Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-23
CHAPTER v
The Living Rome

ANthHS NAOkSC
JANET knew how folks often we're
- saved from the watcr--by selling a
rope. SO when she found herself deep
in the, river with what looked like a
rope In front Of her, she grabbed It
quickly.
And when she grabbed the rope II
gave her n great jerk She felt her.
self drawn through the water with
frantic speed. She expected TO be
pulled out of the river. c
But the rope didn't pull her out Of
the river. 1t drew her along under
the surface, and to her alarm it seemed
to be dragging her down deeper.
She glanced ahead There was a big
turtle padding in front Of her. It
was going at the same speed she was.
Janet took another glance. The rope
seemed fastened to the turtle. What
could It mean?
Then of sudden Janet understood.
The rope wasn't really a rope. It was
| the turtles tail. That was what she
bar grabbed.
Janet tried TO let go--but she
couldn't. She seemed frozen to the
turtles tail.
In flash she began to remember
I things she had heard about turtles.
! Sometimes they caught birds mapping
on the shore; sometimes they grabbed
small ducks and dragged them under
water to cat them. Was this turtle
taking her home to make feast for
his family?
As matter Of fact, Mr.. Turtle
wasn't thinking just then Of eating
Janet. Something had grabbed his
tail--he didn't know what--and he was
trying to paddle away from it.
Mr.. Turtle sped through wide pool,
and then he came to the shadows.
Across the shadows lay the deep main
channel of tho river. There lurkcd Mr.
Turtles relatives and friends. lie
would hurry to them for aid.
In Mr.. Turtles way was what
looked like n stake stuck in the ground
He lodged around the stake. and sud
denly found his flight stopped.
At the same moment Janet found hri
foot grabbed. She was drawn back
ward and upward. She came out OF
tho water, and up into the blessed air
safe and sound.
But she still clung to the turtle
and he, too, came up into the air tai
foremost.
Then another surprising thing hap
pened. There was Il loud, Tapping
noise. and Janet began to fy-and sC
did the turtle. 4 blue cloud seemet
to have caught them up and was car.
rying them away.
What had happened:
Why. when Blue Heron had got his
duclng in the river because he
couldn't hang poised as King Fisher
had done. he had become disgusted with
King Fishers fishing school. lIc had
gone back TO the shadows to fish in
his own way, which was to stand on
one leg waiting for a careless fish to
come within reach of his long. sharp
beak.
AS Blue Heron stood watching for n
fish he saw something scurrying
through the water. \ second look
showed Blue Heron it was n big turtle.
Blue Heron didn't care to catch tur-
ties: their shells were too hard tC
crack. SO Blue Heron paid 10 attcn
ton to this scurrying chap.
But after Mr.. Turtle came what
looked like u fish. And the frs seemed
! 70 be chasing the turtle which was
surprising. for usually turtles chase
, fish and not fish turtles. But even il
his surprise Blue Heron was Il gooC
fshcrmun He promptly shot his bcai
into the water. and up cam" the sup.
! posed fish. Blue Heron Capped tc
land and dropped the supposed fish st
. could gobblc it. What was his as.
Il toniShment to find that the fish WASH ;,
. fish at all. 1t was Janet turned into