The Turtle Part 3

    Barney put the jeweled turtle down and rushed out the door.  After second thought he rushed back in and slipped it into his coat pocket.  A pair of eyes watched him from the closet.

   Barney rushed up to the street vender and the old lady inquired, "Oh, hello Barney?  How do you do to-"

   Barney curtly interrupted her, "Have you seen a suspicious man?"

   "Sus-picious?" She asked quite slowly, thinking over it, like a cow chewing on grass.

   A few long seconds past.

    "So!?"

    "Ehhh...?" She looked up at him, "What is wrong?"

    "Well, have you seen a suspicious man!"

     "Why yes, of course!" She exclaimed and smiled, "He was past my right across that street, holding a turtle with water on his cloak from a turtle tank..." She giggled.

    Barney took off down the street, took a corner and squeezed into a narrow alleyway, a nice hideaway for gangsters.  He felt around a bit, (It was a bit dark...) and found the rusty ladder that he had been searching for.  He climbed up to the roof and looked down.  Nobody was in the street...the vender had also left.

   A gust of wind blew from behind and he turned around.  The old lady was behind him, smiling crookedly.

   "When it comes to life," She said, "Be happy with what you have..."

    She put Tito onto the ground, and said, "Two turtles would only lead you into trouble, pick the one you favor!"  And with that she disappeared.

    Barney blinked and took Tito.

    Only one?

    Fine, he thought and put the jeweled turtle onto the ground.  Suddenly he exploded into dust...

    Barney opened his eyes and heard the chirping of his alarm clock.   He walked over to the turtle tank.  Both turtles were there.

    And he knew that he was going to return the jeweled turtle first thing today.





   

The turtle part 2/3

   When Barney woke, it was morning.  He grumbled and walked into the kitchen, past the turtle tank, and open the door tho retrieve the mail.  He stopped short, turned back around and looked back at the turtle tank.  It ransacked mess.  The Glass was smashed up and pieces were scattered everywhere.  The water was all over the ground, still dripping from the counter top.  He flicked the turtle light on.

    There was only one turtle.

    The jewel was there.

    His pet was gone.

    What was going on?  If it was the jewel that had gotten stolen, it would have made sense, but why was his turtle stolen?  Wait a minute - is that animal in the tank the real turtle?  He peered at it closer but still couldn't tell.  So he picked it up in his hand.  It was the stone turtle.

    But if the turtles are so similar, could it be possible that the thief thought that Tito was the jewel? 

To be continued

The Turtle part 1/3

    Barney Humpback was surely a fine gentleman.  He kept his shoes untied at all times, never bothered to shower - why would it be sensible to cleanse if you would only get dirty again? - and cared for nothing at all.  Except for money, of course.  

    Today Humpback was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper.  "It appears that there has been a robber lurking around recently", he said to his pet water turtle.   The turtle poked its head out of the water and blinked twice.

    "Hmph", He continued, "No intelligent man would rob to make a living, that's just depending on others!"  He looked over his newspaper to the turtle tank, "Ain't that right Tito (His turtle)?"

    The turtle opened its mouth and snapped it shut, arrogantly, as if to say, "Except for you of course."

    The man returned to his newspaper and said, "Except for me of course, I'm the best robber around."

    The turtle looked annoyed and emerged itself back into the water.

   "Don't be like that, foolish creature," Humpback sang squeamishly to the turtle, "I have a present for you!"

  Barney took out a container from his knapsack, a very beautiful one, much like a ring box; covered in royal blue velvet and a comforting size that will snuggle into your palm.  He opened it in a curt manner and withdrew the treasure.  It was a beautiful turtle, made out of polished stone, mother of pearl lined the eyes and the carvings were so exquisite that the it looked real.  It was the size of Tito, a baby turtle, perhaps only three inches long.  Humpback noticed that his oily fingers had smudged the figure, so he pulled up his sweater and managed to wipe the lifelike  gem.  Then he placed it into the tank, and it hit the gravel quick and hard.

    The turtle immediately swam over to inspect the obstruction and seemed a bit timid.  Barney flicked of the light on his turtle tank and tucked himself to bed.  The night was deadly dark.


To be continued...