Becky’s Turtle Ran Away And It United A Town
An oxymoron personified:a turtle run away? Maybe a cat or dog, possibly a ferret but a turtle?
Read on my friends; the tale is full of surprises, heroism and even touches 1 or 2 of the 7 deadly sins.
I felt the same way as you probably did when you read the title of this story.
An oxymoron personified: a turtle run away? Maybe and cat or a dog, possibly a ferret but a turtle? Run away? “Absurd” you say. I though so too. Read on my friends; the tale is full of surprises, heroism and even touches on1 or 2 of the 7 deadly sins.
Years ago when I lived on a farm in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont my nearest neighbor was a family with the last name Boss. They were blessed with 2 boys, age 19 and 21, Russ and Bob. This is the last you’ll hear of them, they had good jobs at the local Ethan Allan factory in Orleans. They didn’t have the time or the emotion left over from their hyperbolic romantic life to dwell on Oscar like their sister Becky did. She was 12 and able to shift her love light from a prepubescent classmate to a — turtle.
Becky was a delight. She seemed perpetually upbeat and still saw the good in humankind not yet having been jaded by too many of life’s negative experiences. And she was in love — -with her turtle, Oscar. I’d see her walking him on the main street in the town. The only street, not so ironically named Main Street.
I should say ,”Walking with Oscar in her hands” Not being able to purchase a small enough leash at the Dollar Tree, the only option for shopping other than Hummels Food Mart on the corner; Becky held Oscar in her hands as she walked back and forth on her appointed rounds. All the towns folk knew she and Oscar were inseparable and took great pleasure in making positive comments when they walked past.
Then came the sad day when Oscar ran away. The facts of what actually happened are somewhat murky. But here’s the story as I understand it to be: Mr Hummel who, with his wife Harriet, owned and managed the grocery store on Main didn’t allow any animals in the store. They seemed to have the town’s sympathy and support on banning cats and dogs. People were flummoxed when it came to Becky and her turtle. The Hummels felt that fairness would dictate if dogs and cats weren’t allowed in the store, no pet should be. Becky’s turtle included.
They loved the fact that Becky helped her mom by doing the family shopping three times a week. The Hummels made a small chicken wire enclosure in the front of their store where Becky could leave Oscar when she was food shopping. People would stop and look at Oscar as they walked up and down Main Street. How Oscar escaped that day will probably remain a mystery forever. When Becky finished her food shopping and left Hummels Food Mart there was no turtle in the enclosure. Becky was heart broken.
All of Orleans was alerted to be on the lookout for Oscar. The news spread like wildfire.
Mrs. Mearns volunteered that she had found a turtle in the middle of Main Street that afternoon. She said she put it in the park pond in the center of town. She knew turtles liked the water.
Becky and her brothers scoured the small pond in the park. They found Oscar. Unfortunately, he appeared to have drowned. A turtle drown, is that possible?
Apparently it is. Becky’s dad, who was a graduate of the University of Vermont majoring in animal husbandry, learned somewhere that you could perform CPR on a turtle and it’s possible to revive them under the right circumstances.. He did and Oscar was. It took more than 20 minutes to get him breathing again.
How Becky’s dad resuscitated Oscar, in case it ever happens to a turtle you know:
- Grasp the turtle’s head behind the ears at the base of the skull and extend the neck completely.
- Turn it head down/tail-up and open its mouth. Some water will possibly drip out.
3.After the dripping stops, place the turtle on a flat surface (belly down) keeping its neck extended.
4.Straightened his front legs and pull them straight towards you as far as they can go.
5.Keeping the leg straight, push them in as far as they will go.
6. Continue pulling and pushing the arm which helps airflow through the animals’ system.
7.Take the turtle to the vet so they can administer oxygen.*
Becky remained devoted and nursed her turtle back to reasonable health with love. She discovered while majoring in zoology at UVM. that Oscar was a tortoise and NOT a turtle. He never like the water and, no matter the good intentions of Mrs. Mearns, he never could swim. He remained in Becky’s life and is still with her and her husband and daughter (who loves the now 75 lb monster). Oscar is currently living large among the citizens of Orleans, Vermont.
Oscar continues to eschew water sports. However, if he or any other turtle ever gets in water trouble again, the article from Crazy Plants Crazy Critters is on the Hummel’s Food Mart front bulletin board along with the business cards and announcements of church suppers.
- Crazy Plants Crazy Critters and the University of Vermont