Toby the Turtle

Copyright © 2017 Chris Scheufele
All rights reserved.
ISBN:1548034355

ISBN-13:978-1548034351

To Luann, Alaina and Josiah. I love you.



"Everyone get in your
positions!" Coach Moose called
out. "Let's get ready to play!"
It was basketball day in gym class.
Everyone loved basketball day.
Everyone, that is, except for Toby.
Toby was slow and couldn't jump
very high, all because of his shell.
It was heavy and weighed him
down. But, he always tried his best.
"BDDDDDRRRRT!"
Coach Moose blew his whistle and
the game began.

Ralph jumped up, grabbed the ball, ran down the court and
scored the first basket before Toby could even take a
couple steps.

"Ralph sure is one fast rabbit," Toby thought to himself.

As Ralph ran by Toby, he bumped Toby's arm and knocked
him down. "Get out of the way slowpoke!" Ralph said.
"Are you a turtle or a slug?"



As Toby got back up, and with tears in his eyes, he yelled
right back, "Stop it! You know I can't help being slow!
My shell is heavy!"

"If you were any slower, you'd be going backwards," Ralph
fired back.

"Stop! I'm going to tell on you! You're hurting my feelings!"
cried Toby.

"So what, cry baby!" Ralph snapped.
Just then, Coach Moose blew his whistle. "Everyone back to

your positions! Two points to the red team! Nice play,
Ralph."

Coach Moose hadn't heard any of what had happened
between Toby and Ralph.

After gym class, Toby
went to Coach Moose

and told him what
Ralph said to him. "He
does this all the time,"

Toby said.
He was starting to cry
again. "He makes fun

of me because I'm
slow."

"Do you believe it?"
asked Coach

Moose. "Are you slow?"
"Yes," cried Toby. "He
knows I can't help it

and it hurts my
feelings. What can I do

to make him stop?"

"Toby," Coach Moose said
softly, "do you know why

Ralph keeps making
fun of you?"

"Because I'm slow?"
Toby answered.

"No, that's not it. He just
wants to see you get
upset. That's it. He
knows you can't help

being slow. Does Ralph
laugh when you get upset

about it?"
"Yes!" Toby said as he

wiped his tears.

"Ok, so let's say Ralph called you slow and you didn't get
upset. Do you think it would still be fun for him to make fun of

you?" asked Coach Moose.
"I guess not. But how do I do that? How can I get him to stop?"

asked Toby.

"Next time Ralph calls you
slow, don't get upset, stay
calm and say something like,
'I know I'm slow. I wish I was
as fast as you. But at least I'll
always have shelter if it

rains.'"
Toby chuckled. "It's true. I
never need an umbrella."
"Just don't get upset and do
your best to be polite back to

him, and he'll leave you
alone." said Coach Moose.
He gave Toby a high five and

sent him back to class.

The next week, it was basketball day in gym class again.
As always, Ralph was the fastest one on the court.

And, just like before, he ran by Toby and said, "You're so slow,
we could time you with a calendar.”

Toby remembered what Coach Moose told him and calmly
said, "I know I'm slow. I wish I was fast like you. But at least
I always have shelter from the rain." And then he started
laughing.

Ralph froze. He was confused. "Yeah...that's
right...umm...uhh..
Let's just go play."



Toby went and high fived Coach Moose and went back to play.
The end.

Dear parents, teachers, adults and lovers of children,
Thank you so much for taking this huge step in
helping empower the next generation. Bullying is such a wide-
spread issue all over the country. By teaching children the
values of resilience and the Golden Rule, we can strengthen
them mentally and emotionally and show them that mean
words don't always have to hurt. Just as important, is showing
them how kindness and forgiveness in the face of adversity
can turn almost any situation around for the good.
Here's to empowering the next generation!
~ Chris

Conversation Starters

1. Has anyone ever called you names or made fun of you?
2. How did it make you feel?
3. What did you do when they hurt your feelings?
4. After reading about Toby the Turtle, what will you do
differently next time someone is mean to you?
5. Why is it important to treat people the way you want to
be treated, even if they are mean to you?

Just for fun, use this Bully 2-Step chant with your group.
Leader: Step 1!
Kids: Don't get upset!
Leader: Step 2!
Kids: Treat them like a friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris “Shoof ” Scheufele is an educator, speaker, author

and musician with over a decade of experience in the
classroom. He enjoys traveling, fresh- picked Nebraska
sweet corn, cooking, running, sleeping and playing with
his kids. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he currently

lives in Nebraska with his wife and children.
www.ChrisInTheClassroom.com

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Sarah Barnett is an artist from Denton, Texas. She has a
B.F.A. in studio drawing and painting from the University
of North Texas. In addition to her studio work, Sarah

has done freelance portraiture, murals, and various
traditional illustrations. She has illustrated several
children’s books and looks forward to pursuing further

illustration projects.

www.ChrisInTheClassroom.com