The Turtle Trial

By Randy Reishus

Meet the Reishus boys: brothers Randy, Mike and Johnny, and their cousins Oliver, Dickie and Tim. It's a sweltering summer day on Uncle Dick's Montana ranch. The boys go for a swim in the watering hole and discover a big snapping turtle at the edge of the pond. Randy ignores his cousin's warning and teases the turtle. The turtle bites him! What happens to the turtle after that? Is he guilty of a crime or was he simply defending himself? Find out how six boys decide a turtle's fate in this entertaining story based on the author's boyhood experiences. Comical illustrations fill the book with humor and bring all of the characters to life-especially the tormented turtle!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Randy Reishus
• Release date: Mar 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310894817

Book preview

Chapter 1

The judge’s eyes swept the courtroom with a cold quiet contempt. He had come to a decision, and he knew it would disrupt the silence. It had been a tough case.

I have come to a verdict, Judge Oliver said in an emotionless voice. The prisoner shall be hung by the neck until dead!

The silent courtroom exploded with screams of sorrow and cries of joy all at the same time.

Dickie burst toward the front of the room crying at the top of his lungs. He is innocent! He is innocent! He was only defending himself!

Dickie stood directly in front of the judge, yelling as loudly as he could and shaking his clenched fist in the judge’s face.

You are crazy if you think you can hang an innocent victim in this country! I will take this case to the Supreme Court. This is a free land and innocent people are protected by the law, not persecuted by it! Dickie screamed. Don’t you have any brains?

The judge’s gavel beat in a steady rhythm on his desk. I find you in contempt of the court! Take him away! You are in contempt of my court!

Chapter 2

An hour before, the boys had been spending the afternoon swimming and splashing in the pond down at the creek bottom. The heat had been unbearable, and this was a quick way to avoid the sweltering day and was always a great deal of fun.