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Tuttle's Bind
By Dianna Dawson, Peta Nichol Balboa Press
Copyright © 2014 Dianna Dawson
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-2112-1
CHAPTER 1
Tuttle the green sea turtle liked nothing better than swimming along the seashore nibbling on the sea grass that grew in the shallows near the caves of Mermaid Bay. It was known as Mermaid Bay by the humans because it was rumoured that mermaids would frolic in the shallow waters. The mermaids were very good at keeping away from humans as they seemed scary. Mermaids are shy creatures a bit like turtles. This particular day Tuttle was swimming along the southern end of the bay. From where he was swimming he could hear the human children playing on the beach, laughing and having a lot of fun.
Maisie the mermaid was swimming nearby when she spotted Tuttle munching on the seagrass. "Hi Tuttle" she called. Tuttle turned and spied Maisie behind some tall seaweed. "Hi Maisie, how are you?" replied Tuttle. Maisie swam over to Tuttle. She too could hear the human children playing and laughing. "What do you think the human children are doing Tuttle?" asked Maisie "They sound like they are having so much fun?" "They look like they are playing with an object they are throwing" said Tuttle.
Maisie and Tuttle swam around to the caves of Mermaid Bay. It was always quiet there – nobody came there very often and they could play and tell stories without being discovered. Just as they came near to the caves they spied something floating in the water. "I wonder what it is?" asked Maisie. As they neared the floating object they could see that there were lots of pieces of human rubbish floating near the cave. Tuttle explained that they were plastic bags, empty plastic bottles and plastic containers. Tuttle knew that plastic was dangerous to sea creatures as some plastic was made with poisonous materials and it could get caught around sea creatures making them sink. "Stay away from it Maisie" called Tuttle sounding distressed as Maisie had swum ahead to take a closer look. Maisie startled asked "Why, what's wrong?" "It is dangerous Maisie" said Tuttle very concerned "don't go near it." Maisie did as Tuttle asked but wondered why he was so scared of the things floating in the water.
The next day Anna and Jake where playing at the beach, just as they did each day. They were enjoying their holiday. They lived a long way from the beach and only got to play and swim by the sea shore when they went on holidays. "Jake, look what I found" called Anna from a sand dune at the top of the beach. Jake went running to see what his sister had found, thinking to himself, it is probably just some silly shell and not pirate's treasure. Sure enough when Jake had reached Anna she was holding up a shiny shell. It was very pretty with lots of rainbow colours on the inside but Jake wasn't into pretty, he liked adventure and action. "Anna, it isn't pirate treasure, I ran all this way for a shell?" panted Jake. "But it is treasure" snapped Anna, "and much prettier than anything you have found." She was right of course but Jake just puffed and walked away.
"Ok" said Anna running after Jake, "I'll help you look for pirate treasure. Where do you think we should start?" Jake thought for a long time as they walked along the beach together. "I know" said Jake "we need to go to the caves. I just bet there is treasure in there somewhere or a clue on where to find it." So Anna and Jake set off toward the caves of Mermaid Bay. They had only been to the caves twice before and both times with their parents. The caves were big and above the water so they could walk into them and explore without having to watch for the incoming tide. Their parents had never taken them right into the caves as far as they could go before. Both children were beginning to feel very excited about an adventure hunting for treasure.
Whilst Anna and Jake where hunting for treasure, Tuttle was swimming up near the caves of Mermaid Bay. When he and Maisie were there yesterday he spied a patch of sea grass that he hadn't noticed before and it looked greener and juicer than any he had ever seen. Tuttle merrily munched away on the grass. As he came up to surface to take a breath he didn't see the plastic floating on the water. It didn't have a colour so blended perfectly with the water. As he stuck his head up the plastic caught and went over Tuttle's head. Tuttle got such a fright. He tried to swim away from the thing that had caught him around the neck. As he did so one of his front flippers also got caught. Tuttle was in a bind! He calmed himself enough to think about what he needed to do to get free. He remembered his friend Maisie and decided to call for help. Tuttle hoped she was somewhere close by and hoped she would recognise his call of distress. Tuttle began flapping his back flipper making a vibration in the water and calling for help as much as he could. The plastic was tight around his throat and it hurt.
Maisie was sunning herself on rocks beyond Mermaid Bay when she thought she could feel something change in the water and hear someone calling for help. Maisie focused for a moment and then set off following the vibration and sound. As she turned the corner of some rocks and neared the caves of Mermaid Bay the sound became louder. She continued to head in the direction of the sound, becoming cautious as Mermaids are shy creatures. She couldn't believe her eyes as she came closer and discovered Tuttle all tangled up in plastic. "Oh Tuttle" she said, "you are in a bind and with that plastic stuff you warned me about yesterday. How did this happen?" "I didn't see it Maisie it was invisible. When I put my head up for air the plastic went over my head. When I tried to get it off my front flipper got stuck too. Please help me Maisie. If I don't get the plastic off I will sink to the bottom of the bay" cried Tuttle. Maisie immediately tried to loosen the plastic from around Tuttle's flipper first and then his head but it was no use. She couldn't get the plastic off.
Then Maisie stopped. She heard the same laughter she had heard the day before. "The human children" she thought, "I wonder if they could help Tuttle?" Maisie was scared of humans. She had heard stories of how they had tried to catch her ancestors and she saw how the actions of humans cause harm to sea creatures like Tuttle. "Hold tight Tuttle," urged Maisie, "I am going to ask the human children for help." Maisie swam closer to the shore near the mouth of the cave where the children were playing. She held the plastic that was caught around Tuttle guiding him along with her. She knew she didn't have any time to waste. "Now how to get their attention?" she thought. Maisie made a splash with her tail and dived beneath the water. She wanted to see what the human children did first before she could let them see her. "Did you see that?" exclaimed Anna. "I didn't see anything" replied Jake "but I did hear a splash. What was it – a big fish or a dolphin?" "I don't know" said Anna. The children walked closer to the edge of the water trying to spy what had made the splash.
Maisie could see the children nearing the edge of the water and knew it was now or never. She swam below the water with Tuttle by her side and then popped her head up above the water. The children gasped. "What is that?" stammered Jake. "I think it is a girl" replied Anna in amazement. They cautiously walked closer to the edge where the water lapped the sand. As they drew nearer they could see that it was in fact a girl, but a girl who had what looked like a big fish tail. "Is it a mermaid?" whispered Jake. "Sshhh" said Anna "you will frighten her away." The children stopped at the edge of the shore, getting their shoes a little wet from the ripples of the waves.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Tuttle's Bind by Dianna Dawson, Peta Nichol. Copyright © 2014 Dianna Dawson. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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