Patch's Lucky Star (1)

Patch's Lucky Star (1)

Patch was a pretty little turtle who lived by the pond.

She was as quiet and careful as a turtle could be.

Most turtles her age romped along the shores of the pond all day, but Patch did not.

Patch looked just like any other young turtle she knew, except for one thing.

She had a yellow star patch on the outside of her shell.



Patch was the only turtle at the pond to have such a shell.

" It is such an odd shell for a turtle to have," Patch thought to herself.

" It's not odd, " Patch's mother would tell her.
" it's just different. It makes you special. "

(1/8)

Patch's Lucky Star (2)

Patch's Lucky Star (2)

Patch did not want to be special.

She just wanted a normal shell so everyone  would stop looking at her star patch.

Patch would hide away most of the day in the tall grass.
She would go to her favorite spots on the pond only when she knew no one was around.

Most days Patch just tucked herself up inside her shell and stayed there.

Patch liked staying inside her shell very much.
It was dark and quiet and Patch could be all alone.

Most of all, though, Patch did not want to have to look at her own shell.

She thought the big yellow star patch was terrible.
In fact, she thought it made her whole shell look terrible.

So Patch stayed inside her shell.

(2/8)

Patch's Lucky Star (3)

Patch's Lucky Star (3)

One day, Diamond and Snapper walked by Patch's hiding place.

They came up and tapped on her shell.

" Patch ! " they called.
" Come exploring with us. "

But Patch just stayed very still in her shell.

Soon, Diamond and Spapper went away.

Later that day, Patch heard her mother's voice outside her shell.

Poking her head out, Patch was surprised to see Diamond and Spapper's mother there, too.

" Have you seen Diamond or Snapper ? " Patch's mother asked.
" They've been gone for several hours. "

" They went exploring, " Patch told her mother.

Diamond and Snapper's mother shook her head.
" We'll have to go looking for those two, " she said.

" It is getting dark."

" You stay here, Patch, " her mother said.
" We do not need another lost turtle.


(3/8) 

Patch's Lucky Star (4)

Patch's Lucky Star (4)

Patch shivered, glad she had stayed inside her shell.

She thought it must be scary to be lost on the pond at night.

Then she saw that the stars were starting to glitter in the sky.



" If only my shell could shine as bright as the stars, " she thought aloud.
" Then I wouldn't mind my patch so much. "

As Patch sighed, she heard Diamond and Snapper calling for their mother.

Their mother called back to them.
Their voice were coming closer to Patch's place on the shore.

(4/8)

Patch's Lucky Star (5)

Patch's Lucky Star (5)

Patch quickly ducked into her shell.

Soon it seemed that all the turtle were just outside, huddled around her.



Everly was talking all at once.

" We kept going in circles, " said Snapper. "

" Everything looked the same in the dark, " said Diamond.
" But then we saw Patch's bright yellow star patch all the way across the pond. "

" We followed Patch's patch all the way back ! " said Snapper

(5/8) 

Patch's Lucky Star (6)

Patch's Lucky Star (6)

" If you ever get lost again, " said Diamond and Snapper's mother, " be sure to follow the bright North Star. "

(6/8)

Patch's Lucky Star (7)

Patch's Lucky Star (7)

" We don't need the North Star, " Diamond and Snapper said.

" We've got our own star right here on the shore, and it's the brightest star on the pond, that's for sure ! "



" Patch, they're talking about your special shell ! " said the Patch's mother.

(7/8)

Patch's Lucky Star (8 完)

Patch's Lucky Star (8 完)

Patch had never been so happy.

She popped her head out so she could look back at her patch.

In the moonlight, it shined very brightly.



From that day on, Patch loved to look at her shell.

She hoped her star would shine all the time.

It was avery special patch indeed.

(8/8 完)
８回としましたので、途中から「１日20秒やさしい洋書」に・・・スミマセン。