The Turtle And The Lamb
Children's Story
Jackie thought Miss Potter looked something like a turtle. She was rather large, and slow and ponderous, and her neck was very wrinkled. But Jackie liked her, for she was kind and fair, and she never seemed to mind even when some of the children were quite unpleasant to her.
Sometimes Miss Potter would allow them to talk to one another about their work. Jackie was glad when that happened, because her best friend Carol was full of good ideas and somehow that made their work so much more interesting. But it was always when the class was quietly chatting, that trouble started.
Gerry started it on this occasion. He whispered something to his next door neighbour and nudged him, and both of them fell about laughing.
"Perhaps you'd like to share the joke with all of us?" Miss Potter said mildly. Most of the children would have blushed at that stage, and hung their heads. But Gerry wasn't like that.
He shot a sideways glance at his friend, and grinned maliciously. Then he put on an innocent voice and said, "I just wondered when your birthday was, Miss?"
Miss Potter frowned. " I don't think that's anything to do with you, Gerry," she said. "And neither do I see why that should be so funny?"
It was the chance Gerry had been waiting for. "Well you see, Miss," he answered, "Stephen says you must be as old as his Grandma, but I'm sure you're not even though you wear such old clothes."
Jackie gasped. She hated the way Gerry said such awful things to Miss Potter. She looked at Miss Potter and thought Miss Potter's eyes looked really hurt. But Miss Potter merely said quietly, "Get on with your work Gerry, and don't be so silly," and turned away.
Miss Potter was away from school all the rest of that week, and Jackie was sorry because she missed her. Jackie talked to her mother about it, and told her mother how she thought Miss Potter had been hurt by Gerry but hadn't looked as though she was hurt.
Jackie's mother said, "Turtles have a hard shell, so everyone thinks they can never be hurt. But as soon as they put their head out of their shell, they are vulnerable. Inside, they are all soft and gentle, so it's very easy to hurt them."
Jackie thought about that, then she made a card for Miss Potter wishing her well and hoping she would be back soon. Then she thought about the rest of the class, and began to imagine all of them as different animals. She thought of her best friend Carol as a furry squirrel, and she thought of herself as a slow little donkey. But she couldn't help thinking of Gerry as a poisonous snake sliding through the grass.
She shared her thoughts with her mother, who nodded thoughtfully and told her about all the different titles there were for Jesus. As well as the Son of Man and the Son of God, and the saviour and the Messiah and the Christ, Jesus was also known as the Lamb of God. Jackie was very pleased. She thought a lamb and a turtle would get on very well together, and she felt sure that not even a snake could inflict any permanent damage on any one who shared their life with the lamb.
Sometimes Miss Potter would allow them to talk to one another about their work. Jackie was glad when that happened, because her best friend Carol was full of good ideas and somehow that made their work so much more interesting. But it was always when the class was quietly chatting, that trouble started.
Gerry started it on this occasion. He whispered something to his next door neighbour and nudged him, and both of them fell about laughing.
"Perhaps you'd like to share the joke with all of us?" Miss Potter said mildly. Most of the children would have blushed at that stage, and hung their heads. But Gerry wasn't like that.
He shot a sideways glance at his friend, and grinned maliciously. Then he put on an innocent voice and said, "I just wondered when your birthday was, Miss?"
Miss Potter frowned. " I don't think that's anything to do with you, Gerry," she said. "And neither do I see why that should be so funny?"
It was the chance Gerry had been waiting for. "Well you see, Miss," he answered, "Stephen says you must be as old as his Grandma, but I'm sure you're not even though you wear such old clothes."
Jackie gasped. She hated the way Gerry said such awful things to Miss Potter. She looked at Miss Potter and thought Miss Potter's eyes looked really hurt. But Miss Potter merely said quietly, "Get on with your work Gerry, and don't be so silly," and turned away.
Miss Potter was away from school all the rest of that week, and Jackie was sorry because she missed her. Jackie talked to her mother about it, and told her mother how she thought Miss Potter had been hurt by Gerry but hadn't looked as though she was hurt.
Jackie's mother said, "Turtles have a hard shell, so everyone thinks they can never be hurt. But as soon as they put their head out of their shell, they are vulnerable. Inside, they are all soft and gentle, so it's very easy to hurt them."
Jackie thought about that, then she made a card for Miss Potter wishing her well and hoping she would be back soon. Then she thought about the rest of the class, and began to imagine all of them as different animals. She thought of her best friend Carol as a furry squirrel, and she thought of herself as a slow little donkey. But she couldn't help thinking of Gerry as a poisonous snake sliding through the grass.
She shared her thoughts with her mother, who nodded thoughtfully and told her about all the different titles there were for Jesus. As well as the Son of Man and the Son of God, and the saviour and the Messiah and the Christ, Jesus was also known as the Lamb of God. Jackie was very pleased. She thought a lamb and a turtle would get on very well together, and she felt sure that not even a snake could inflict any permanent damage on any one who shared their life with the lamb.
