Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-04
Willie Bite

Uncle Jack opened sleepy eyes, eX-
pecting to see some little stranger
with his two little nieces and his little
red headed nephew: but only the
usual trio, Helen, Marjorie and Nal
colin, were there. capering in circle
on the lawn, laughing and squeaking
with excitement.
Where is he? l don't see any little
boy grumbIed Uncle Jack, still
drowsy, and wondering why children
wanted to play such a lively game.
Here he is, right here! Do come
and see him! Oh, he's sticking out his
head again." and Helen hoped Off
with little squeal.
Curious in spite Of himself, Uncle
Jack sat up and looked over the piaz-
"a rail- There on the grass was fair
ly good sized turtle, >gingerly making
his slow way over the grass.
"Where'd you get him?' Uncle
Jacks voice was suddenly wide awake
with interest. Long ago the children
had found opt that Uncle Jack liked,
every kind Of a bug and animal. and
they were always sure he could tell
them all sorts of curious things about
any living thing they found.
"But where's your Willie-whatever-
his-name-is?"
Willie Bite!' shouted Malcolm.
gleefully. "This is Willie Bite! We
found him on that muddy bank back
Of the pond, and Helen most stepped
on him, and then both the girls kept
shrieking, Will he bite? Will he bite
so we named him Willie Bite, and I
picked him up and carried him home
to show you"
Uncle Jack was on the lawn by this
time, the children clustered around
him. Found him on that muddy
bank by the pond, did your Uncle
Jacks interest was by this time equal
to their own. "Eidn't see any eggs
there, did your" ill.,. ~.
Eggs" rebuked the children.
why, Uncle Jack, Helen went on
why. Uncle Jack, you know per.
fectly well the hens lay in the hen
house They don't wander off to lay
on muddy bank"
81 didn't say hens eggs, did I?' re-
Mrs Willie Bite, and she might have
been on the mud bank to choose a
place to dig her hole to bury her
eggs" sa -
WELL" said the surprised NAL
colin. Il didn't know turtle laid
eggs. Il thought just birds laid eggs"
The two small girls looked as sur
prised as their brother-but then they
were always having surprises from
Uncle Jack. .
mo, not just birds,' answered Uncle
Jack, gently stroking the turtles hard
back with his finger as he spoke.
Snakes lay eggs too, and turtles, as
just told you. Once, long time ago.
saw turtle dig her nest. happen
ed to spy her from distance, and
ducked down behind bush, on little
bank just above her, and lay fiat on
my stomach the whole afternoon
watching her. Want to know how she
did it,"
No audience could have given more
instant or more hearty approval, and
Uncle Jack, always happy to find that
his little nieces and nephew shared
his enthusiasm for outdoor things,
went on: well, this turtle chose
a bare spot of ground, and, to my sur
prise, began to dig a hole with her
tall =N..
"Oh. Uncle Jack, you're fooling us!
Not with her tall" protested Helen.
well, maybe she didn't dig with
her TAIL" Uncle Jack amended. but
she began to bore a hole with her tail.
was just as surprised as you are now,
In some way she made her tail stiff.
and you can see for yourselves that
the end of Willie Bites tail is sharp.
Then she moved her tail round and
round. till she had drilled out hole
that was almost as deep as her tail
was long. After she had used her tail
to get in the first drill hole she began,
to make the hole bigger by digging il
out with her hind legs, first one hind
just as if they were shoyels.'
Carried whole tool kit with her,
didn't she?" remarked the practical
Malcolm. ... e..
Eyes, she did, laughed Uncle Jack.
"She worked away, and worked haro,
too, carrying each shovelful of dirt
some little distance from her hole till
her hind legs couldn't reach down to
dig any farther. All this time where
do you suppose she kept her head?'
Twisted around to. watch her hino
feet guessed Marjorie.
mo, she kept 1t hidden all the time,
drawn inside her shell, just where
Willie Bite has his now said Uncle
Jack.
! How big was the hole?" asked
| Malcolm.
oh, about five inches across the
top Of it, and it was shaped something
like an egg-smaller at the top and
bottom than at the middle. After she
had the hole fixed to suit her she be-
gan TO put in her eggs-nine she had
yes. they were white-and she used
her hind feet just as if they were
hands, to lower them in. She put the
eggs in as gently and carefully as you
children put your hens eggs in bas-
ket when you gather them. After she
had lowered in the last egg she began
| to fill up the hole. using her hind feet
again. Then she must have been tired
because she rested long time-an
hour at least. | began to think there
wouldn't be anything more to see, but
still I stayed hidden, and I'm glad |
did because when she was rested she
| did nrattv funny thing ,.-,