The Treasure Cave: sea tales of Tiptoes Lightly

The
Treasure Cave

~
sea tales of Tiptoes Lightly ~

Reg
Down

The
Treasure Cave: sea tales of Tiptoes Lightly

©
Copyright 2013 Reg Down

All
rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without the written prior permission of the author, except for brief
quotations embodied in critical articles for review.

Lightly
Press

[email protected]

For
Miki, and all those trips to the seaside on the California coast.

Table
of Contents

Chapter 1
.
6

Chapter 2
.
8

Chapter 3
.
10

Chapter 4
.
13

Chapter 5
.
15

Chapter 6
.
17

Chapter 7
.
19

Chapter 8
.
22

Chapter 9
.
26

Chapter 10
.
29

Chapter 11
.
31

Chapter 12
.
34

Chapter 13
.
36

Chapter 14
.
38

Chapter 15
.
44

Chapter 16
.
46

Chapter 17
.
49

Chapter 18
.
51

Chapter 19
.
53

Chapter 20
.
57

Chapter 21
.
59

Chapter 22
.
61

Chapter 23
.
64

Chapter 24
.
67

Chapter 25
.
70

Chapter 26
.
74

Chapter 27
.
78

Chapter 28
.
81

Chapter 29
.
84

Chapter 30
.
87

Chapter 31
.
89

Chapter 32
.
93

Chapter 33
.
98

Chapter 34
.
103

Chapter 35
.
108

Chapter 36
.
110

Chapter 37
.
113

Chapter 38
.
117

Chapter 39
.
121

Chapter 40
.
123

Chapter 41
.
127

Chapter 42
.
129

Chapter 43
.
133

Chapter 44
.
136

Chapter 45
.
139

Chapter 46
.
142

Chapter 47
.
145

Chapter 48
.
148

Chapter 49
.
152

Chapter 50
.
155

Chapter 51
.
161

Chapter 52
.
163

Chapter 53
.
166

Chapter 54
.
169

Chapter 55
.
173

Chapter 56
.
176

Chapter 57
.
179

Chapter 58
.
183

Chapter 59
.
186

Chapter 60
.
188

Chapter 61
.
191

Chapter 62
.
193

~
Saturday ~

Nutcrackers’
Outsetting

It’s time!
It’s time!” Farmer John called up the stairs. He was calling his children, Tom
Nutcracker and June Berry. They were going to the sea for Thanksgiving.

A moment later
thunder rumbled through the house and a herd of wild horses came stampeding
down the stairs—buh-boom! buh-boom! buh-boom! Round the corner his children
galloped, eyes wide, hair flying, and Lucy barking at their heels.

“Into the
car,” said Farmer John, holding the house door open as they dashed through. He
locked the door and put the key in its hiding place.

“I’m in the
front,” shouted Tom, touching the car first.

“Not fair,”
cried June Berry. She was younger and not as quick.

“Children in
the back,” said Farmer John. “We’ll let Lucy have the front.”

Lucy jumped
in, his tail wagging furiously. He spun around and dived between the seats and
licked June Berry’s face.

“Don’t, Lucy,”
said June Berry, pushing him away. “I have to put on my seatbelt.”

Farmer John
stored the last bits and pieces in the car and down the lane they drove singing
loudly.

“Oh,
we’re off to see the shore at the sea,

The
crabs and the mussels and the weeds,

Never
mind the weather,

We’re
off to sea together,

We’re off to see the shore at the sea!”

“Ahrooooo!
Ahrooooo!” howled Lucy, singing along with them. “Ahrooooo! Ahrooooo!” Lucy’s
real name is Luciano Amadeus Pavarotti von Nutcracker because he always tries
to sing along with the children. Everyone called him Lucy for short.

“Oh,
we’re off to see the sea at the coast,

Sweet
potatoes and a turkey we will roast,

We’ll
travel on a train

If
ever it should rain,

We’re off to see the sea at the coast!”

They’d almost
reached the end of the long lane that led out of the farm when Tom grabbed his
dad’s shoulder.

“Stop,” he
cried. “We have to stop. We forgot Tiptoes!”

Tiptoes
is Invited

Tiptoes is a
fairy. Her full name is Tiptoes Lightly. She has a sky-blue dress and
golden-yellow wings. Her house is an acorn hanging high in the branches of a
huge oak tree growing close to Running River. On this day she was standing on a
branch outside her house polishing Lillian the Ladybug’s shell. Lillian’s shell
is bright red with three black spots on each half. Because of this Lillian can
count up to six—one, two, three, four, five, six.

“And what’s
after six?” asked Tiptoes.

“Many!” cried
Lillian. “Many, many, many!” and that was the best answer you’d get.

Lillian was
having her shell polished because it was getting colder. Soon it would be
Thanksgiving—then she’d begin her winter snooze.

“Where are you
going to sleep this winter?” asked Tiptoes.

“I’m not
sure,” said Lillian, yawning. “I’m so sleepy I can’t even remember where I
slept last year.”

“In my house,”
said Tiptoes. “You took up the whole living room.”

“Did I? I’m
sorry,” said Lillian. “I’ll try not to do it again. Did I snore?”

“No, thank
goodness,” said Tiptoes, rubbing the last spot till it shone brightly, “but it
might be better if you find somewhere else this year.”

Just then
Farmer John’s car went driving down the lane. Tiptoes peered through the
branches. She saw Tom Nutcracker and June Berry in the back seat, with Lucy in
the front howling out the window.

“I wonder
where they’re going?” thought Tiptoes.

Suddenly the
car screeched to a halt. The back doors flew open and out jumped Tom and June.
They climbed the fence into the meadow and ran towards the oak tree. A moment
later Lucy leaped out the car window and raced after them.

“Tiptoes!
Tiptoes!” cried Tom and June. “We’re going to the sea for Thanksgiving. You
have to come.”

Tiptoes was
delighted. She liked the sea.

“Okay, I’m all
finished here,” she said, patting Lillian’s shell.

Then she
opened her golden wings and leaped into the air.

Summer’s
Fort

Farmer John
drove through the village of Fairest Oaks and joined the freeway going
westward. They followed Running River as it flowed through the wide, flat
plains of the central valley. Up ahead, the mountains that ran along the coast
came closer and closer. It began to rain, but they still sang as they drove
along.

“Oh,
we’re off to see the sea at the shore,

The
wind and the waves and the roar,