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

over. She looked into the water and saw silvery
shapes darting in the swirling surf. Squid, baby squid by the thousands! They
were chasing and darting hither and thither—just like the gulls. Tiptoes
couldn’t see what the squid were feeding on, but they were as busy chasing
their food as the gulls were busy chasing them.
    Tiptoes went
back to the trestle and landed on the railing. Not a single seagull kept her
company; they were all out at sea. She watched for a long time until the squid
moved away to the south and the seagulls followed them around the headland and
out of sight.
    She was about
to go back to Tom and June when she saw, beyond the breakers, a tail rise and
fall amongst the waves. Tiptoes jumped high into the air. There it was again,
moving northwards towards the wild bay. Tiptoes sped over the waves but only
caught one last glimpse as the tail dipped under the water. It was far too
small to be a whale, and there was no fin along the back so it couldn’t be a
dolphin, nor did it have the dark brown flippers of the seals and sea lions.
This one was beautifully shaped and silvery green.

Chapter 18
    The
Oyster’s Daughter
    Tiptoes
returned from the railway trestle to find Farmer John reading a book on the
beach. It was called, The Worst Way to Milk a Cow, by A. N. Udder. Farmer John
was wrapped up in his rain jacket and sat out of the wind between two rocks. As
long as he wasn’t in the wind he was warm and could enjoy the sunshine. Just
around the corner was the pirate ship. The hull was almost finished and June
Berry was building a teepee on the deck with Lucy’s help.
    “Why are you
building a teepee?” asked Tiptoes.
    “It’s not a
teepee,” said June. “It’s a cabin for His Royal Highness King Thomas
Nutcracker.”
    “I see,” said
Tiptoes. “And where is His Royal Highness at the moment?”
    “He’s in the Treasure Cave,” said June Berry. “He’s sure there’s a tunnel to another chamber, but
there’s only room for one to dig.”
    Tiptoes went
into the cave. She found Tom on his belly digging with garden trowels. It did
look like there was a passage. He’d dug quite far in, but it was narrow, with
only enough room for one person. After a while he backed out and cleared the
sand and pebbles from the hole.
    “Hi, Tiptoes,”
said Tom when he saw her. “It’s getting wider again. I’m sure there’s another
cavern. There’s gold and silver in there for sure.”
    Suddenly the
cave darkened as June Berry crawled in the entrance.
    “Dad’s taken
Lucy for a walk,” she said, looking at the hole Tom had made. “It’s my turn
now,” and she squirmed in and started digging.
    After a while
she called out: “I think I’m through. There’s another space.”
    “Let’s see!
Let’s see,” said Tom, and June scooted out.
    “There is a
space,” said Tom, digging furiously. “I think I can squeeze through.”
    “Be careful,”
said June Berry. “Make sure you can come back.”
    Tom began to
wiggle furiously. In a moment his legs and feet disappeared.
    “It’s another
chamber,” he called, “but it’s too dark to see.”
    Tiptoes and
June Berry waited as Tom explored. Finally he came wiggling out. He was covered
in sand from head to foot. He had something in his fist.
    “What’s that?”
asked June Berry. “What did you find?”
    Tom went to
the entrance and opened his hand in the light. In his palm lay a silvery ball,
about the size of a large marble. It glinted with delicate rainbow colors.
    “It’s a
pearl!” exclaimed Tiptoes.

Chapter 19
    Grunt
Sculpin and the Starfish
    Farmer John
closed his book and went to fetch the kids for lunch. He found them in their
ship putting up the mast again. The squall had blown it over. This time they
were burying it deeper.
    “Ahoy, me
hearties!” he called as he passed their ship. “Time for me mates to gnash some
nosh.”
    “Yea!” cried
Tom and June, rushing up the slope ahead of him. They were starving.
    After lunch
they