I went down all narrow country lanes to see
Tortoises which are very dear to me,
There were about 400 to my surprise
To me they were a sight for sore eyes.
Behind these pets there were stories to be told
Some were sad and others hard to behold,
Each tortoise had a name and the vet knew them all
He got to know them each time he would call.
Some were rescued when they were smuggled in
Others were not wanted and just handed in,
Some couldn`t look after them however they tried
And others were donated when their owners died.
A man would not take his tortoise for a ride
No, he let him loose to walk by his side,
The man would take it for a walk down the street
For it is said the tortoise would follow his feet.
I held one in my hand just a few months old
Although only small it was still quite bold,
The biggest one there was only 9 years old
And weighed over 6 stone so I was told.
109 years old was the oldest one there
He just carried on eating without a care,
There were various species, ages and size
Some I`d never heard of much to my surprise.
The people who ran this place did a good job
And relied on people to give them a few bob,
Donations helped in their health and care,
I was ever so glad that I went there.
