“Did you see that new creature?” whispered Clive the clown fish. Cleo and Clem the other two clown fish gaped at the huge tortoise who was standing at the far corner of the cove where the Aquatic School Assembly was held every day. Just then, Asin the alligator, principal of the Aquatic School, spoke to the gathering is his guttural voice.

“Good day, Aquatic creatures. I want to take a moment to introduce a new student. This is Tabitha’s first time in school. Tabitha is a giant tortoise and she lives with her family at the Southern beach. But she will be the first student to live here at the Aquatic School as she cannot commute back and forth from the beach every day.” There was gracious applause.

“I appreciate Tabitha’s desire to get an education. I hope all of us will help her settle down well in school,” the alligator finished.

Delma saw a few fish snigger at the tortoise. She noticed that the three-foot long Tabitha was extremely slow and took up a lot of space. She had a hard time shuffling from the assembly area to the cove where her classes were held. She had to stand at the end of the cove because she was too enormous and blocked the view of the other aquatic creatures.

At lunch time, Delma noticed that Tabitha ate alone and no one seemed to want to approach her. The tortoise was wading in the water of the lake which lapped at the coves of the Aquatic School.

Delma, who had been sharing her lunch of a seaweed salad, swam up to her. “Hello Tabitha. How’s your first day at the Aquatic School?” the dolphin asked kindly. Tabitha nodded and replied in her slow, soft voice, “Hello, Delma, so far, so good,” she replied shyly.

“If there’s anything you need help with, please, let me know,” Delma offered. “Come and wade with me and my friends.” She gestured to where her friends the clown fish and the jelly fish were splashing each other in the lake water.

“No, I’d rather not, but thank you for the offer. It’s nearly time for the next class and because I’m so slow, I should start moving to the class. I’m not as fast as the rest of you,” replied Tabitha. And she began to creep back to the coves.

“I feel so sorry for the tortoise,” remarked Caitlin the catfish who was Delma’s classmate. “It must be tough to be so strange looking.”

“But there are a lot of huge creatures in D’Land,” replied Delma defensively. “I am large too, so is Kriss the white dolphin and all the dinosaurs are humungous too. We don’t feel awkward!”

“Yes, that’s true,” quipped in Sally the salmon, “But this tortoise is so slow. I mean look…she’s started moving towards her classroom cove 10 minutes ago but she’s not even halfway there.”

Delma looked over to where the tortoise was puffing her way up to the cove. She felt terrible for her. “I wish there was some way to help her,” the dolphin thought to herself.

That evening Delma shared the tale of the giant tortoise with her friends, Dazel, the duck, and Din Din, the dinosaur.

“I would have invited Tabitha to join us here at the lake bank but it takes her ages to move,” Delma explained to her best friends as they nibbled on some corn cobs Burrow, the rabbit, had offered them.

“I think I’ll pay Tabitha a visit before sunset at the Aquatic School to see how she’s faring. It must be tough to be the only student in boarding. She must be lonely,” the dolphin said.

Bidding goodbye to her mates, she swiftly cut through the silvery lake water and reached the Aquatic School premises. She spotted Tabitha on the golden sand near the lake.

“Hi Tabitha,” called out Delma cheerily. “Remember me?”

“Of course. You are Delma. How can I forget you; you are the only one who spoke to me today,” Tabitha remarked.

Delma winced. She was ashamed of her peers at the Aquatic School who had not made an effort to make this new creature more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.

“I apologise on behalf of all the creatures. I hope no one hurt your feelings,” said Delma shamefully.

“It’s no one’s fault, really. I have always lived in seclusion at the beach with my family so I’m not very social. And as far as the creatures here are concerned, they have never met someone as…peculiar… as me,” Tabitha explained.

“It’s only a matter of time, Tabitha, until they get accustomed to you,” said Delma. Looking around the dolphin asked, “Where will you sleep for the night?” Tabitha smiled her slow smile, “My shell is my home.” And lo and behold, Delma saw her withdraw her head and limbs into the huge shell until it only seemed that a rock lay before her.

Delma laughed in delight, “This is fabulous. You carry your home with you! This is such a big asset you have.”

“Perhaps it is,” agreed the giant tortoise.

“Life is about making the best of our assets, Tabitha. You have the drive to learn and a home right about anywhere. Yes, you are slow physically but I’m sure mentally you will excel at the Aquatic School. Yes, you are large and ungainly, but size means strength and that is to your advantage because no one will mess with you,” the dolphin said excitedly.

“Thanks, Delma,” Tabitha grinned. “I guess you’re right. It’s about making the best of your circumstances. Thanks for your words of encouragement. With a friend like you I’m sure I will settle down here very soon.”

The next week saw Tabitha approach matters with a new-found confidence. She offered the small fish a ride on her back and waded in the water.

“Wheeeee…,” cried the jelly fish trio as they sat on Tabitha’s shell and lazed in the afternoon sun. And Tabitha winked at Delma secretly.

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