📖 Read & Listen Free
Toby the turtle was the slowest, kindest turtle in the whole green meadow. He had a strong, green shell and a sweet smile. He loved his home, but he was tired of being slow. 'It takes me all morning just to get to the berry bush!' he would sigh. The speedy rabbits would zip past him. 'Hi, Toby! Bye, Toby!' they would shout, laughing. Toby wished, just for one day, he could be fast. He wanted to feel the wind whoosh past his shell. 'It must be fun to be fast,' he thought sadly.
One afternoon, Toby was taking a very, very slow walk by the side of the park. He saw something shiny in the grass. It was a pair of tiny, forgotten roller skates. They were bright red with silver wheels. 'Wow!' Toby whispered. He looked at his four little feet. He looked at the four little wheels on each skate. 'I wonder...' he thought. He was a brave turtle. With a lot of wiggling and pushing, he managed to get his feet strapped onto the tiny skates. They were a perfect fit!
Toby was a little bit wobbly. He stood on a tiny little hill on the path. He took a deep breath and pushed off a small stone. 'Here I go!' he said. And... WHOOSH! He was not slow anymore! He was fast! He was zooming down the path, faster than the wind! 'Look at me!' he shouted with joy. He felt the wind whoosh right past his shell. It was the best feeling in the world! A speedy rabbit zipped by. 'Hi, Toby! Bye... wait... what?' The rabbit stopped, his mouth wide open.
Toby the turtle was racing right past him! 'I am a fast turtle!' Toby laughed. He did a little spin. He zoomed all around the park, waving to all his surprised friends. He was the fastest turtle in the whole world! When the sun started to go down, he took the skates off. He was happy to walk slowly back to his bed. He kept the skates safe under his bed. He did not wear them every day, because sometimes being slow and watching the flowers was nice, too. But he knew a happy secret: he was not just slow, kind Toby. He was also Toby, the fastest turtle in the meadow.