00:00Oliver and His Extraordinary Shell by Lully Brock
00:03In a land far away where turtles would play lived a special little turtle named Oliver, they say.
00:12His shell stood out with curves so grand it was quite different from all the others in the land.
00:19The other turtle shells were oval and green, but Oliver's shell was curvy and tangerine.
00:25His parents loved him dearly and told him every day that his shell was special in every single way.
00:31But at school and in town, others did not see the beauty in his shell and how useful it could be.
00:38Each shell had a purpose and every turtle had a dream to help their town grow and join the right team.
00:46There were teams to build homes and teams to help farm, teams to help cook and teams to keep out harm.
00:54But Oliver was different, and the town turned their backs.
00:59They teased him and laughed and made wisecracks about the way he looked and the way he would bend.
01:06So Oliver walked home, wishing it would end, sad and alone with no friends in sight.
01:13Poor Oliver went to bed and cried all night.
01:15But Oliver was brave, and he never lost heart.
01:19He knew he was special and that he had a special part.
01:24In the quiet, small town he loved so much, he knew that his purpose would be revealed as such.
01:31So, he held on to hope and got up the next day, believing that everything would be okay.
01:39As he walked out the door, he remembered what Mama had said,
01:42You are love, turtle dove, and she kissed him on the head.
01:48Then, a flood threatened the town.
01:51So the turtles built a dam.
01:53But they were missing a piece to help save their land.
01:57Everyone was working, knee deep in the mud.
02:00They were all bracing for the impending flood.
02:03There were no more rocks, and the turtles were scared.
02:06The flood was coming, and they were not prepared.
02:09But Oliver noticed that the space in the dam looked oddly familiar.
02:17So he quickly swam.
02:19He jumped into the hole and lifted his chin.
02:22And to everyone's surprise, he fit right in.
02:26Oliver's shell calmed their fears, and the town was saved, and the turtles cheered.
02:32An hour later, the water ceased, and the builders replaced the missing piece.
02:36It was the same color as Oliver's shell, as a reminder of the hero they knew so well.
02:43The townspeople learned a lesson that day, that differences should be celebrated, not pushed away.
02:50Everyone is important.
02:51No one is worthless.
02:53We can all contribute.
02:54We all have a purpose.
02:56So, if you see a turtle with a bright, curvy shell, remember Oliver's story and the message it tells.
03:05It's okay to be different to yourself.
03:10Be true.
