To define the turtle...

To define the turtle, the rabbit stopped on the path. Well not really stopped, 'cause rabbits have a hard time sitting still, but more slowed to a point where the vision of the turtle could completely fill it. And in the looking it saw a hard shell on the outside, a house that it took with it wherever it went. No wonder it goes so slow thought the rabbit, look at the size of the house it takes with it everywhere. How much faster would it be if it could escape the house! So it went up to the turtle and circled it a few times, the turtle didn't even look up such was it's steady pace. Finally the rabbit could take it no more!
"Turtle!" It cried thinking that surely something that moved so slow must also be deaf...
"Turtle!" It said again…
"yes?" Said the turtle, not slowly but then also not quickly, more… softly… yes softly is the proper word… no no no gently is more correct I think… anyways…
"why do you carry your house everywhere you go turtle?" the rabbit asked.
"that's quite a question", the turtle responded… gently… "come back tomorrow and I shall tell you why".
"Why must I wait for tomorrow!" the rabbit screamed, not in a mean way, just thinking the turtle deaf. Rabbit wasn't impatient It just hopped fast.
"well? I am a turtle and I am one to think on things before responding hastily" the turtle replied.
"that's silly" screamed the rabbit.
"If you think so then I am ok with being silly, see you tomorrow. and rabbit?"
"Yes!?!"
"I'm not deaf"
The rabbit stopped and stared at the turtle as it trudged along the path, one foot in front of the other and thought on all the turtle said, for about 5 seconds. Then it hopped away to do what rabbits do…

The next day It found the turtle on the path and hopped excitedly up to it, for it was glad to be getting to know the rabbit and was eager to learn more about him.
"Good morning turtle", the rabbit said not quite so loudly as to hurt the turtle ears. It was already amazed that turtles weren't deaf, it just always thought they were…
"Good morning Rabbit" turtle replied, head down trudging along the path.
After a time of hopping around the turtle, rabbit finally could take it no more.
"Well?" said rabbit.
"I have thought much about what I would say to you today rabbit. I have pondered your question and the depth of it and have come to some conclusions." At this point the turtle stopped on the path and sat. Well… as well as turtles can. "My shell protects me. I am safe wherever I go. I can store up much and hide much in my house, and it helps me to feel safe. I have thought that it also makes me strong, you know, from carrying the weight of it around everywhere I go. But I am beginning to think that being safe is not always the wisest of choices, and I am beginning to question that it really does make me strong... Although it keeps me safe from harm, it also keeps my wounds from healing as no sunlight ever breaches my shell. It's kind of dark in here and I get very tired and weary from the wounds that never heal." At this point the rabbit saw something amazing and well, not so much wonderful as interesting to behold. The turtle poked his arms and tail into his house and squeezed himself completely out of his shell. The rabbit immediately saw the scrapes and blisters on the turtle. The constant struggle to carry that heavy shell must have been enough to cause those wounds, but he could see that many… many of the hurts had been there for some time, and it was sad. Seeing the look of the rabbit the turtle was inclined to speak and so he did. "I am tired rabbit of holding on to this house. I have been getting blisters from trying to comfortably move myself around and I am tired and I am sore. It will be good to be out of my house for awhile, but I must admit it's a little scary. I will have to trust that I will be ok out here and have faith that the sunlight will heal me." The turtle then sighed a big sigh and smiled. The rabbit smiled too and began to hop away content with the turtles answer and all of a sudden hungry for cabbage. Ribbit took no more than three or four hops when the turtle called to him. "Rabbit?" Rabbit stopped on the path a moment and looked back.
"yes turtle?" it said
"Thank you for asking me that question."
"huh?"the turtle chuckled at rabbit's response.
"will you hop with me awhile?"the rabbit, happy to have made a new friend slowed his hops to be beside the turtle.
"I think that would be nice, do you like cabbage?" Said Rabbit
"I have never had it, but I am of a mind to try something new" said turtle and together they made their way down the path. Rabbit noticed that even without his shell Turtle still walked very slowly.