The Treasure Cave: sea tales of Tiptoes Lightly Read Online Free PDF Page A

blows his nose,
then a volcano explodes and sprouts smoke and ash.”

    Tiptoes
stopped telling the story and looked at the clock on the mantle. It was getting
late.
    Suddenly
Farmer John’s head jerked up. He looked around wildly and leaped from the
couch.
    “I felt an
earthquake,” he cried. “The whole house shook!”
    “No, Dad,”
laughed Tom. “You were dreaming the story again.”
    “I was?” said
Farmer John, sitting down.
    Tom and June
nodded. They were grinning. Their dad sat for a while, trying to wake up.
“Goodness, look at the time,” he said. “You guys have to brush your teeth and
get to bed.”
    Tom was halfway
to the bathroom when he stopped, threw up his hands, and cried: “And Tiptoes
still hasn’t told us about the fire fairies.”

Chapter 15
    The
Lighthouse
    Tiptoes sat on
the children’s bunk bed. Tom was sleeping above and June Berry below. Tiptoes
had sung a song to help June Berry sleep.
    “Go
to sleep,
    count
your sheep,
    the
wind will pass you by—
    your
angel’s here
    to
hold you dear
    until the morning’s nigh.”
    She sang it
over and over again until June Berry closed her eyes and slept. Then Tiptoes
sat a while and listened to the sea. The cottage was so close to the ocean that
the sound of the waves filled the rooms day and night: ‘shush-shush …
shush-shush’, they said, now louder, now softer.
    Tiptoes flew
to the window. The curtain was drawn and the moon, now fuller, crept in and out
of the blowing mist. Tiptoes left the cottage and followed the mist as it
rolled towards the hills. Up the slopes she went to the first ridge. The
mountains were not high here, more like rounded hills. She followed the ridge
northwards, up and down, up and down, as the sea drew closer and closer. Below
her was the wide bay beyond the seals’ rest. Further on, the hills jutted into
the sea and steep cliffs fell into the churning waves. Out on the ocean the
lighthouse shone its light round and round from its rocky island.

    Tiptoes faced
into the wind and flew towards the sea. Out over the waves she soared until she
was above the lighthouse. The tide was up and the surf surged around the rocky
island in a ring of white. On the landward side, in the lee of the wind, was a
small channel with a boat tied to a dock. Someone lived in the lighthouse.
    Down Tiptoes
flew. She saw a door, but it was closed. She saw a window, two windows, three,
four, one over the other, but they were dark and lightless. Only the light in
the top of the tower turned and turned and turned. At last Tiptoes headed
homeward—over the waves, along the shore, above the sea meadow and into the
cottage to fall sleep.

Chapter 16
    ~
Monday ~
    The
Squall and the Passage
    Tom Nutcracker
and June Berry were up early. They made themselves peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches for breakfast. Afterwards, they chose a piece of white cotton from
the rag bag, cut it into a flag shape and drew two crossed swords with a crown
above. Then they woke their dad.
    “Dad, wake
up,” said June Berry, shaking his shoulder.
    Lucy jumped
onto the bed and licked his face.
    “Mnomblemoopt,”
said Farmer John, pushing Lucy away and sitting up. His hair was scraggly and
he looked like a wild man. “What is it?” he asked.
    “We’re going
to the beach,” said Tom.
    Farmer John
blinked. His eyes were half closed and sleepy. “What’s the weather like?” he
said. It sounded like ‘Mutts de heaver ike’.
    June Berry
opened the curtains. “Windy and sunny,” she said. “Look.”
    Her dad squinted
and peered out. Clouds were moving quickly across the sky.
    “The weather
man said it was going to be sunny and rainy today,” said Farmer John. “Bring
your raincoats. I’ll come later,” and he flopped back onto the bed and pulled
the covers over his head.
    Tom and June
ran out of the room.
    “And take Lucy
too,” called Farmer John after them, and Lucy barked and leaped from the bed.
    When they got
to the beach the first thing they did