Author: Sanni Metelerkamp

The next day, whenever they weren't busy with lessons or meals, the little boys spent all their time searching the veld for a red tortoise. They were quite upset about their unsuccessful search when Outa Karel showed up in the dining room at his usual time. "Oh, listen to them now!" he said, looking at them with his wide smile of amused tolerance. "Do you think it rains red tortoises? And how can you little masters expect to find something that only appears once in a thousand years on your first try?" "Well," said Willem confidently, "it might have just been the right time for one. How were we supposed to know?" "Outa," asked little Jan earnestly, "do you know when it will be red tortoise time again?" "Ah, little masters," said Outa readily, "it won't be long now. Let Outa think." He tapped on his red headscarf—a sure sign he was deep in thought. "What comes just before a thousand, my little masters?" "Nine hundred and ninety-nine," answered Pietie, who was good at math. "That's right," said Outa triumphantly, "I knew it must be nearly time. It's been nine hundred and ninety-nine years since there was a red tortoise, so next year at this time, you can start looking for one. Just start, my little masters, because it will only be coming out of the egg then. And maybe it won't be in this veld. It might be far, far away where people don't know about a red tortoise, so no one will look for it. Should Outa tell another story about it?" The clever old man had found the best way to avoid more questions. The little boys gathered around and listened with wide eyes as he told the story of the Tortoises hunting the Ostriches.

"After Old Boss Giraffe was dead, the Tortoises had a nice life for a long time. Then Old Three Sticks, the Ostrich, came into their veld with his mom and dad, his wives, uncles, aunties, children, and friends. Wow! There were a lot of Ostriches! The whole veld was full of them, and they all started eating tortoises whenever they could find them. It was just like when Old Boss Giraffe used to roam around. The tortoises thought and thought, and they talked and talked, but they couldn't come up with a plan to drive the Ostriches away.

The little Red Tortoise was thinking too, but he didn't speak until he had a plan ready. Then he called all the Tortoises together. The Old Ones came because they wanted to hear what the wise little Red One had to say, and the Young Ones came because ever since he had killed Old Boss Giraffe, they had listened to him. When they were all together, he said, 'This hunting of the Tortoises by Old Three Sticks and his friends has gone on too long. Let's switch roles and let us, the Tortoise people, go and hunt Ostriches.'