Beware the Giant Shark!
Chloe was playing hopscotch in the cool morning sand. Scout barked gleefully as he played tag with a crab (the crab was winning, but Scout didn’t mind.)
It was an entirely normal beach morning. Seagulls called overhead. Seafoam glittered underfoot. A message in a bottle bobbed up and down in the water–wait a minute! Chloe hopscotched over to investigate.
—
She opened the bottle and read:
To whomever finds this message,
I humbly beg for your help! A terrible creature has trapped me, and I fear I shall never again be free. I have enclosed a magic necklace. It will assist whoever is courageous enough to come to my aid.
Sincerely,
Gus
“Oh no! We have to help!” Chloe scooped up Scout. She threw on the necklace.
—
Spiral sparkles and a SPLASH!
“I'm a mermaid!” Chloe shouted in delight. She laughed. “Scout, you’re a mer-dog!” Scout yipped.
—
A damselfish zig-zagged between them.
“Hiya! Do you want to play Pass the Pearl?” she asked.
“We would love to, but we have a very important mission,” Chloe replied gravely.
Chloe looked at the curious sea creatures around them.
“Excuse me, does anyone know Gus? We’re here to save him from a terrible creature!”
The animals shook their heads.
“No!”
“Nope”
“Sorry!”
The damselfish thought for a moment. “I don’t know Gus, but there is only one terrible creature here. It’s…the giant shark.”
—
“BEWARE THE GIANT SHARK!”
—
Chloe narrowed her eyes in determination. “Well, if it’s the giant shark keeping Gus captive, then that’s who we have to find! Where did you last see this shark?”
“That way!”
“By the sunken ship!”
“Be careful!”
“Remember…”
—
“BEWARE THE GIANT SHARK!”
Chloe and Scout swam through the reef. They glided under the floating kelp forest. The water grew quieter and darker. Nervous thoughts started to bubble up in Chloe’s mind. How are we going to rescue Gus? What have I gotten us into?
—
They turned a corner, and there it was: the sunken ship.
Shadows stretched. Was that a fin in the corner? Were those teeth, gleaming in the black?
—
Chloe squared her shoulders. She took a breath. Gus was relying on them. “Terrible monster of the ocean deep, I demand that you free our friend Gus!”
A shadow loomed out of the darkness. It was THE GIANT SHARK!
“AAAAAAH!” Chloe screamed. She prepared to escape.
—
“THANK THE TIDES! MY NOBLE RESCUERS!” The giant shark boomed in delight.
Chloe stopped preparing to escape. She was confused. “Huh?” she asked.
“Oh, most wondrous mermaid and mer-dog! I had such hope that my letter would reach courageous souls. And it has! You wear my magical necklace! You have come to help in my hour of need!”
—
“Wait a minute,” said Chloe. “You are Gus? You are trapped by a terrible creature?”
“Alas, I am afraid so,” said Gus. “I have been captive here for an eternity in these wretched waters! See?” He held up his tail.
At once, Chloe understood. “You’re not trapped by a creature, you’re tangled in a fishing net from the sunken ship!”
—
“This most vile of creatures has me in her arms!”
“This shark is a little dramatic” Chloe whispered to Scout.
Chloe eyed the terrible rope tangle. “I can free you,” she declared, “but are you going to try to eat us?”
Gus puffed up in indignation. “EAT YOU? What an awful idea! I am a whale shark. All whale sharks are peaceful filter feeders. (That means we eat only tiny creatures, like krill). Besides, I would never eat friends!”
Reassured, Chloe swam to Gus. She untwisted knots. She unraveled snarls. At last—
“GLORIOUS FREEDOM!” Gus loop-de-looped in joy. “Thank you, dear friend!”
—
Chloe, Scout and Gus swam together out of the darkness. They swam towards the bright coral reef. They swam…right into the middle of the ocean creatures. “More friends!” Gus crowed.
—
“AAAAAAH BEWARE THE GIANT SHARK!”
Panic. Pandemonium. POOF–the creatures were gone.
Gus seemed to shrink with sadness. Scout gave him a lick on the cheek.
Chloe wanted to stomp her foot. She settled for swishing her tail. “NO! Everybody, this is Gus! He is a WHALE shark! He only eats really tiny things like krill! He’s really nice! Can you be friends?”
The ocean creatures peeked out of their hiding places. They looked at Gus. Gus gave a small, hopeful smile.
One by one, the animals started nodding their heads.
“Hi Gus!”
“Nice to meet ya!”
“Howdy!”
Until finally…
—
“BEFRIEND THE GIANT SHARK!” they all cheered.
The tiny damselfish zipped forward. “Do you want to play Pass the Pearl?”
—
They played all afternoon, until the sun was sinking low in the sky. After giving many farewell hugs, Chloe lifted the necklace and offered it to Gus. He smiled. “Please keep it, as a token of my thanks, and visit as often as you’d like.” Chloe beamed. Scout barked. Then–
Whirling rainbows and a WHOOSH!
Chloe and Scout were back on land. The warm evening sand was between their toes. The wind was ruffling their hair. Chloe waved at Gus, who waved a fin back. Then Chloe and Scout hopscotched up the beach, both of them splashing in the surf.