The story we came across two turtles

It was an autumn day of 1993 when we came across our two turtles,red- eared slider, Kamemi and reeves turtle, Kumosuke at first time.We discovered a white plastic case with full of green water left alone in the garden where we visited to clean the house of our new address. When I was just about to flow the dirty water, it made a rustling sound from the bottom of the case ! While I was surprised, I was peeping into it quietly.What ! I discovered small two turtles in it.  They, which lost their quiet life suddenly, were very confused.

They were Kamemi and Kumosku indeed ! They were unfortunate small turtles that were thrown and left behind by their owner. 

The right photo is the white plastic case that had left in the garden at that time. It had been very useful for a long time also after then as one of the container for turtles. This photo was taken in the summer of 2009, 16 years later from the coming across two turtles. Kamemi that had grown well is swimming vigorously.

After then we moved to the house where two turtles lived.But....  we didn't feel like to raise them at all. It was a trouble for us to find them. We were going to let them go, if we could find good river or pond for them.  So we didn't give them any food and let them alone in the garden as before.  I didn't anything but water at times.  Besides I picked up the tortoises by scoop timidly when I changed water for them, because it was unpleasant for me to touch them.

And two months had passed after then.  One cold night around Christmas, I began to anxiety about them left in the garden.  And we decided to bring them to the room and put them in a washbasin on the heater. 

It was beginning that we became new their owners. But, what do they eat? We didn't have any knowledge about them at all. I throw various different foods in their basin at random, But they just struggled for fear.

I went to a library to study how to keep them, but it was difficult to find good book for me.  At long last, we could find a small part explained about turtles in an illustrated book of animal.  So I knew one of them we picked up was red-eared slider, and another is reeves turtle at first time.

About a week after then, the red-eared slider, which didn't eat anything we gave her till then ate a slice of salmon with opening big her mouth. We were very glad. And it was one more month after then the reeves turtle was concerned tortoise food we get in the pet shop.

Like these they spent the first winter with us, the red-eared slider in the small washbasin and the reeves turtle in the box of ice cream.  Also we began to call them by Kamemi and Kumosuke during this. And they become our treasures, great members of our family we can't part with any more.

To come across them brings us happiness unexpectedly. They may requite our favor. It's was just like Japanese old tale"Taro Urashima". I believe that turtles bring us happiness.