of it on a hot summer's day.
Indeed Farmer Green often said that he wished his son Johnnie would
spend half the time in the hayfield that he wasted around the creek.

When questioned by his father, Johnnie said that there was an old turtle
in Black Creek that he wanted to catch.

"What are you going to do with him--make soup of him?" Farmer Green
inquired solemnly.

Johnnie shook his head.

"I want to cut my initials on his shell and let him go," he explained.
"Then if I catch him again when I'm grown up I'll know him when I find
him.... I'll put the date under my initials, too," Johnnie added.

Farmer Green laughed.

"When you're grown up," he said, "you'll have something else to do
besides catching snapping turtles. This afternoon you may carve your
initials on the hay-rake and then take it over to the big meadow and
play with it."

For a few moments Johnnie Green couldn't help looking glum. He had
intended to visit the creek that very afternoon. But now he knew that
his father expected him to work--to _work_ on one of the finest days of
the whole summer!

"I'll let you off all day to-morrow," Farmer Green said. "And you know
there's that calf I told you I'd give you if you helped me with the
haying."

And then Johnnie actually smiled.

* * * * *

Well, the next morning was just as fine as the afternoon before. And
Johnnie Green set off early for Black Creek, with his pockets stuffed
full of cherries, because he was afraid he might get hungry. He ate a
few of them on the way to the creek. But when he reached that delightful
place he found something that made him forget what he had in his
pockets. For there near the top of the bank, too far from the water to
escape him--there lay Timothy Turtle himself, taking a sun-bath on the
warm sand.

XIV

CAUGHT!

As soon as Johnnie Green saw Mr. Turtle he let out a loud whoop. And as
soon as Mr. Turtle saw Johnnie, _he_ scrambled up and made awkwardly for
the water as fast as he could go.

But Timothy's fastest, on land, was so slow that Johnnie Green stopped
him in two seconds.

Catching up a long stick, Johnnie thrust it in front of Timothy Turtle,
who promptly seized it in his hooked jaws.

Johnnie Green couldn't help laughing at him.

"You're a stupid old fellow!" he cried. "You could bite that stick all
day and not hurt me."

But Timothy Turtle said never a word. He wished, however, that he could
shift his g