When Mary was little she would often whine and fuss, tantrum too, if I am honest. Sometimes in the midst of a good roaring fuss, she would ask for something extraneous, non-essential, and I would tell her hope springs eternal!

One day she quoted it back to me–hope springs a turtle!!

I changed the quote after that to her version.

Mary, today I took the girls to the river and a baby turtle, perfect and wonderful, swam to me.

Hope springs a turtle