Panic, Daily prompt

Panic

Panicking over every little thing is not normal behavior; individuals who live this way—becoming distressed and falling apart over trivial matters—are often classified as having psychological issues. Normal behavior entails handling minor problems with ease and finding solutions, rather than panicking and making life miserable for oneself and one's family. As for animals, their tendency to panic is natural; being innocent and fearful of humans, they lack the ability to discern whether the person before them intends to help or harm them.

Yesterday, a tortoise appeared outside our house; given how slowly tortoises move, there is no telling how long it had taken to get there. When my son first spotted it, he couldn't tell whether it was a tortoise or a large stone. It was only after he tapped its back with his finger that he realized it wasn't a stone, but a tortoise's shell. He picked it up using a sack, brought it inside, and showed it to me. We all gathered around, eager to get a good look at it, but by then, the tortoise had panicked and withdrawn completely into its shell, tucking away its limbs and head. We really wanted it to stick its head out so we could watch it walk, but despite our efforts to coax it out by moving it around, it refused to emerge.

All the children wanted to keep it as a pet, but I strongly dislike confining animals that belong in the wild. That innocent creature had somehow become separated from its family and wandered near our home; rather than locating its habitat to help it, we did not want to commit the cruelty of imprisoning it in our house—which is why I forbade the children from doing so. However, intending to help the turtle for a short while, I washed it with clean water; as soon as it touched the water, it extended its limbs and cleaned itself. Its head emerged as well, and it was swimming about in the water with ease and contentment.

Although I didn't have a proper vessel for it to swim in effectively, I did have a small bucket; when I placed the turtle inside, it fit the entire base of the bucket. Once water was poured in, there was just enough space for it to extend its limbs. It moved its body vigorously, dislodging the soil clinging to it and turning the water murky. I repeatedly changed the water to clean it, and eventually, the turtle had perfectly clear water.

Throughout this time, the children had become keen on keeping the turtle as a pet; however, I did not deem it right to separate the creature from its family—even though the children would have been happy. Instead, intending only to help it, I had it washed thoroughly with clean water and then instructed that it be released back outside the house. Although my son was completely unwilling to let the turtle go, he had to release it so that it would not have to remain separated from its family.

The innocent turtle felt even happier after being set free; it stayed on the grass for a while and then slowly wandered away from the house. A short time later, when the children went outside to look, there was no trace of the turtle anywhere.

A small, panic-stricken turtle, now safe, made its way toward its destination; we felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing we had helped a living being—however small—and had spared it the distress of being among people who might harm it. We simply helped it; we had absolutely no intention of causing it any harm.

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