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Frankie Tortoise Tails: The Story of Bob the Magic Tortoise
Once, not very far away, there was a land of modest fame where a young boy name Prince resided with his Queen Mom and his King Dad. Prince was a special boy who lived in a spectrum call Autism. The people didn’t know what this meant, nor could they understand his frequent seizures so they just said the Prince was sick and left him alone.
Prince kept to himself and never spoke to anyone. He didn’t understand that he was different he just knew his head was full up inside and he had thoughts no one understood. His seizures struck like sudden thunderstorms and his mind became chaos and darkness.
One day, a magic tortoise named Bob was walking by and saw Prince sitting very quiet in his garden. Bob walked right up to Prince and they became instant friends. Bob decided he must stay and live in the garden that belonged to Prince and his family.
The once silent Prince began speaking to Bob and Bob seemed to understand. Even though no one else could hear Bob speak, Prince would listen to Bob and understood everything Bob said. Prince knew this was because Bob was a magical tortoise.
Everyday Prince would bring flowers and clovers for Bob to eat and he would tell Bob about his day at school. Prince told Bob about the things he thought and he would tell Bob when was feeling bad. Prince told Bob the thoughts in his head got so jumbled up that it sounded like buffalo stampedes, and his seizures stormed through his head like lightning.
Bob told Prince a great secret: when you can breathe like all the winds of the world like I do, your thoughts will fall away like feathers and the thunderstorms loose their thunder. Bob taught Prince to breath in deep like the ocean, to blow slowly like a breeze, to puff strong like a tornado, to breathe warm like the desert, and even blow funny like a raspberry. Prince began to get better, he could sleep through the night, and fewer thunderstorms happened in his head.
King Dad and Queen Mom saw that their son was happier than he had ever been before and the reason they believed was Bob. Everyone could see that Bob was helping Prince. It wasn't long before everyone believed that Bob was a magical tortoise.
Word about Bob the magic tortoise spread far and wide. A boy who lived outside the realm wanted to know what kind of magic a tortoise could have. One day he stole Bob from Prince’s garden.
The boy took Bob to a mountain top so he could see Bob’s magic for himself. The boy was very cruel and ordered Bob to do magic for him. Bob became sick as the boy demanded over and over to see magic. When no magic happen the boy got very angry and he left the ailing Bob alone on the mountain. Lost and sick, Bob could not find his way home.
Bob cried and cried for Prince, his special friend. Bob wanted to go home as he worried that Prince would stop breathing like all the winds of the world and would forget how to stay well. Bob cried so much that tiny golden tears surrounded him on the mountain top.
Living in the mountains are many creatures, some scary and some wonderful. It is difficult even for a magical tortoise like Bob to know who are friends and who would do him harm.
A very scary monster came across Bob on the mountain and saw that the tortoise was lost and alone. The monster took pity on the sick tortoise and decided to help him. He collected all the golden tears that Bob cried for Prince and made a trail of golden tears that started from Bob and went all the way down to the land where Prince lived.
On that day King Dad and Queen Mom were looking for Bob as they had for days. They came across the trail of shinning golden tears so beautiful that they knew that they could only come from a magical tortoise. The two followed the trail up into the mountain and there, hidden among trees and bushes, was Bob, very, very sick.
Bob was carried down the mountain and to a special healer. The healer understood about tortoises and about magical ones like Bob. Special herbs and elixirs were mixed to make Bob feel better. Bob would stay with the healer until he got well.
Since the day Bob went missing, Prince was very upset. He worried and worried about his friend and he forgot to breathe like all the winds of the world. Prince was silent once again and his seizures returned like chaos as never before.
King Dad and Queen Mom told Prince that Bob was found but said the magic tortoise could not come home as he was very sick. Prince grieved to find out that someone tried to force magic from Bob. Prince knew that Bob’s magic was a gift that not just anyone could have.
While Bob was with the healer, Prince worried so much that he could not sleep and his thoughts were like horses trampling across his mind. Prince struggled to stay well while he waited for Bob to get better. Prince needed Bob, and Bob needed Prince. Magic tortoise and friend struggled to get well again.
While Bob recovered at the healer’s cottage, Prince came to see him when ever he could. At every visit Prince brought Bob his favorite flowers and clover from the garden but the weak tortoise could not eat any of them.
One day, when Prince was visiting, he asked Bob to please eat one of the flowers that he brought him. Bob looked up to the Prince and silently said, “I will eat a flower but first you must show me how the wind blows warm in the desert.”
Prince took a long deep breath and slowly blew a steady whistle of air that was warm and soft like the desert wind on a hot day. When Prince finished, Bob said, “Now we will both get better and soon I can go home with you.” Bob ate the flower Prince had brought him.
Very soon Bob the magical tortoise moved back to the garden with Prince. Everyday after school, Prince would rush to the garden and show Bob how all the winds in the world blew while Bob ate clover and flowers.
Prince and Bob lived happy after that, for everyone knows that turtles can heal boys and boys can heal turtles. There really isn’t magic, it’s really just love, and love is all that really matters.
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Dedicated to my magic tortoise, Frankie. Happy Birthday!
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