Grandma Tortoise Gets a Tune Up

Grandma Tortoise loves extreme sports, and has been in more than a few accidents. Her shell has had some chips & nicks out of it for several years. However, one day while cleaning her shell she noticed a large crack.
    “That could be a big problem if I don’t get it repaired soon,” thought Grandma. She called Allen the Antelope; he likes to fix stuff all over the Shady Forest.

    Allen was with his neighbor Laura the Ladybug; she is small enough to get into all of those places that Allen cannot get into. They make a good team. 
     Well, today was Grandma Tortoise’s lucky day. Allen had been in a near accident with a car, when he went outside the Shady Forest. He was shaken up but not injured.

    Grandma asked, “Allen & Laura, would you look at my shell?” “I have a small crack in it,” she added. “Sure we will Grandma Tortoise,” they said excitedly, “We would love to get under the top & check it out.”

    They examined her shell carefully. Allen the Antelope smoothed out the damaged notches around the outside edges of Grandma’s shell. However, they told her that it was going to take some time to fix the crack. Allen said, “You will have to leave it here overnight, & you can pick it up tomorrow.”

    Grandma normally sleeps in her shell. Where was she going to spend the night? Bucktooth Charlie saw Grandma walking around without her shell. “Where is your shell,” she asked. Grandma told her that Allen the Antelope & Laura the Ladybug were going to work on it all night, so she had to find somewhere else to sleep.

    Bucktooth Charlie said, “Why don’t you stay in the hollow log with us?” “It’s a lot like a shell!” “That’s a good idea,” said Grandma. Therefore, she went to the hollow log and spent the night with Bucktooth Charlie’s family.
    In the morning, Grandma thought how that old log was a lot like a huge shell. She thanked everyone, and was on her way to Allen’s house.

    When she got there, she was amazed. Her shell looked better than new. They glued the crack, sanded the rough edges, and put a shiny polish on Grandma Tortoise’s old shell. 

    Laura even added some special touches of her own. She got her cousin Lisa the Lighting bug to put glow juice around the edge of her shell, and strung up some dried Lilly of the Valley flowers to chime gently in the breeze. 

    “Oh my goodness!” said Grandma Tortoise, “You have made my home so beautiful, thank you so much.” She gave them both some fresh baked cookies. Then at last, Grandma was happy to be back in her beautiful old home.