Scarlett's New Friend (5 page)

Buster just muttered sulkily and fell back into line. He didn't dare argue with Scarlett—nobody did!

Soon the pebble crabs were scurrying over the beach. They collected scraps of newspaper and bottle tops in their agile pincers and put them in big heaps at the water's edge. Ellie asked the waders to pick up the larger pieces of garbage in their strong beaks, as they stepped over the sand on their elegant legs.

The mermaids took off their delicate shell bracelets, so that they wouldn't get dirty, and put them carefully on top of a big, half-buried rock. It stuck out at the edge of the shore where the friends were sitting. Then they scooped out deep, damp holes in the sand. Scarlett began to fill the holes with the trash collected by the crabs and seabirds.

After everyone had worked hard for a long time, Scarlett looked around. The beach was starting to look much better. Curling fronds of fresh green seaweed emerged from underneath the tattered old newspapers. Tin cans and broken bottles no longer hid the pearly shells that lay on the glittering white sand. The mermaids and their helpers were doing a good job. But the crabs were slowing down.

“Can't we rest?” groaned Buster. “My pincers are nearly falling off from carting all that stuff over here.”

“Don't be silly,” said Scarlett. “Carrying a few bits and pieces won't hurt you. Look at these big holes we had to dig. That really did make our arms ache.”

Some of the other pebble crabs also muttered about wanting to rest. They took a break from work and started to play a game with the mermaids' colorful bracelets, throwing them high in the air and seizing them with their hooked claws.

“Stop messing around with our stuff,” called Scarlett indignantly. “Put them down and get back to your jobs!”

Sophie was beginning to wonder if she should ask Scarlett not to be so bossy. But before she could say anything, Scarlett was busy giving out more instructions.

“We need to fill up all the holes,” she said eagerly, “before the tide comes in. Come on, everyone! Think how excited Lori will be when she sees the beach clean and the sand glistening again.”

Scarlett was trying so hard to please the injured baby seal that she didn't notice that the crabs were not pleased at all! They grumbled under their breath as they dragged the last few bits of litter over to the mermaids. Then everything was covered over with pebbles.

“There!” said Scarlett at last. “Now the holes are full and the evening tide is coming in to hide them. No one would ever know that there had ever been any trash here at all.”

The mermaids looked around the newly cleaned beach with satisfaction.

“Thank you for your help, my seabird friends,” called Ellie. The waders folded up their long legs as they flew away, chirruping in farewell.

“I'm going to tell Scout that he can bring Lori to see what we've done,” said Scarlett excitedly. “I can't wait to meet her!”

She was about to slip into the water to find the seals when Sophie said, “… Er … don't you think you should say ‘thank you' to the crabs, Scarlett?”

“What do you mean?” asked Scarlett, over her shoulder. “Oh … um … yes. Thanks!”

Then she dived into the sea, her red tail reflecting the rosy evening sun.

“The nerve!” said Buster. “Come on, friends, let's get home while she's gone. Otherwise, she'll have us working all night long.”

“Thank you for helping,” the mermaids chorused. Buster and his gang scuttled into the waves on their sharp claws, leaving a long trail behind them in the glistening sand. The crabs were eager to get back to their underwater homes for a well-earned rest.

“Oh dear,” said Misty, “I know Scarlett has done a great job getting everyone to clean up the beach, but …”

“… but Sisters of the Sea have to learn to say ‘please' and ‘thank you' and work as a team,” finished Holly.

“Well, I think we're all learning a lot on our journey,” said Sophie. “I'm sure Scarlett will soon learn that lesson too. Here she comes.”

“And look,” cried Lucy, “that must be Lori!”

Scarlett sat at the edge of the shore and proudly showed the beach to her new friend Lori, the little seal pup with the
bandaged flipper. The rocks and seaweeds and shells gleamed brightly in the sunset's warm glow. Lori waddled carefully onto the pure, silvery sand, followed closely by Scout.

“Isn't it great, Dad?” said Lori excitedly. “I can come and play here with my friends tomorrow. Scarlett has done all this for us. She's my new best friend!”

“That's wonderful,” beamed Scout. “But now it's time for baby seals to go to sleep.”

“And it's time for us to be on our way to Coral Kingdom,” said Holly.

“Yes, the humans will be going to sleep, too,” said Ellie. “It should be safe now for us to swim past their harbors and homes.”

“Is everyone ready?” asked Misty, as Scarlett cuddled Lori good-bye, and the mermaids gathered their bracelets from where they had left them on the big rock.

“Just a minute,” said Scarlett, “I need to collect my things.”

She searched by the rock for a few moments then turned to her friends with wide, worried eyes.

“What's wrong?” Sophie asked.

“Oh, Sophie,” wailed Scarlett. “I can't find my crystal!”