Dear Toad,

A couple of summers ago my sister and I dug a mud hole in our yard. It's next to our garden so we water it when ever we water the garden. This summer I saw some algae in the water and when I tried to get it out it moved! Dad helped me put the turtle in a wash tub in our yard but it got away before we could get a good tank set up. I looked everywhere but couldn't find her.

A few weeks later we saw one trying to cross the road. We brought her home and put her in the tank we'd set up for my other turtle. It's a big black tub that Dad was going to use to make a water garden. We set it up inside so I don't have to worry about her getting lose.

Emerald started laying eggs but she kept eating them before we found them so all we'd see were these pieces of eggshell. Finally I saw her laying an egg and I called my Dad. We put the egg in some dirt in an old plastic container and left it alone for most of the summer. It didn't look like it was getting any bigger but it stayed poofy like a mushroom ball.

Yesterday we noticed a tiny rip in the shell and saw a little nose and a foot. We watched and waited and waited and waited. Finally, today, a perfect little turtle came rolling out of the shell and has been toddling around in a bigger container. It has some dirt and a small saucer of water.

I'm so excited!! We're looking online to find out how soon to put Tiger (because he has strips) in with enough water to swim in. Dad thinks we should do it right away and Mom thinks we should wait until the yolk button falls off.

Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

- Your Toadly Devoted Willowmonkey