The Shell Shocked Egg

A mother turtle, naming her four eggs Tom, Dick, Harry, and Clem, buries the eggs while she obtains a sunlamp to heat her offspring into hatching, and Clem hatches prematurely and only partially while his mother is away. Unable to see in his search for a warm body to fully hatch him from his eggshell, Clem wanders into a barnyard and briefly cozies with a cow, which "golfs" him into a barn, and a male dog. The dog thinks he has laid an egg and envisions fame and fortune. He chases the partly-hatched Clem and comes into conflict with a chicken and rooster, who believe Clem to be their offspring. Finally, Clem's mother and her three other boy turtles, who sing in perfect coordination, find Clem. Clem is fully hatched by his mother, then complains about still being in a shell.—Kevin McCorry