Mia loved sea turtles, the beach, and pretty rocks. Tonight, when her mom tucked the blanket around her and said goodnight, Mia closed her eyes and began to dream. In her dream, she was standing at a cozy campground by the sea, where the moon hung round and bright and every lantern glowed warm and gold.
"Hello, Mia!" said a soft, friendly voice.
A little sea turtle with a shiny green shell came plodding across the sand. She wore a tiny scarf the color of sunshine. "I'm Tilly," she said with a big smile. "I'm so glad you came to camp. Would you like to toast marshmallows?"
"Yes, please!" said Mia.
Right beside the campfire, a grown-up ranger with a kind face was waiting. She wore a cozy green hat. "I'll help with the fire," she said. "Fire is only for grown-ups. You two can pick the marshmallows."
So the ranger held the long sticks and toasted the marshmallows until they were golden and soft. Mia and Tilly sat on a log and ate them. They were warm and sweet and gooey.
"Yum," said Tilly. "Now, let's go for a moonlight walk on the beach."
Mia took Tilly's flipper, and off they went. The sand was cool and smooth. The waves made a sleepy shushing sound. The moon made a long silver road across the water.
Soon, Mia spotted something sparkly. It was a pretty pink rock, smooth as a button. Then she found a white one with a stripe. Then a tiny gray one shaped like a heart.
"Oh, I love rocks!" Mia said. She tucked them in her pocket, one by one.
Tilly clapped her flippers. "You have such a good eye."
Then Mia noticed something else. Near the edge of the water, there was a shiny candy wrapper, and an empty cup, and a bit of crumpled paper. They had blown across the sand.
"Hmm," said Mia. "The beach is a home for turtles and shells and little crabs. It shouldn't have wrappers on it."
Tilly nodded. "I would like it to be tidy for my friends."
"Let's pick them up!" said Mia.
The ranger came over with a big canvas bag. "Great idea," she said. "I'll hold the bag open."
Mia picked up the wrapper. Tilly nudged the cup with her nose. Together they put every bit of trash into the bag. They even found a straw that had hidden under a shell.
When they were done, the beach looked clean and bright again.
"Thank you, Mia," said Tilly. "Now the beach is cozy for everyone."
A tiny crab peeked out and waved a claw. A little fish splashed in the waves, as if to say thank you, too.
Mia felt warm and happy inside, like a toasted marshmallow.
Then she remembered the rocks in her pocket. She looked at the pink one, the striped one, and the heart. She thought for a moment.
"These rocks belong to the beach," she said. "The crabs might like them for their homes. But I'll keep this heart one for a little while, and then bring it back tomorrow."
The ranger smiled. "That's a lovely way to take care of the beach."
So Mia set the pink rock and the striped rock gently back on the sand, right where she found them. She kept the little heart rock in her hand.
They walked back to camp slowly. The lanterns glowed. The campfire crackled softly. Tilly yawned a big, slow yawn.
"Goodnight, Mia," she whispered. "Thank you for caring for our beach."
"Goodnight, Tilly," said Mia, and she yawned too.
Taking good care of the world around us makes it a happy place for everyone.
Mia sat on the soft log, watching the moon glow. Her eyes felt heavy. The waves went shush, shush, shush. The sand was warm. The stars twinkled like tiny lanterns.
Then, in a blink, Mia was in her own bed, snug under her blanket. The little heart rock sat on her pillow in her dream, and she held it close. Her room was quiet and cozy. Her mom had kissed her goodnight. Mia smiled, took a deep, slow breath, and slept soundly all night long.
馃寵 The End 馃寵
This story was written by AI for an example child named Mia, and it passed the same safety check every Tuck-In Tales story gets before it's sent.