Lesson 4:The Sea Turtle Family

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

y Lorraine B. Francis
Illustrated by Pat and Robin DeWitt
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Long ago, the people and animals of Earth began
to die. Trash covered the land. People poured harmful
chemicals into the oceans. The air was polluted. Most
people did not know the danger they faced. But a few
people did — a new kind of people.
Malu
My name is Malu, and I know what it’s like to be a sea
turtle. I can hold my breath underwater for 20 minutes. I can
hold it longer than anyone else in my clan, or family. Like sea
turtles, I take a big gulp of air before I dive down to the reef.
Twenty minutes is enough time for the turtles to eat the sea
grass in the Pacific Ocean where we live. Like the turtles, I
swim back to the surface when I’m almost out of air.
Usually, I wear my air suit and flippers like everyone else.
Then I can stay down even longer. I swim with the turtles past
large groups of fish clustered together. I use my flippers to turn
or swim fast. Land people think that sea turtles are slow. They
are accustomed to seeing turtles walk slowly across a beach. But
in the water, sea turtles are very, very fast!
Grandmother likes turtles for another reason. “The turtle
is older than the dinosaur,” she tells me. “It carries time upon
its back.”
2

We belong to the Sea
Turtle Clan. Our clan lives in a
village under the ocean. Inside
our village shell, we breathe,
eat, and sleep like land people.
Outside our shell — in the
ocean — we’re excellent
swimmers. We can talk to
sea turtles. That’s how our
clan got its name.
Grandmother is a Talker,
and so are many of the other
older adults, or elders. A Talker
can talk with the sea turtles. I
can’t talk with the turtles. I hear
sounds coming from the turtles’
mouths, but the sounds don’t
make sense to me. Grandmother
believes my time will come.
“Your mother was a great
Talker,” she says. “Someday you
will be, too.”
village shell
sea turtle
The Sea Turtle Clan lives
under the ocean.
3

Last night, I had a strange dream. In my dream, my
mother was like a turtle. She swam outside the village shell
and stared into my eyes. She tried to tell me something urgent
— something very important. “I don’t understand,” I called to
her. “I’m not a Talker!” She looked upset and began grinding
her jaws like turtles do. The noise became a clamor. I woke up,
all sweaty.
At breakfast, I asked Grandmother. “What did my dream
mean? What did Mother want to tell me?”
Grandmother frowned. She was trying to decide what to
say. I never knew my parents. Maybe Grandmother would tell
me about them now.
Grandmother swiveled her head, turning to look at me.
“What you do is more important than what you say,” she said.
I did not understand what Grandmother said. We finished
our breakfast in silence.
Malu’s grandmother believes he will learn to
talk to the turtles someday.
sea grass,
or seaweed
4

She-turtle
Today I saw She-turtle — that’s what I call her. I went
for a swim with Grandmother to find food for supper. I was
swimming alone through some seaweed. The tall grass grabbed
at my legs like an octopus. I wanted to kick my legs free, but
I didn’t. Kicking too fast attracts sharks. I swam slowly and
escaped the weeds. That’s when I saw She-turtle.
There is something special about She-turtle. Every two or
three years, sea turtles lay eggs on land. I think a nearby island
must be where She-turtle lays her eggs. The rest of the time,
she lives far away. So, I don’t see her very often. But, when I do
see her, I think she wants to talk with me.
coral reef
5

Today, She-turtle looked
worried. Her big, dark eyes
stared at me. I became very
still and looked back at her. I
did not hear anything, but the
water between us seemed full
of energy. I thought I was about
to learn something important.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp poke on
the bottom of my foot. I turned
around and saw Grandmother.
She held up a bag full of pointy
sea urchins. When I turned
back, She-turtle was gone.
Malu thought that She-turtle had
an important message for him.
6

The Sea-Turtle Clan
That afternoon, the elders called a meeting. I’m only 12,
but Grandmother took me along. She wants me to understand
how things work. “More children should attend these
meetings,” she said. “They’ll be elders someday, too.”
“Besides,” she added, “they’re serving the kelp cakes you
love to eat.” But I don’t need to be coaxed into going. I like the
meetings. They’re held at the top of our village, just under the
shell dome. I like to watch the fish swim by.
Each meeting follows a pattern. First, there are speeches
about our clan’s history. Today, an elder talked about how the
Sea Turtle Clan began:
Long ago, Earth’s people and animals were in danger.
The land and sea were polluted. A small group of people
studied the sea turtle. They knew that turtles had lived on
Earth for millions of years. But now turtles were dying
because of the pollution.
For years, the turtles cried out for help, but no one
listened. People destroyed turtle nesting grounds to build big
houses. Chemicals from the pollution got into the turtles’
stomachs. The turtles grew very sick.
7

Land people hunted turtles,
took their eggs, and destroyed
their nests.
turtle eggs
8

People killed turtles on the beaches and took their eggs.
As a result, no baby turtles were born some years.
Around the world, a few people learned to listen to
the turtles. These people started the Sea Turtle Clan. They
told other land people that Earth was in danger. They said
that when the last turtle died, Earth would die, too. Finally,
leaders around the world listened. They cleaned the oceans,
land, and air. They signed an agreement to stop hunting
turtles and taking their eggs.
This is the history of the Sea Turtle Clan.
After the speech, Grandmother stood. She does not talk
much in meetings, so I put down my kelp cake to listen.
“The turtles think there is a new threat,” said
Grandmother. The elders nodded in agreement.
“The turtles do not know what the danger is, but they feel
uneasy,” Grandmother added.
More people nodded. Without thinking, I stood up, too.
“Why don’t we talk to the land people?” I said quickly.
“Maybe they can tell us something.” The room grew quiet.
The elders stared at me. I turned to Grandmother for support,
but she just had a doleful expression. She looked sad. I didn’t
understand why she looked sad.
9

Usually, Grandmother wanted me to talk if
I had something to say.
“We will talk about this matter at the next
meeting,” one of the elders said.
Malu listened to his
grandmother speak
at the meeting.
10

Malu’s Family
Grandmother and I left the meeting without talking.
We were silent as we walked back to our home. I had to say
something. I didn’t like this silence.
“Grandmother, what happened after the Sea Turtle
Clan moved into the ocean? Did anyone ever go back to live
on land?”
“Some people lived on land for a while,” she answered.
“But it made more sense to stay in the ocean. That way, we
could live near the turtles.”
“But even turtles spend some time on land. She-turtles lay
their eggs on beaches,” I pointed out.
“Of course,” said Grandmother. “We learned to talk with
the turtles, so we didn’t need to watch them on land. We grew
accustomed to our home in the ocean. No one wanted to leave.”
“You’re kidding!” I said. “Nobody ever wanted to return to
land?” Grandmother frowned, then sighed.
“I need to tell you something,” she said. “You are old
enough now.”
We reached our home and went inside. Grandmother
made some tea. As we sipped our tea, she told me about my
parents.
“Your mother was very independent,” she said. “She began
talking to turtles at a young age. She liked to explore near
the village. Then, when she was older, she took long trips.
Sometimes, she even visited land people.”
11

Grandmother continued. “In time, she fell in love with an
islander. They got married. Your grandfather and I were very
sad. Your mother was a great Talker. We wanted her to stay in
the village. Our village needs gifted leaders,” she said, looking
at me.
I nodded. Is this why Grandmother takes me to meetings? Does
she think I could be a great leader someday?
Grandmother stared at her tea. “One night, your mother
had a dream. She dreamed that she would die after the birth
of her child — a son. When she woke up, she knew the dream
would come true. She knew what she had to do.”
I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t talk. I nodded for
Grandmother to go on.
“One moonlit night, your mother and father went to the
island beach. No one was there, only a she-turtle. The turtle
was laying her eggs. Side-by-side, the two mothers gave birth.
The she-turtle dug a hole and laid her eggs in it. Your mother
gave birth to you there, on the sand. Your father named you
Malu, meaning peace.
“Before your mother died, she kissed you goodbye. ‘Let
him go,’ she told your father, who lived on land. ‘Malu will
come back to you someday.’ Your mother talked with the sheturtle
for a long time.”
12

The she-turtle agreed to
bring baby Malu back
to the Sea Turtle Clan.
13

“The she-turtle agreed to take you back to our clan,” said
Grandmother. “Your father tied you to the turtle’s back. He
held your mother. They watched the turtle carry you into the
ocean. You looked just like a baby turtle.”
Many thoughts stirred inside me. “Maybe that’s why I
can hold my breath for so long,” I said weakly. I felt a torrent
of strong emotions inside of me — sadness, anger, loss,
and confusion.
“I know your father truly loved you. It must have been very
hard to give you up,” Grandmother said. “He lost his wife and
son, all in one night.”
Suddenly, my emotions boiled over. I felt very angry.
“Where is my father?” I demanded. “Is he still alive?”
“I only know what the she-turtle told me 12 years ago,”
answered Grandmother quietly. “I haven’t seen or heard from
her since.”
I wondered about the she-turtle I saw today. Could she be
the same one that carried me to the Sea Turtle Clan? I pushed
that idea away for a moment. I felt angry again. “Why did you
wait so long to tell me about my parents? How could you keep
this from me for so long?”
I didn’t give Grandmother time to answer. I rushed out. I
needed to swim.
14

Shark Attack
I didn’t put on my flippers or an air suit. I just dove in
the water and swam away from everything — from the village,
Grandmother, and the Sea Turtle Clan. I kicked as hard as I
could. I didn’t think about where I was going. I was angry. I
should have been told about my parents long ago.
And then it happened. I saw a flash of silver. I thought it
was a shark fin, so I stopped moving. I looked up and my eyes
met the eyes of a tiger shark. The shark swam toward me.
I gasped. Seawater rushed into my mouth and nose. I
tried to get away, but the shark circled around me and bit my
leg. I opened my mouth to scream because of the pain. More
seawater poured down my throat and into my lungs. Then
everything went dark.
I didn’t feel any more pain. Instead, I felt calm. I thought
She-turtle was looking at me. I heard a low, steady hum. Then
She-turtle talked to me, and I understood her. She told me
about my mother and father, and my Grandmother, too. She
also warned me of a great danger that was coming. . . . Was I
dreaming?
15

The Warning
When I woke up, I was back in our home. Grandmother
was caring for the wound on my leg.
“I dreamed I was a Talker,” I said in a sleepy voice.
Grandmother looked up.
“Tell me your dream, Malu,” she asked.
I told her about my dream. “When I saw She-turtle,
there was not an empty void like before. This time, I heard a
humming sound.”
Grandmother smiled. “That was not a dream,” she said.
“You talked with She-turtle. She saved you from the shark.
Then she carried you here, just like she did 12 years ago.”
So my dream was real. She-turtle had talked to me
like she had talked to my mother. I was a Talker. Suddenly,
I remembered more.
She-turtle saved Malu from the
shark and gave him a warning.
16

“Grandmother, she gave me a warning! The island people
are planning to hunt turtles again!” I sat up. “My father wants
to stop them, but he cannot change the people’s minds. He
needs my help!”
Grandmother paused. “So that is why the turtles are so
uneasy,” she said.
“We have to do something!” I cried. “We must talk with
the land people — now!”
Grandmother frowned and shook her head. “We cannot
act without thinking. Go to sleep, Malu. I will sleep, too. In the
morning, we will tell the elders about the warning.” Then she
bent down, kissed my forehead, and left.
17

Warning My Father
I could not sleep. I decided that sometimes it is good to
think before you act. But at other times, it feels right to act first.
It was time to act. I had to find my father and help him stop the
turtle hunt.
I got my things ready. At last, I understood why I had been
returned to the Sea Turtle Clan. My mother and father knew I
should learn the ways of the turtle. And now, as my mother had
said when I was born, I had to return to my father. I must teach
the land people about turtles. I must warn them that when the
turtles die, Earth will die, too.
I went over to where Grandmother was sleeping. I closed
my eyes. I wanted to talk to her silently. I used the special
transmissions of the Sea Turtle Clan. I was still. I waited until I
heard the humming sound again. Then, I sent Grandmother a
message:
Our people talked to the land people long ago. Now, it
is time to talk again. I am going to them, but I will return
someday. I love you, Grandmother.
Grandmother stirred, but did not wake up. In her sleep,
she smiled.
18

Responding
TARGET SKILL Story Structure Who are
the main characters in The Sea Turtle Family?
What is the story’s plot? Copy and complete the
chart below.
Characters:
Malu, Grandmother, ?
Setting: an
underwater village
in the Pacific Ocean
Plot:
?
Write About It
Text to Self Malu could swim underwater for
a long time. Write a fictional narrative about a
character with a special ability. Before you write,
list key details about your character.
19

TARGET VOCABULARY
accustomed
clamor
clustered
coaxed
doleful
swiveled
torrent
transmissions
urgent
void
TARGET SKILL Story Structure Examine details
about characters, setting, and plot.
TARGET STRATEGY Monitor/Clarify As you read,
notice what isn’t making sense. Find ways to figure
out the parts that are confusing.
GENRE Science Fiction is a fantasy story whose plot
often depends on scientific ideas.
Write About It
In a famous quotation, Aung San Suu Kyi said,
“Please use your freedom to promote ours.”
What freedoms do you value most? Why? Write
a letter to the editor of a Burmese newspaper
explaining the freedoms you have and why they
are important to you.
20

Level: T
DRA: 44
Genre:
Science Fiction
Strategy:
Monitor/Clarify
Skill:
Story Structure
Word Count: 2,580
6.1.4
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
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