Dancing Tides (134 page)

T
he
c
hild
re
n
w
er
e
a
ll
f
ull of
qu
e
stions
a
nd
c
u
r
iosit
y
.

“
I
s it a
b
o
y
or
a
g
i
r
l
b
a
b
y
?
”
a
sk
e
d a
little
b
r
o
w
n-h
a
i
re
d mopp
e
t,
c
l
e
a
r
l
y
a
we
d
b
y
the
e
x
p
er
i
e
n
ce.

“
M
y
mom h
a
d
a
b
a
b
y
l
a
s
t Ch
r
istm
a
s
a
nd she
we
igh
e
d, um,
e
i
g
ht pounds.
H
ow
mu
c
h do
e
s this b
a
b
y
w
e
i
g
h
?
”

“
Ri
g
ht no
w
,
a
bout t
w
o
p
ounds, but b
ef
o
r
e
lo
n
g
s
h
e
or
h
e
,
w
ill
g
r
ow
b
i
g
a
n
d st
r
on
g
.”

A
noth
e
r
little
g
i
r
l
w
a
nt
e
d
to kno
w
,
“
W
ill th
e
y
g
e
t to
g
o b
a
c
k to the
o
c
ea
n
?
”

“T
h
a
t
’
s the
g
o
a
l, to
r
e
l
e
a
se
t
he
m b
ac
k into the
wa
t
er
. B
ef
o
r
e
th
a
t tho
u
g
h,
w
e’
ll t
a
g
t
h
em w
ith mi
cr
o
c
hips so
w
e
c
a
n k
ee
p t
r
a
c
k of
th
e
m.”

“
W
ill it hu
r
t
?
”
a
sk
e
d a
li
t
tle
b
o
y
.

“O
n
l
y
f
or
a
s
ec
ond.
D
o
y
ou h
a
ve
a
d
o
g
?
”
H
is h
ea
d bobb
e
d up
a
nd
do
w
n in
re
p
l
y
.

“D
o
e
s he
h
a
ve
a
mi
c
r
o
c
h
ip so th
a
t
w
h
e
n he
g
e
ts l
o
st
y
ou
’
ll be
a
b
l
e
to
f
ind hi
m
?
”

H
e
r
ubb
e
d his nose
in
a
n
up
war
d s
w
ipe
w
ith his h
a
nd
a
nd s
a
id,
“
Y
e
p,
m
y
m
om s
a
y
s
w
e
g
otta
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
if
S
e
b
a
sti
a
n
g
e
ts lost
w
e
ca
n
f
ind
him
a
g
a
in
.
”

“E
x
ac
t
l
y
.
I
t
’
s like
th
a
t
w
i
th ott
er
s.”

T
h
e
y
we
r
e
a
ll
c
l
e
ar
l
y
di
s
a
ppoint
e
d
w
h
e
n the
t
e
ac
h
er
s,
w
ith h
e
lp
fr
om a
c
o
u
ple
of volunt
ee
r
moms, st
ar
t
e
d
t
r
y
i
n
g
to
r
ound up the
ki
d
s
a
nd g
e
t th
e
m b
ac
k on t
h
e
bus.

“
I
’
m
a
l
w
a
y
s
g
l
a
d
w
h
e
n
t
h
a
t
’
s ov
er
,”
Russ
e
ll sn
a
r
l
e
d
a
s he
w
a
t
c
h
e
d th
e
m t
r
omp th
r
ou
g
h the
tunn
e
l
a
nd
a
w
a
y
fr
om
the
tide
pool b
ac
k to the
bus.

“
W
h
y
?
”
K
ee
g
a
n
a
s
k
e
d.

“
B
e
ca
u
s
e
y
ou n
e
v
e
r
kn
o
w
w
h
a
t the
little
r
ug
ra
ts
w
ill do
fr
om one
minute
to the
n
e
x
t.”

“N
ot kid
-fr
i
e
nd
l
y
, huh
R
us
s
?
”
Keegan
a
sk
e
d b
e
c
a
use
she
kn
e
w
Russ.
T
he
m
a
n
mi
g
ht
’
ve
b
e
e
n
r
ou
g
h
ar
ound the
e
d
g
e
s,
but he
h
a
d a
solid h
e
a
r
t inside
w
h
e
n it
ca
me
to the
a
nim
a
ls. Russ
c
ouldn
’
t st
a
nd to s
e
e
one
su
ffer
.

“
F
r
i
e
nd
l
y
e
no
u
g
h.
O
ne
o
r
t
w
o is
f
ine
but
I
don
’
t like
it
w
h
e
n th
er
e
’
s a
p
a
s
s
e
l to k
ee
p up
w
ith, like
tod
a
y
.
Y
ou mi
s
s on
e
,
a
nd
w
ho kno
w
s
w
h
er
e
it mi
g
ht be
h
ea
di
n
g
f
or
t
r
oubl
e
.”