Turtle People Quotes

“Two steps forward, two steps backward,” said Gil. “The current is worse out here. We are not getting anywhere.”
“Just give me a little time,” I said. I thought of a turtle out of water, slow, plodding, finally getting somewhere, but not very fast. “We’ll get there eventually,” I added. “Slow, but sure.”
Henny bailed out a few tablespoons of water. “We might sink first,” he said. “We should go back.”
“Hang on to your cushion,” said Gil. “That should give you a sense of security.”
Henny grabbed the cushion and held it out for us to examine. “Look at this thing,” he said. “Cracked, split, stained, torn, with a little fish-hook on the handle. Here’s a label. Maybe it has directions.” Henny gasped. “Do not use this as a flotation device,” he read aloud. “Why can’t I use this as a flotation device? You said I could use it.” Henny’s voice squeaked.
“You can use it,” Gil said. “I’m telling you, you can use it.”
“Well, now,” said Henny. “That is simply a great relief. Sure I can use it. But will it hold me up?”
Gil picked up his book and started to read. “Did you know that everyone wanted to trade Lewis and Clark for blue beads?” he said. “Have you ever found any blue beads?”
“You’re trying to change the subject,” said Henny. “I want to know if this cushion will hold me up.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Gil handed Henny one of the cushions and a one-pound coffee can from under the seat. Henny was very suspicious.
“What’s this for?” he asked. “Why are you giving me this stuff?”
“The cushion is for your sitter,” Gil said, “and the can is for the water.”
“What water?” said Henny. He didn’t look too good.
“Well, there’s bound to be a little extra water with the three of us sitting here,” said Gil. “And your friend hasn’t done much rowing. He splashes a bit over the side.”
Henny glared at me. “Quit it,” he said. “Just quit splashing water into the boat.”
I tried to be smooth. By the time we got out into the river, I was doing better.
“Two steps forward, one step backward,” said Gil. “We aren’t making much progress against this current.”
“I’ll go out a little farther,” I said. “Maybe the current won’t be so strong out there.”
I felt very good about things. My rowing was getting better. We were closer to the bowl. The crew was busy and in high spirits.
Gil was reading from The Journals of Lewis and Clark. Henny was searching his photographic memory for loose information.
“Says here that one time, the expedition had nothing to eat but bear fat and candles,” said Gil. “Now that’s real interesting.”
Henny sighed. “Sometimes they ate buffalo humps, and wolf meat, and a root called Wappato. Wappato is supposed to taste like potatoes. Boy, am I hungry. Did anybody bring a snack?”
“There might be a few crackers under your seat,” said Gil. “Then again, there might not be.”
“There is a box of Wheat Thins,” said Henny after he rummaged around under the seat. “It is soggy, dirty, crushed, and unfit for human consumption.”
“I never eat them,” said Gil. “I feed them to the kingfishers. But if you’re really hungry, they’re better than candles.”
Henny waved the box in the air. “Is anything going to go right on this trip?” he said. A sea gull swooped down and almost got the box.
The crew was starting to feel the hardships. Desperation and hunger had set in. I figured the people from my island would look to the turtle for an answer to this situation, so I tried to do the same.
The only thing I could come up with was that the armor on a turtle was much better protection than an old rowboat.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Take it all in. Remember everything.”
I assumed reporters and biographers would want lots of specific information when they wrote about the Great Expedition. The details would make good reading. The hot sun beating on our heads, the leaky boat, the lack of good supplies. The setup was perfect.
Dad always said you couldn’t do a job correctly without the proper tools. Well, I was going to do it with a whole boatload of improper equipment. He would be doubly amazed.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Ah,” said Henny. “Give us a blast of that air conditioner.”
“What makes you think this truck is air-conditioned?” said Gil. “Wouldn’t have it. Just one more thing that could go wrong.”
Lots of things had already gone wrong with this truck. It had a cracked windshield, lots of body dents and rust, and ripped seats. But it did do something right. It started.
“We’ve got to hurry,” I said. “I have to be home by five-thirty.”
“Well, that’s very interesting,” said Gil. “Imagine how far Captain Lewis would have gotten if his mother said, ‘Now, Merriwether, be sure to be home for supper.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Gil, for once, looked like he was not going to drop off to sleep at any moment. “Interesting,” he said. “I’ve been studying artifacts and reading archaeological journals for years. No one ever mentioned anything like this.”
“That’s what makes it such a great discovery,” I said, getting excited all over again. “It’s totally brand-new. It will put my name in the history books, and yours too, if you care to translate. My mother will love it. My dad will come right back to be in on the celebration.”
“Oh, my,” said Gil. “You’re expecting to get quite a bit out of this one discovery. We may have a problem here.”
“I know what problems are,” I said, feeling a little bit uneasy. “This is not a problem. This discovery is everything. It’s more exciting than a petrified rhinoceros. That island will be better known than Atlantis. Now I just need a little help getting that bowl across the Snake River.”
Gil looked at Henny. “Is he always like this?” he asked. “Maybe he’s been touched by the sun. Someone should throw him in the river and see if he comes to his senses, yet.”
I thanked Henny for his kind support.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“We don’t want to get off the main road,” I said. “There’s way too many tack weeds out there.”
“Those stickers are worse than real tacks,” said Henny. “Maybe we should leave our bikes and walk. I don’t want to take any chances.”
That’s the trouble with having such a nice bike, with so many terrific gadgets. Henny doesn’t like to ride unless conditions are ideal, like maybe around a newly paved parking lot.
“Henny,” I said. “It’s definitely time for us to move on. Your inner tubes will be safe if you just stay on the highway. Besides, it will be cooler with a breeze blowing in your face.”
Henny got back on his bike and slowly pedaled it up to a speed past wobbly but short of smooth and comfortable. “This is not a breeze,” he called up to me. “This is hot air being forced up my nostrils. This is hot air drying out my already parched throat. Water. I need water.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Henny started to check things over—cables, speedometer, tire pressure, mirror adjustment—and then he sprayed the chain with WD40. He always does this, even if he’s going two blocks to the grocery.
“Almost ready,” he said, when I thought he was all done. “I’m going to fill the water bottle and throw a bag of dried fruit into the seat pack.” Then he made one more trip for a bandage, just in case.
When we finally got going, it was the hottest part of the day. I didn’t want to know how hot it was, but I knew Henny was going to tell me.
“Did you check the thermometer?” he called up to me at the first intersection. “A hundred and five in the shade. It’s hot enough to uncurl your hair. We’ll die of heat exhaustion out here on the high-way. Can’t we go in something air-conditioned?”
Henny never does anything without a few complaints. He has terrible things to say about trumpet lessons but he likes to play the trumpet. And then there are book reports. Henny reads the long, nonfiction books, the Yellow Pages, everything. Just don’t ask him to write up a report, because he will complain about it forever, and then turn in thirty pages.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“We’ll be watching to see if there is room for those new molars,” he said. “Richie may need braces soon.”
Mom didn’t say anything. She was back where no one could reach her. Did she even hear him?
Well, I heard. Braces! They’d have to find me first. I hoped Dr. Dory couldn’t swim. I already knew that my mother had never been in anything deeper or colder than bathtub water.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People

“Oh, dear,” said Mom when I came downstairs. “You aren’t going to wear that to the dentist’s office, are you? Well, there’s no time to change. Let’s go.”
“Mom,” I said. “Good morning. How are you doing? Listen, could I go to the dentist later? Important things to do today.”
Mom wearily pointed to the yellow paper on the table that announced, THIS IS A 3-2-1 DAY, in bright red crayon.
“Does that mean no, Mom?” I said. “Why don’t you just say so?”
Mom shrugged her shoulders and looked at me sadly. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to go,” she said. “I can’t change the appointment now.”
I picked up a napkin and scribbled a reply. SO LET’S GET MOVING. And we did, without even time for a piece of fruit.
At Dr. Dory’s office, Ellen cried and fussed and had perfect teeth. I sat quietly through the whole exam and he found two cavities, my first. I was shocked!
Mom was embarrassed. She pointed to the chart Dr. Dory keeps of all the kids who have perfect teeth. “Now you won’t get to be in the Great Teeth Club,” she said. “Maybe you need to brush longer. Ellen seems to spend more time at it than you.”
I looked up at the bright, curved light over my head and thought about the sun shining on the even-tempered Turtle People. They would never get upset over teeth, such a small part of the big scheme of things.”
― Brenda Z. Guiberson, Turtle People