One day, Amar was reading one
of his favorite stories, "The Hare and the Tortoise." He laughed at what
happened to the hare and learned from the tortoise how important it is to use
one's head and that cleverness is more than a match for physical superiority.
While he was thinking about these things, he suddenly realized that the tortoise
in the book had come alive on the page and had started talking to him:
The tortoise began by saying: "Hi Amar! It's great that you are so young and
clever enough to learn a lesson from the story about the hare and me."
Amar asked "How old are you?"
The tortoise replied: "I'm not as young as I look; I am actually 45 years old.
Tortoises live for about 60 years; and there's even one kind of tortoise called
the 'Testudo' that can live as long as 189 years."
Everything in the heavens and everything in the Earth belongs to Him. Allah is
the Rich Beyond Need, the Praiseworthy. (Surat al-Hajj: 64)
What's your favorite season?" asked Amar.
The tortoise replied: "Warm weather is very important for our survival. Our body
temperature changes with the temperature of the air around us and is usually
between 32.2 and 32.4 Fahrenheit (0.1 and 0.2 degrees Celcius) lower than that
of the air. Our digestive system speeds up as the temperature becomes hotter.
When Allah created us, He gave us this characteristic to make it easier for us
to survive when it is very hot. We need all the gifts that Allah gives us, but
He is Rich Beyond Need."
Amar then wondered: "What's your favorite food?"
We love yellow squash. Our eyes are very sharp, and they see yellows best. That
means we can easily find our favorite food," responded the tortoise.
Amar had another question for the tortoise: "Do you hibernate in winter?"
The tortoise explained: "Yes. When the weather gets colder, from October on, and
food becomes harder to find, our bodies slow down and we protect ourselves by
going to sleep for several months. Our heartbeat and our breathing slow down. We
hibernate between October and March. Because Allah created us in this way, we
don't have to stay awake in winter with nothing to eat, which would be fatal to
us. Allah has protected us for generations by sending us to sleep at just the
right time."
Amar had more to ask: "I know you live on dry land, but I also think some of you
live in the water. Can you tell me about them?"
The tortoise smiled: "You're right, Amar. There are tortoises, fresh water
turtles and sea turtles among us. I live on dry land, for example. I prefer
fields, soft soil and grapevines. Fresh water turtles, the kind you keep in
aquariums, like lakes and river banks. Sea turtles live in the warm seas and
come onto land to lay their eggs. Let me tell you something interesting about
the Caretta sea turtle:
Caretta go to warm beaches to lay their eggs. Allah inspires the young turtles
that hatch from the eggs to head toward the light reflected off the sea, in
other words, to go straight toward where they will live. How do these baby
turtles know that the sea is the best place for them to live in? It must be
because our Lord inspires that knowledge in them."
Amar said: "You're right. Everyone with a mind to think with must know that the
world is full of Allah's wonders. We must always remember that you and I, all
animals and trees and everything else are a sign of Him. It was nice to talk to
you. Thanks for telling me so much. Bye-bye."
"Good-bye, you clever boy," said the tortoise.