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OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



Among the many inhabitants of the pond 

 were two old turtles. The Naturalist knew 

 they must be very old, since they were so 

 much larger than any other turtles living 



Every year, in the month of June, Mother Snapping Turtle left the water and 

 took a little journey. 



there, or in the Nishnabotna River near by. 

 Turtles grow slowly and live longer lives than 

 any others of the backdoor neighbors. They 

 lived in the pond for many years how long 

 nobody knew. When the snow melted and the 

 ice went out in spring, the Naturalist would 

 look for the old turtles, and, sure enough, they 

 would be there. One spring when the Natu- 

 ralist was still a boy, he had taken one of the 

 turtles home with him and secured him with a 



