Mortimer

  With that, the great sand covered shell turned and moved off. John followed after. The morning sun felt good on his face, and he started to collect himself. He had about a million questions that he wanted to ask, but he decided to use a little humor to get one of them. You know where I come from, he said, turtles don't talk. What should I call you anyway? Craning his neck a bit, the old fella answered and said, I am not a turtle, I am a tortoise. Turtles have no reason to talk. Because they spend most of their time in the water, and man being a land animal, I suppose that there was no reason for it. My name is Mortimer.
  The old tortoise quickened his pace now, and headed for  the shade of a line of palm trees. The shade did look inviting, and John followed along, all the time asking questions as he walked by Mortimer's side. But Mortimer did not answer, in fact, he spoke not at all? So John stopped asking, figuring that the old boy would stop in the shade just ahead, and that he would ask some more once they were rested. But the old tortoise did not stop in the shaded glen, but continued on to a clearing with tall thick grasses. Halfway across this field, Mortimer suddenly stopped, settled into the cushy grasses and fell immediately to sleep! Stunned, John looked around. Around him everywhere were mounds just like Mortimers' and none of them was talking either?