The Boy and the Giant Tortoise

The Boy and the Giant Tortoise - Author : Ebru Mina TOMURCUK

Leo lived on a sunny island where the sea sparkled and the palm trees swayed. He was eight years old, with warm brown skin, curly black hair, and a gap-toothed smile. Every summer, he visited his Grandpa Tomas, who had been a park ranger. Grandpa's hat was wide and straw, and his moustache was as white as the clouds. Leo always carried a spiral notebook and a pencil tucked behind his ear, ready for new discoveries. 1

One morning, Grandpa Tomas led Leo to a secret meadow where giant tortoises roamed. 'Meet Old Sol,' Grandpa said, pointing to a huge tortoise with a domed shell. Old Sol was as tall as Leo's chest, with wrinkled grey-green skin and gentle amber eyes. Leo gasped. 'He's like a walking rock!' he whispered. Old Sol blinked slowly and stretched his leathery neck. 'He's over a hundred years old,' Grandpa said. 'He's seen more than you can imagine.' 2

Leo sat beside Old Sol and opened his notebook. 'A hundred years!' he said. 'That's longer than Grandpa's whole life!' Old Sol munched on a leaf and ignored him. Leo watched the tortoise's thick, elephant-like legs carry him slowly across the grass. 'I'm going to learn everything about you,' Leo promised. He drew a careful picture of Old Sol's shell, with its worn smooth plates and pale growth rings. 'You're like a living history book,' Grandpa said, smiling. 3

Every day, Leo visited Old Sol. He brought fresh leaves and sat quietly, waiting for the tortoise to come close. At first, Old Sol just watched him with those amber eyes. But after a week, the tortoise stretched out his neck and let Leo touch his shell. 'It feels like old leather,' Leo said. 'And it's warm!' Grandpa laughed. 'That's because he's been soaking up the sun for a hundred years.' Leo wrote that down in his notebook. 4

Leo started asking Grandpa questions. 'What was here when Old Sol was born?' Grandpa thought. 'There were no roads, just paths. The village was smaller, and the tortoises were everywhere.' Leo's eyes grew wide. 'Did you know Old Sol when you were a boy?' he asked. Grandpa nodded. 'I was a ranger here for forty years. I've known Old Sol since he was just a young tortoise of eighty!' Leo laughed. 'That's still old!' 5

Leo decided to make a timeline. He drew a long line across two pages of his notebook. At one end, he wrote '100 years ago' and at the other, 'Today.' He marked the year Old Sol was born with a little shell. Then he added Grandpa's birth, and his own birth. 'Look!' he said. 'Old Sol was already old when you were born, Grandpa!' Grandpa smiled. 'And he'll be here long after we're gone, if we take care of him.' 6

Leo wanted to know more. 'What does a tortoise do all day?' he asked. Grandpa showed him how Old Sol helped the island. 'Tortoises spread seeds,' Grandpa said. 'They eat plants and drop seeds in new places. They're like gardeners!' Leo watched Old Sol plod through the grass and noticed tiny plants growing where the tortoise had been. 'So he's not just history,' Leo said. 'He's making the future, too!' 7

One day, Leo saw a plastic bag blow into the meadow. Old Sol sniffed it and opened his mouth. 'No, Old Sol!' Leo shouted. He ran and pulled the bag away. 'That could hurt you!' Grandpa looked serious. 'Tortoises sometimes eat trash by mistake,' he said. 'That's why we must keep their home clean.' Leo picked up every piece of litter he could find. 'I'll protect you,' he told Old Sol. The tortoise blinked his amber eyes as if he understood. 8

Leo had an idea. He made a sign from a piece of wood: 'Please keep our tortoises safe. No litter.' He painted it with bright colors and planted it at the meadow's edge. Grandpa helped him hammer it into the ground. 'This will remind visitors,' Leo said. Old Sol lumbered over to inspect the sign. He sniffed it and then settled down beside it, as if he approved. Leo grinned. 'He likes it!' 9

Word spread about Leo's sign. Visitors started coming to see the tortoises and read the sign. Some brought bags to collect litter. A woman from the village said, 'I didn't know tortoises were so important.' Leo showed her his timeline. 'They're living history,' he explained. 'Old Sol has seen a hundred years of changes. If we protect him, we protect that history.' The woman nodded and promised to tell others. 10

At the end of the summer, Leo added more to his timeline. He drew a little picture of himself and Old Sol together. 'This is our friendship,' he said. 'And this is the sign we made.' Grandpa looked at the timeline with pride. 'You've learned something important, Leo,' he said. 'Conservation isn't just about animals. It's about keeping the past alive for the future.' Leo nodded. 'Old Sol is my friend, and I'll keep him safe.' 11

On his last day, Leo sat with Old Sol one more time. 'I'll be back next summer,' he promised. 'And I'll bring more paper for our timeline.' Old Sol slowly extended his neck and rested his head on Leo's knee. Leo felt the warm, leathery skin and smiled. 'You're a living history book,' he whispered.