Spotty the Turtle Wins a Race

All the little animals on the Green Meadows were getting a holiday.

The Merry Little Breezes had been busy — oh, SO busy — carrying the news to everyone. Because Peter Rabbit had been boasting. He said nobody could run as fast as him.

Reddy Fox said, "Oh yes I can."

Billy Mink — who moves so quick you can hardly see him — said, "I'm faster than BOTH of you."

They all met one day beside the Smiling Pool. And they agreed that old Grandfather Frog should decide.

Now, Grandfather Frog was very wise. He had lived a long, long time — much longer than any of the others. That is why everyone always asked him to settle arguments.

He sat on his green lily pad. Billy Mink sat on the Big Rock. Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox sat on the bank. Each one told why HE was the fastest.

Grandfather Frog listened. And listened. And said nothing at all.

When they were all done, he stopped — SNAP — and caught a foolish green fly.

Then he said, "The best way to decide who is the fastest… is to have a race."

So they agreed. Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox and Billy Mink would all start together from the old butternut tree at one edge of the Green Meadows. They would race all the way across to the little hill on the other side. Each one had to bring back a nut from the big hickory tree that grew there. The first one back to the butternut tree with a hickory nut would win.

The Merry Little Breezes flew all over the Green Meadows telling everyone about the race.

And everyone planned to be there.

It was a beautiful summer day. Mr. Sun smiled and smiled, and the more he smiled, the warmer it got.

Striped Chipmunk, Happy Jack Squirrel, Sammy Jay, Blacky the Crow, Hooty the Owl, and Bobby Coon all sat up in the old butternut tree where it was cool and shady. Johnny Chuck, Jerry Muskrat, Jimmy Skunk, Little Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog, and even old Mr. Toad were there too.

And last of all — very, very last of all — came Spotty the Turtle.

Now. Spotty the Turtle walks very slowly. He cannot run at all.

When Peter Rabbit saw him coming, he called out, "Come on, Spotty! Don't you want to race with us?"

Everybody laughed.

But Spotty didn't laugh. And he didn't get cross either.

He just said, quiet and calm, "There is a wise old saying, Peter Rabbit. The fastest runner does not always get there first."

He pulled his head up tall.

"I think I WILL enter this race."

Everyone laughed even harder. But they all agreed Spotty could join.

So they stood in a row. Peter Rabbit was first. Then Billy Mink. Then Reddy Fox. And right beside Reddy Fox — little Spotty the Turtle.

"Are you ready?" called Grandfather Frog.

"GO!"

WHOOOOSH — away went Peter Rabbit with great big jumps.

After him went Billy Mink, so fast he was just a brown streak in the tall grass.

Right beside him ran Reddy Fox.

And just as they started — just at that very moment — Spotty the Turtle reached up and grabbed the long hair at the tip of Reddy's big fluffy tail.

He held on TIGHT.

Reddy couldn't stop. Peter Rabbit and Billy Mink were already ahead, and Reddy had to run his very best just to keep up. He didn't even know Spotty was there. Spotty is not very heavy. And Reddy Fox was SO excited that he never noticed his tail felt a little heavier than usual.

The Merry Little Breezes flew along too, to make sure the race was fair.

Peter Rabbit leaped and leaped. Whenever he came to a little bush — HUP — he jumped right over it, because Peter Rabbit's legs are long and made for jumping.

Billy Mink is so slim he slipped between the bushes and through the tall grass like a little brown streak.

Reddy Fox is bigger than both of them, but he had no trouble keeping up.

Not one of them noticed Spotty the Turtle, holding on tight to the end of Reddy's tail. Bumping along through the grass. Not letting go.

Now, right at the bottom of the little hill where the big hickory tree grew, there was a small pond. It was not very wide, but it was quite long.

Billy Mink remembered that pond. And he smiled.

He knew Peter Rabbit could not swim. He knew Reddy Fox does not like the water. So both of them would have to run ALL the way around. But Billy Mink? Billy Mink can swim even faster than he can run.

"Even if they get there first," Billy Mink said to himself, "they'll have to go around. I can swim straight across and cool off at the same time."

So Billy Mink ran slower. And slower. And soon he had fallen behind.

Mr. Sun, big and round and warm, looked down and smiled at the race. The more he smiled, the hotter it got.

Peter Rabbit had a thick gray coat. Reddy Fox had a thick red coat. They both started to feel very, very warm.

Peter Rabbit's jumps got shorter.

Reddy Fox felt so thirsty his tongue hung out.

Since Billy Mink was behind them now, they thought they didn't need to hurry so much.

Peter Rabbit reached the little pond first.

He stopped. Right at the edge.

He had not thought about this pond.

He sat up on his back legs and looked across the water. There was the big hickory tree — so close. Right there. But the water was in the way. He would have to run all the way around the pond and then all the way back, and that was a long, long way.

Just then — CRASH — Reddy Fox came bursting out of the bushes. He stopped too. He felt just as bad as Peter Rabbit.

Way, way behind them, Billy Mink trotted along, smiling to himself.

Peter Rabbit looked at Reddy Fox.

Reddy Fox looked at Peter Rabbit.

Then they both looked at Billy Mink — and remembered that Billy Mink could swim straight across.

Peter Rabbit ran off as fast as he could go around one side of the pond.

Reddy Fox ran off as fast as he could go around the other.

They were both so busy running that neither one heard a little sound behind them.

SPLASH.

That was Spotty the Turtle. He had let go of Reddy's tail and dropped right into the water.

Spotty is a wonderful swimmer. Under the water he went. Only once or twice did he poke his little black nose up for air. The rest of the time he swam below, where no one could see him.

No one except the Merry Little Breezes.

He swam straight across and climbed up the bank right under the big hickory tree.

There were just three nuts on the ground.

Spotty picked up two of them, carried them down to the edge of the pond, and buried them deep in the mud.

Then he picked up the third nut in his mouth and slid back into the water.

Just as he reached the other shore — up trotted Billy Mink. But Billy Mink didn't see Spotty. He was too busy watching Peter Rabbit and Reddy Fox, who were now halfway around the pond, running and running and running.

Billy Mink jumped in. SPLASH!

Oh, how good that cool water felt!

He didn't need to hurry now. He was SURE the race was his. So he swam round and round. He chased some fish. He had a wonderful time.

After a while he looked up. Peter Rabbit was almost all the way around one side of the pond. Reddy Fox was almost all the way around the other. They both looked tired and hot and sad.

Billy Mink swam slowly across and climbed out on the bank under the big hickory tree.

But — where were the nuts?

He looked this way. He looked that way. He poked through the leaves. He searched under every root.

Not a single nut. Anywhere.

And while Billy Mink searched, and while Peter Rabbit ran, and while Reddy Fox ran — Spotty the Turtle walked.

He walked slowly, the way he always walked. One foot, then another. The hickory nut in his mouth.

He had been walking ever since he climbed out of that pond. Slow and steady. Step after step after step. Across the whole Green Meadow.

Peter Rabbit finally made it around the pond. Reddy Fox finally made it around the pond. They both scrambled up under the hickory tree — panting, dripping, worn out.

No nuts.

Billy Mink was already looking everywhere. Peter Rabbit started looking too. Reddy Fox dug through the leaves. They bumped into each other. They looked and looked and LOOKED.

No nuts at all.

And then — far away — they heard cheering.

All three of them stopped.

They turned toward the old butternut tree, way across the meadow.

And there, right at the finish line, surrounded by every animal on the Green Meadows — was Spotty the Turtle.

He set the hickory nut down on the ground.

And he smiled.