Turtle Island - Native American

Long, long ago, the world was all water. Big, shiny water was everywhere. A Great Turtle swam slowly through the deep, quiet water. He had a big, strong shell. The Great Turtle swam and swam in the big, big sea. This is the story of how the Great Turtle helped make a new home. It is the story of Turtle Island.

One day, something amazing happened. A bright light glowed in the sky. A woman, called the Sky Woman, fell gently from the clouds. Oh no. Where would she go? Two big geese saw her falling. Flap, flap, flap. They flew up high. They caught her on their soft, fluffy wings. The geese brought the Sky Woman down, down, down to the big water. But she had no place to put her feet. All the water animals came to see. They wanted to help the Sky Woman.

The animals knew the Sky Woman needed a home. She needed land to stand on. A shiny otter said, 'I will try.'. He dove deep, deep, deep. But the water was too deep. A strong beaver said, 'I will try.'. He dove deep, deep, deep. But the water was too deep for him, too. Then, a little muskrat said, 'I will try.'. The little muskrat took a big breath. He dove down, down, down into the dark water. He was gone for a long, long time. Then, pop. He came back up. In his tiny paw was a little bit of mud.

The Sky Woman smiled. She took the tiny bit of mud. She put the mud on the Great Turtle's big, round back. The Great Turtle's back was strong and wide. The Sky Woman walked in a circle on the turtle's shell. She sang a sweet song. And something magic happened. The little bit of mud started to grow. It grew bigger and bigger. Soon, there was green grass. Tall trees grew up to the sky. Bright flowers bloomed. The Great Turtle's back became a beautiful island. It was a home for everyone.

The Great Turtle's back became our world. It is called Turtle Island. The little muskrat was so brave. Even though he was small, he did a very big thing. It reminds us to be kind to the earth and to help our friends, big and small.