In April 2020, during the third week of THE LOCKDOWN in Scotland, we were spending time on Zoom and WhatsApp keeping in touch with our grandsons Ethan (6) and Drew (4). At the time they were homing two borrowed tortoises from Auntie Sharon who keeps a small home zoo of waifs and strays.

Archie and Trixie were used to being handled and enjoyed ranging around the garden, digging into the flower beds and burying themselves, hiding. Archie was especially active and adventurous; Trixie more timid.

After a parallel reading session on Zoom with Grandma, Ethan and I engaged in a bit of fantasy time about the sort of thing Archie might get up to.

Read on, dear readers.