The Little Turtle Who Was Too Slow

Deep in the forest stood a great big oak tree.

On the oak tree was a little round door. That was Chestnut's Pharmacy.

This morning, Chestnut was outside his door, watering the little flowers.

Slooow... and... steaaady...

Down on the ground, a tiny little someone came crawling closer, slowly, slowly.

"Excuse me... is Chestnut here?"

It was a little turtle, and his name was Sheldon.

"Chestnut... I have a problem," Sheldon said in a very small voice.

"Everything I do is so slow. So, so slow."

"I come in last in every race. I'm always the last one to finish my lunch."

"Today everyone had a running race. I was only halfway there when everyone else reached the finish line."

"They said, 'Sheldon is too slow!' And then they all ran away."

Sheldon pulled his head slowly into his shell.

"I've tried so many times, and I'm always last... My heart feels heavy. I don't want to run anymore."

"That feeling," Chestnut said softly, "is called feeling discouraged."

Chestnut pushed up his round glasses.

"Hmm... let me think..."

He turned around and looked at the jars on the shelf.

"Aha! This jar right here!"

Chestnut climbed up his little ladder, reaching for an orange jar.

The ladder wibbled and wobbled, wibbled and wobbled—

"Whoa-oh-oh-oh!"

CRASH!

Chestnut slipped and tumbled again, and orange candies rolled everywhere.

Chestnut straightened his crooked glasses and brushed the candy dust off his fur.

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

Sheldon couldn't help but giggle. "Pfft."

Chestnut picked up one candy and placed it gently in Sheldon's little hand.

"This is the Orange Slow-and-Steady Candy."

"Once you eat it, a wonderful slow-and-steady idea will come to you."

Sheldon looked at the candy. It was warm, like a tiny little sun.

Sheldon put the candy in his mouth.

It was sweet. It was warm.

He crawled slowly toward home, thinking and thinking, thinking and thinking...

Suddenly, he heard a big noisy fuss at the bottom of the hill.

Everyone was trying to carry a great big pot of honey juice up the hill for a picnic.

Little Bunny carried the juice, hopping and bouncing—and the juice spilled out!

Squirrel ran fast, so fast—and the juice spilled out too!

By the time they got up the hill, the pot was all empty.

Sheldon remembered the candy.

"Let me try!"

He picked up the pot, slowly, steadily, one step... two steps...

Walking slowly, he didn't spill a single drop.

Sheldon reached the top of the hill, and the pot was still full!

"Wow—Sheldon, you're amazing!"

"You walked so slowly, and the juice didn't spill at all!"

Everyone got to drink the sweet, sweet honey juice,

and everyone said thank you to Sheldon.

Sheldon crawled slowly back to the pharmacy.

"Chestnut! Your candy is magic! I thought of a great idea!"

"Did you now?" Chestnut asked with a smile.

"So tell me—did the candy think of it, or did you think of it?"

Sheldon tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"It was... me! I thought of it myself!"

"That's right," said Chestnut.

"Being slow isn't a bad thing at all. Slow and steady is how you do things well."

"The idea was living inside your shell all along. The candy just knocked on the door and called it out."

"Thank you, Chestnut."

"I-I'm fine. A pharmacist must stay calm."

But Chestnut's cheeks turned pink.

Sheldon crawled home, slowly and happily.

Chestnut watched him go, and pushed his crooked glasses back up.

Then he turned around and put the orange jar back on the shelf.

Who will come knocking tomorrow, I wonder?