Topsey

Later that day, Grandpa Carmi sat on the beach and started thinking. He was thinking about the way Tivy’s back flippers had gotten caught in the net bag. He was thinking about the way Mrs. Jelly Fish’s jelly had held the chimes in place. He went for another swim, and he gathered lots of seaweed. He brought the seaweed back and spread it out on the beach. It was a bright and sunny day, so he knew it wouldn’t take long for it to dry. Then he went to see Mrs. Jelly Fish.

When he found Mrs. Jelly Fish, he said, “Mrs. Jelly Fish, I need a jar of your special jelly.”

Then he told her what it was for.

She said, “Of course you may have a jar of my special jelly, my JellyJel.”

After a brief visit, Grandpa Carmi went home.

The following day, Grandpa Carmi arranged the seaweed into two squares large enough to fit over Tivy’s body. He spread Mrs. Jelly Fish’s JellyJel jelly over the two squares. He had found two short pieces of rope, that folded into loops, and placed them at the corners of one square. He used extra jelly to hold them down. This had to dry overnight. He placed the two squares together and left the top edge open. He then sealed the bottom three edges with more jelly to make a backpack. This had to dry overnight.

Tivy had been checking on Grandpa Carmi during these three days, and he kept asking Grandpa Carmi what he was doing. The other turtles also came out to see what Grandpa Carmi was doing. A turtle named Turtella would bring Grandpa Carmi drinks and food, so he could keep working. Turtella was Grandpa Carmi’s daughter and Father Turtles sister. Finally, on the third day, after all the jelly had turned to rubber, Grandpa Carmi told Tivy that his project was finished.