't even think about how he is doing it.
If an owl was flying overhead, he would look like the hands on a clock turning round (he back left paw being at the centre of the imaginary clock face).
   Suddenly a dark shape scurried past and Terry stopped still as he felt the peculiar tickle of prickles on his shell.
"' Scuse me," shouted a voice. "Back in a minute," as it hurried down the alley.
               The voice sounded friendly and Terry decided to follow it.In front was very dark but Terry could here snuffling, pushing and moving sounds and he walked towards them. The alley was deep here and smelled odd. He did not know what it smelt of because tortoises don't have very good noses - not for smelling. It was more like a beak, good for eating. But the smell was not a smell he liked very much. To be truthful, not at all.
He slowed down, and noticed everything was dark. Just like the walls. He looked up as far as he could.
Oh dear.
That was dark as well. He moved even slower. Now it was so dark he could not even see where the walls were.
How could he possibly find a safe place to hide until the sun shone again?
Stop and listen - and listen. No sounds to be heard.
He shook his head determinedly. Of course there were sounds, don't be silly! Terry chided himself. You just have to listen more carefully.
So he took a deep breath and tried his ears again.
Now he could hear sounds.
Oh, good!
Now that was a sound he remembered. A long droning noise that had been getting louder as he came further down the alley. And that noise - that was an animal in the sky. He had heard that sometimes when he was in the bicycle shed. And that ....? What was that......? (he did not know what it was).
And that?............. and that? ....... I don't know what they are!
And that?....... What is THAT?.........
Terry closed his eyes and tried to whistle - a tortoise type whistle that sounded like a hiss to anyone except another tortoise.
It's all right, he tried to reassure himself, they are just noises. Unfamiliar noises, but they can not harm me. I'm sure they cannot. Whistle, just whistle and .... oh!
What was that?
He stopped hissing (sorry, whistling) and held his breath. Was there something out there? What was it?
Will it go away?
Should he run away?
Would it run after him if he did?
Oh dear, oh dear! What to do? What to do?
           Luckily, before he could faint from fright, a voice in the blackness asked, "Are you still here? I can smell you but where exactly.......? BUMP!

                                                *******************************

               

Tales of Terry 1 (part 2)

    He sighed. This was not the best position for a tortoise to find himself. Terry blinked and wiggled his paws. First the front pair and then the back pair.
Ohhh, fiddle de sticks!
He tried shifting his weight from one side to the other. The world rocked backwards and forwards and Terry felt dizzy.
Then sick.
Oh dear, oh dear!
He should not have eaten that jam butty so quickly! The swaying motion slowed, but Terry was still unhappy.
As he feared, he had turned a somersault  as he crashed through the door and landed on his back. He wiggled his paws again, then stopped as the rocking motion began again.
Oh dear, oh dear!
          What a ridiculous position to be in! His first day of freedom and here he was stranded, as helpless as a jelly baby!
Terry closed his eyes to concentrate and immediately felt better. He didn't feel upside down; perhaps he wasn't. Not really.
     Slowly he opened one eye and quickly closed it again. Yes, he was definitely upside down. So, how to get upright?
     He tried to remember other times when he had been in this undignified position. What had happened then?
In his minds eye, Terry could see himself on his back and a small pair of hands carefully turning him over. Another time a large hairy hand turned him over. Or another hand had helped him. Always a Human friend had been there to reverse him - and he had run away from the Humans, from those who had looked after him.
He began to feel sad and to wish he was still in the Yard or the Garden and then he would only have to wait until the Little Lady came out with the promised piece of lettuce and she would set him the right way up. He felt tears in his eyes, tears of self pity and frustration.
Then he shouted at himself for being so helpless, blinking away the tears. this was being silly and if he cried when he was upside down, the water would go in to his ears, making them all wet - and the Little Lady had washed them thoroughly only that spring. who needs ears washed more than once a year?
               Terry took a cautious look round to see if there was anything on two legs who might help and then realised he would have to start helping himself. If he was going to have adventures the he must learn how to look after himself.
Starting now.
Hi shell was round (not pointy-lumpy like some tortoises) and it was tough. All that bashing at the gate had not hurt a bit and if he wiggled his paws, first one side then the other, he would swing from side to side.. From left to right. If he swung enough, perhaps he would......?
           With a deep breath (and closed eyes) Terry began to swing. only gently at first, but then faster and faster. He began to feel sick again but decided no to stop. If he did, he would only have to start all over again. It was better to carry on and get the nasty bit over. Then the really exciting things could begin. All those adventures he was going to have!
           Bravely he concentrated on all the wonderful things he would do, once his feet were firmly on the floor again.
           To and fro, to and fro. Faster and faster. Just a little more. Just push a little more. To and fro, to and fro. His shell was pitching from left to right. The edges of his shell were now touching the ground, side to side. More effort. Just a bit more push to rock over the edge and on to his front.
Tightly he closed his eyelids and clamped his mouth so hard shut, it hurt. One more push, one more and..... Smack!
The pale underside of his shell hit the stone floor with a thump that shook his insides and made his toes tingle. Shuddering, he jerked everything in to his shell with fright and lay there, heart thumping.
           Slowly, Terry calmed down and dared to stretch his head tentatively from the protection of his shell. His feet then followed and he wiggled everything in turn. Head, tail, front paws (right, then left), back paws (left, then right). Yes, they all still work! he thought in surprise.
True, everything also ached but nothing was broken.
        He stopped for a moment. Perhaps ....... perhaps his shell was cracked.
Or perhaps not
He shook his head. Well, it wasn't serious anyway, no reason to postpone his departure.
         Terry stood for a moment, still facing the black wall. Another decision - left or right? Which way? Thoughtfully, a right foot moved first and he turned slowly round to the right. A long, dark, narrow alley loomed and he blinked. Was it dark because he had spent so much time on his back that another day was almost over?
Did it matter?
A moments thought and Terry decided it did not and so began to walk purposefully towards the distant thumping, droning sounds he could just hear, somewhere out of sight.
Walking towards exciting times, he hoped.

                                                       **********************

"But what happened? Did you have adventures?"
"Of course he did! What we want to know is, what happened next?"
"Next was bedtime."
"But it's not time yet! There is still sunshine in the sky. Please!"
"Please!" went up the pleading refrain from infants  who hate to waste time on anything so boring as sleep. He sympathised but was firm as adults always are.
"Tomorrow. There will be time for stories tomorrow."
 

                                                *********************************

Terry awoke to the soothing stroking of his shell. Eyes closed, he tried to decide if it was a gentle Human or a not-so-gentle animal. Then he felt another striking on the other side of his shell, followed by a not-so-gentle attempt to pick him up. Human, definitely, but probably the youngest one. Thank goodness he had grown as he got older and his shell was now too large for little hands.
He poked his head out suddenly (boo!) and the child sat down in surprise.
"I am far too heavy for a little one like you, you know," he commented mildly. "If you really want to see what I look like, you should go and ask one of the Bigs. They will hold me so I will not get hurt and you can see."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
The child struggled to its feet and toddled off to find someone. Terry turned gently in its direction. Perhaps there would be one more in the audience next time. He had not noticed the child understanding the animals before. It was such a short stage, but a delightful one. They asked different kinds of questions, More inquisitive, searching.  Interesting questions that only Terry, who had been around Humans a long, long time would know how to answer. Too soon they learned to communicate with their own kind and forgot animalspeak.
     He sighed and settled back down in to sleep. All too soon the young ones would be here, gathering around, wanting to hear tales of times gone by. Their parents went off to do other things, find food, sleep or whatever and Terry was left in charge.
     he chuckled. The parents all thought he was too old to do anything else, but only he knew that it was not age that kept him in this Garden - just laziness. he was not old. How old was a tortoise?
It was like asking how old was the moon!
No-one knew for certain and he liked it that way. If you thought you were old, then you acted old. If you did not know, then you behaved the way you wanted to behave, do what you wanted to do.
And right now he wanted to behave lazily.
At least while the sun shone.

                                        ***********************************
   

Tales of Terry 1 (part 1)

"Once upon a time. Please! Once upon a time!"
Terry stretched in the warm afternoon sun and reluctantly opened one eye. There, in a semi-circle around him were an assortment of young animals, with one thing in common, a need to be entertained and he had been chosen for this daily ritual. Even a tiny Human had crawled over to the group, but he wouldn't stay long. They were too fidgety, these Humans. Staggering around on two legs, yet always wanting to go places, see things. Explore.
And then he chuckled to himself as his other eye slowly opened.
There was a time when he had been just as anxious to be off to new places.
A long time ago that was, of course. A long, long time ago.
" Once upon a time, please" they pestered, pleading for a story.
Yes, he had wanted to travel, once upon a time.
A long time ago.
He stretched out, yawning, slowly standing as high as his short legs would allow.
The young ones were quiet now, watching, knowing they had his attention but not sure if there would be a story or a grumbly dismissal. He blinked sternly and they held a collective breath. Of course they could always coax someone else to entertain them, but that would come a poor second best to a story from Terry.
    He was the oldest animal anyone knew. And that included the Humans! So old, he knew all sorts of exciting things. Like the Field of Food and Other Places and even how to move without using your legs! (which must be very important when you can not walk very fast.)
   Knowing that he now had their full attention, Terry settled back down on to his shell and cleared his throat. The youngsters crept forward a little and snuggled in to the sweet smelling grass.
Story Time was about to begin.

"Once upon a time there came a day that was very important. It was Moving Day, the first day of my Great Travels."
Terry half closed his eyes as he looked back over all those years and saw again that warm, fateful day.
"The day I decided to leave started like any other day. The yard and garden become clear and I can see again the details of My Place. The garden, the yard, the red doors in the edges and the top flat bit where the cats strolled, catching the early morning sun."
He sighed and closed his eyes as he remembered back to a time before his listeners could remember. He could hear them wriggle in to the grass as they got comfortable, waiting impatiently for the story he was remembering.

                 He could see himself walking briskly round the yard once, twice, three times and then, having spotted where the dandelion leaves were greenest, went to eat breakfast. Then a short walk to the stone steps that led up to the house and he stopped, waiting.
Not in front of the step, as that could be dangerous for the Little Lady. Her eyes were not good and he didn't want to be stood on. So he waited patiently as the sun stretched across the yard.
                 He awoke with a start. The Little Lady was unbolting the back door, which was a long and noisy job. Then with a grunt and a creak, it opened and he heard the welcoming "Hello Terry. Where are you then? Look what I've got for you." She came slowly down the high steps, holding tightly to the hand rail and Terry moved obligingly in to her line of vision. She sat down on the last step, straightening her dressing gown. Then she reached out her hand, invitingly. In her crooked fingers she held a square of white stuff, covered with red stuff. Terry marched quickly forward.
Lovely sticky sweet red stuff! Yummy! This was his favourite. A special snack for special days. Jam Butty! His mouth opened wide as he stretched his scaly neck out, to snatch his second breakfast.
"Well, that didn't last long, did it? You must have been hungry. Now come here and let me wipe your mouth."
It took some time but Terry allowed her to clean his face without nipping her fingers, accepting that the worse thing about Jam Butty was the sticky mess Humans felt they had to wipe away.
Because the best thing about Jam Butty was that tortoises did not have to waste time chewing them, they just slid deliciously down through the mouth, past the taste buds and in to the stomach without stopping. Humans couldn't eat that quickly (although some certainly tried).
"I'll see if I can find you some nice lettuce later," and she struggled back inside the house. He watched and wanted to say goodbye, that he would not be here later, but the only sound he could make was a hissing, gasping noise and she did not hear.
             He turned and made his way to the Big Red Gate. For some time he had been hitting the Gate with his shell and slowly, oh so slowly, a hole had appeared. Bit by bit, the wood had splintered and snapped and broken away and now he was sure if he pushed just a little bit harder, he would be able to force his shell through the gap and escape.
            Bang. Bang. Slip. Nearly there. He could see the black wall beyond the Red Gate and was determined. A step back and a big rush forward.
Crash!
           and he slid through the gate.