Dear reader: This is a bit of a departure from my usual posts about relationships and parenting, although it was born when, over the weekend, I was reading Yertle the Turtle, by the great Dr. Seuss, to my daughter, Emma. I was inspired to do a bit of riffing. Enjoy!
From HTTP://BILLMOYERS.COM/STORY/YERTLE-COMMANDER-CHIEF/
On the far-away island of U.S. of A...Durdle the Turtle was king for a day. A nice little land. It was clean. It was neat. The water was warm. There was plenty to eat. The turtles had everything turtles might need. And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.
They were…until Durdle, the king of them all, decided the kingdom he ruled would soon fall. “I’m ruler,” said Durdle, “of all that I see. But there’s not enough white. That’s the trouble, you see. This will not do.” And he called up his team. “We must build a wall. No, this is obscene. It ought to be higher!” he said with a frown. “Bigger than China’s and paid by the brown! If it could be high, how much greater I’d be! What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”
They were…until Durdle, the king of them all, decided the kingdom he ruled would soon fall. “I’m ruler,” said Durdle, “of all that I see. But there’s not enough white. That’s the trouble, you see. This will not do.” And he called up his team. “We must build a wall. No, this is obscene. It ought to be higher!” he said with a frown. “Bigger than China’s and paid by the brown! If it could be high, how much greater I’d be! What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”
From HTTP://THEZOOLOGIST.DEVIANTART.COM/ART/DR-SEUSS-YERTLE-THE-TURTLE-339946154
So Durdle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand and Durdle, the Turtle King, gave a command. He ordered nine turtles to come, one and all and, using these turtles, he built a new wall. He made each turtle stand on another one’s back and he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack. His daughter observed: “Pa-pa, they’re all black”.
“Never mind that,” he said and he climbed up the pile. “What a wonderful view!” He could see ‘most a mile! “All mine!” Durdle cried. “Oh, the things I now rule! I’m king of TV! And all fossil fuel! I’m king of the whites! And, what’s more, beyond that, I’m king of the browns, the yellows and blacks! I’m Durdle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
And all through that morning, he sat there up high saying over and over, “A great king am I!” Until ‘long about noon...Then he heard a faint sigh. “What’s that?” snapped the king and he looked down the stack...And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack. Just a part of this wall...And this plain little turtle looked up and he said, “Beg your pardon, King Durdle. I’ve pains in my back and my shoulders and knees. How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?”
“Never mind that,” he said and he climbed up the pile. “What a wonderful view!” He could see ‘most a mile! “All mine!” Durdle cried. “Oh, the things I now rule! I’m king of TV! And all fossil fuel! I’m king of the whites! And, what’s more, beyond that, I’m king of the browns, the yellows and blacks! I’m Durdle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
And all through that morning, he sat there up high saying over and over, “A great king am I!” Until ‘long about noon...Then he heard a faint sigh. “What’s that?” snapped the king and he looked down the stack...And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack. Just a part of this wall...And this plain little turtle looked up and he said, “Beg your pardon, King Durdle. I’ve pains in my back and my shoulders and knees. How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?”
From HTTPS://WWW.EMAZE.COM/@ALRTILTQ/DR.-SEUSS+YERTLE-THE-TURTLE+???-
“SILENCE!” the King of the Turtles barked back. “I’m king, and besides, can’t you see, you are black. You stay in your place while I sit here and rule. I’m king of TV! And all fossil fuel! I’m king of the whites! The browns, yellows and blacks! But that isn’t all. I’ll do better than that! My wall shall be higher!” his royal voice thundered. “So pile up more turtles! I want ‘bout two hundred! Turtles! More turtles!” he bellowed and brayed.
And the turtles ‘way down in the land were afraid. They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed. From all over the land, they came crawling by dozens...Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins. And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack. One after another, they climbed up the stack. Then Durdle the Turtle was perched up so high. He could see forty miles from his wall in the sky!
“Hooray!” shouted Durdle. “I’m king of the trees! I’m king of the Mexicans! Junior, shoot that one, please. I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air! Ah, me! What a wall! Muslims beware! I’m Durdle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
And the turtles ‘way down in the land were afraid. They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed. From all over the land, they came crawling by dozens...Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins. And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack. One after another, they climbed up the stack. Then Durdle the Turtle was perched up so high. He could see forty miles from his wall in the sky!
“Hooray!” shouted Durdle. “I’m king of the trees! I’m king of the Mexicans! Junior, shoot that one, please. I’m king of the butterflies! King of the air! Ah, me! What a wall! Muslims beware! I’m Durdle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! For I am the ruler of all that I see!”
From HTTP://WWW.BIZPACREVIEW.COM/2017/01/15/DONALD-TRUMP-JR-GETS-BEHIND-NEW-GUN-LAW-GRABBERS-GUNNING-FIGHT-435680
Then again, from below, in the great heavy stack, came a groan from that plain little turtle named Mack. “Your Majesty, please…I don’t like to complain, but down here below, we are feeling great pain. I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down at the bottom we, too, should have rights. We turtles can’t stand it. Our shells will all crack! Besides, we need food and health care!” groaned Mack.
“You hush up your mouth!” howled the mighty King Durdle. “You’ve no right to talk to the world’s highest turtle. I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea! There’s nothing, no, NOTHING, that’s higher than me!” But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise that the moon of the evening was starting to rise up over his head in the darkening skies.
“What’s THAT?” snorted Durdle. “Say, what IS that thing that dares to be higher than Durdle the King? I shall not allow it! I’ll go higher still! I’ll build my wall higher! I can and I will! I’ll call some more turtles. I’ll stack ‘em to heaven! And he told Stevie Bannon: I need five thousand and seven!”
But, as Durdle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand and started to order and give the command, that plain little turtle below in the stack...That plain little turtle whose shell was so black...Decided he’d taken enough...And he had... And that plain little lad got a little bit mad...And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.
He burped!
And his burp shook the wall of the king!
And Durdle the Turtle, the king of the trees...The King of the air and the birds and the bees...The king of TV and all fossil fuel…Well, that was the end of the Turtle King’s rule!
For Durdle, the King of all U.S. of A...Fell off his high wall after an interminable stay!
“You hush up your mouth!” howled the mighty King Durdle. “You’ve no right to talk to the world’s highest turtle. I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea! There’s nothing, no, NOTHING, that’s higher than me!” But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise that the moon of the evening was starting to rise up over his head in the darkening skies.
“What’s THAT?” snorted Durdle. “Say, what IS that thing that dares to be higher than Durdle the King? I shall not allow it! I’ll go higher still! I’ll build my wall higher! I can and I will! I’ll call some more turtles. I’ll stack ‘em to heaven! And he told Stevie Bannon: I need five thousand and seven!”
But, as Durdle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand and started to order and give the command, that plain little turtle below in the stack...That plain little turtle whose shell was so black...Decided he’d taken enough...And he had... And that plain little lad got a little bit mad...And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.
He burped!
And his burp shook the wall of the king!
And Durdle the Turtle, the king of the trees...The King of the air and the birds and the bees...The king of TV and all fossil fuel…Well, that was the end of the Turtle King’s rule!
For Durdle, the King of all U.S. of A...Fell off his high wall after an interminable stay!
From HTTP://SEUSS.WIKIA.COM/WIKI/FILE:AND_TODAY_THE_GREAT_YERTLE_THAT_MARVELOUS_HE.PNG
And today the great Durdle, that Marvelous he...Is again the Apprentice. Of reality TV.
From HTTP://WWW.DAILYKOS.COM/STORY/2016/2/29/1492785/-THE-APPRENTICE-WHAT-DONALD-TRUMP-LEARNED-FROM-THE-REPUBLICANS-OPINION
And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are free...As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.
*(Adapted from Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss)
*(Adapted from Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss)
David B. Younger, Ph.D is the creator of Love After Kids, helping couples with their relationships since having children. He is a clinical psychologist and couple’s therapist with a web-based private practice and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and Thrive Global. David lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, two kids and toy poodle.
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