The Untold Tale of Grandpa Salamander

If you are familiar with the story of The Turtle Who Learned a Good Lesson you might recall that Lumpy, the toad, ran off to save Toby, the box turtle, from the scheme of a hungry vulture before Grandpa Salamander had finished telling Lumpy something that he had remembered about vultures. You might also recall that the box turtle’s formal name was Tobias, but Lumpy had nicknamed him “Toby” because it was easier for the toad to pronounce. After Toby had made friends with Lumpy and their adventures together, the easier nickname seemed to agree with the easier life Toby had achieved by regarding his turtle shell as a benefit, rather than a burden. Part of the lesson that Toby had learned is to be careful how he thinks about himself. As time passes, you become whom you think you are and your world becomes what you think it is. He had learned that he could make his life easier or more difficult, depending on how he thinks. Consequently, Toby was a much happier box turtle when he first met Grandpa Salamander. He had learned to count his blessings and had stopped grumbling about his heavy shell as he traveled between his home near the edge of the meadow and the berry patch in the forest.