Tilly the turtle lived in a peaceful pond at the edge of Willow Meadow. She loved the calm water, the lilies that floated like little boats, and the dragonflies that danced above the reeds.

But more than anything, Tilly loved things to be tidy.

She liked the pebbles to be smooth and in rows, the lily pads to float just right, and the water to be clear and clean. Every morning, she would paddle around the pond, picking up old twigs, brushing away floating leaves, and making sure everything looked just so.

But not everyone in the pond felt the same.

Froggy liked to splash and bounce. “Tidy-shmidy!” he laughed, kicking mud into the water as he leapt from pad to pad.

Duckling loved shiny things and often left wrappers or feathers floating about. “Oops,” she giggled. “I’ll clean it later!”

Even Otter, who was usually very thoughtful, would sometimes leave his shells and stones in a big messy pile. “I’ll sort it out tomorrow,” he said, every day.

Tilly didn’t want to spoil their fun, but the pond was starting to feel crowded and dirty. The water didn’t sparkle like it used to. The fish were harder to spot, and the lilies were getting covered in muck.

One morning, Tilly woke to find her favourite patch of pond full of soggy leaves, bits of food, and a cracked toy boat.

She sighed. “This isn’t right,” she said quietly. “Our pond is our home. We need to take care of it.”

That day, Tilly decided to do something different.

She didn’t tell anyone off. She didn’t complain or moan. Instead, she got to work, paddling through the reeds, she carefully gathered every bit of mess she could find. She built a little compost heap for the leaves and tucked the cracked toy into a tidy box for recycling.

And while she worked, she sang a quiet little song:

🎵 “Clear pond, calm mind,
A home that’s clean is kind.” 🎵

Otter noticed first. “What’s that song?” he asked.

“It’s my tidy-up tune,” said Tilly, smiling.

Then Duckling came over. “Do you need help?” she asked.

And Froggy, yes, even Froggy stopped splashing. “I suppose I could carry that soggy log for you,” he offered.

Before long, all the animals were helping. They laughed and chatted while they cleaned. Froggy invented a silly new broom-dance. Otter built a storage box from twigs. Duckling made a sign that said: "This pond is our home – let’s keep it happy!"

By the end of the day, the pond was shining again. The fish peeked out happily, the lilies opened wide, and the dragonflies returned to dance.

Tilly smiled. She felt proud, not just because the pond was tidy, but because her friends had seen how lovely it could be when everyone worked together.

That evening, as the sun set over the still water, Tilly tucked herself under a lily pad and whispered,

“A tidy pond is a happy pond. And a cared-for home is the best place to be.”