Chapter 5

It only takes ten minutes of the chilly wind blowing and Julie Anne finds herself wishing she were wearing more than her light and airy pretty blue summer dress. Her long dirty-blonde hair is blowing wildly in the growing wind.

Julie Anne wraps her arms around her and puts her head down as she hurriedly starts to make her way through the coming storm.

Because she has her head down, she isn't watching where she is going and all of a sudden she trips over something. Luckily she does not get hurt. "Excuse me, little girl, I did not mean to get in your way. Are you okay?"

Julie Anne gets up and dusts herself off. She has a little scrape on her palm and one on her knee, but she has always been an adventurous girl, so she has had worse. Now Julie Anne can see who is talking to her, and who she so disrespectfully ran into because she wasn't watching where she was going. "I'm sorry, mister tortoise, it was my fault, as I had my head down to block out the wind. Are you okay?"

"I am. No harm no foul. My name is David," says the very old and wise gray tortoise. "And what would your name be, little girl."

"I am Princess Julie Anne. It is funny that your name is David."

"Oh, how come?"

"Because my father is named David. Plus earlier I ran into a yellow and orange butterfly whose name is Davey."

"Oh, how neat! Yes, names are many and the same, but it is what is inside that makes us who we are." says the very wise tortoise.

"True, very true! Aren't you afraid of getting caught out in this growing storm?"

"If it gets too cold I will just go inside my shell, for you see I carry my home around with me. But you have no such protection, so you should probably hurry and get to where you are going, because my old bones are telling me this is going to be one very big storm, don't you see. But before you go, would you like to hear something funny?"

"Always!" smiles Julie Anne, trying not to shiver before her new friend.

"You mentioned that your father, the king, is also named David."

"I did."

"Did you know he was named after me?"

"I did not! How could that be?"

"Well, long ago I was an advisor to King David's mother and father."

"You must be very old indeed!"

"I am, and yet I still have many years before me."

"Perhaps, David, once I become queen you would consent to come back to the royal castle and advise me. I may be young, but I know that elders hold truths that are so important to the keys of a successful kingdom."

David, the elder and wise tortoise, looks at Princess Julie Anne with pride and great joy. No matter what one's age, we all want to feel like we are needed. "It would be one of the greatest honors of my life, princess. As it will take me very long to get there, I will start the journey now. Little girl, Princess Julie Anne, I am really concerned that you are out here by yourself in this growing storm."

"The truth be told I am getting cold, but soon I will find my bestest friend Cindy and everything will be alright."

"Okay, if you say so, but I think you should get a move on."

"As you advise, great wise one." Julie Anne bows to the elder tortoise and they both laugh. "It has been wonderful meeting you, and I'll see you back at the royal castle as soon as possible."