Ocean

Every night, when the lights went out and the room grew quiet, something magical happened in Ben’s playroom. The box of Lego blocks — reds, yellows, blues, and greens — began to wiggle and jiggle softly. “Wake up, everyone!” whispered a tiny red block. “It’s ocean night!” squeaked a blue one. With a little click-clack and snap-snap, the blocks began to build themselves. First came two bright blue pieces that curved like fins. Then a white block became a smiling mouth. Before long, a dolphin leapt up from the floor, flicking its tail proudly. ...

Squee floated quietly before the gates of Atlantis. The city shimmered like a dream — tall coral towers, glowing gardens of seaweed, and streets paved with shells that glittered like moonlight. Soft music drifted through the water, and gentle lights swirled like dancing stars. For a long moment, Squee just watched, eyes wide. He had finally reached it — the place of legend, where sea secrets were said to live. ...

Squee the young squid set off early the next morning. The sea was calm and blue, sunlight rippling across the sand. He was nervous — his arms trembled — but Pippa the Prawn’s words echoed in his mind: “You’ll find your power if you go beyond your fear.” So he swam onward, past the coral forests, past schools of rainbow fish, and into deeper, darker water. After a while, the light began to fade, and the sea turned a mysterious shade of green. That’s when he saw the first thing — a flash of lightning underwater! ...

A very long time ago, before the oceans were as busy and crowded as they are today, there was a young squid named Squee. He was small, soft, and a little shy, with bright curious eyes and arms that always seemed to get tangled up when he got nervous. Every morning, Squee swam to Coral Reef School, where young sea creatures learned how to survive in the big blue sea. There were all sorts of students — fast little sardines, clever cuttlefish, playful dolphins, and even a few serious-looking baby octopuses. ...

Once upon a time, in a small sleepy village tucked into a sandy bay, there lived a community of fishermen. Every morning they sailed out into the wide blue ocean to catch fish, and every evening they came home to share stories round the fire. They believed they knew everything there was to know about the sea. But one breezy afternoon, the ocean decided to show them one of its greatest secrets. ...

Once upon a time, deep under the sparkling blue sea, the fish were having a terrible argument. “I’m the fastest swimmer!” shouted the mackerel. “Nonsense, it’s me!” boasted the tuna. “You’re both wrong, it’s clearly me!” barked the swordfish. The argument grew so loud that even the crabs scuttled away and the shrimps covered their ears. Finally, an old wise turtle swam into the crowd. “Enough of this nonsense!” he declared. “If you want to know who is fastest, then we shall have a race, a proper one, around the big island. Whoever wins shall be crowned the swiftest fish in the sea.” ...

Once upon a time, in the depths of the ocean, there lived a group of small, fierce sharks called the Little White Sharks. They were about half the size of the Great White Sharks, but they had the same sharp teeth and powerful tails. One day, Poseidon, the King of the Sea, announced that he had lost his most precious treasure: a golden ring. Unlike the treasures of kings and queens on land, Poseidon’s ring was simple in design, no pearls, no diamonds, just pure glowing gold. But it was powerful, for it held the magic that kept the ocean’s waters calm and peaceful. ...

A long, long time ago, when sailors still sailed wooden ships across deep, unknown oceans, there were many things they didn’t understand about the sea. The waves were wild, storms came without warning: CRASH! BOOM! SPLASH! And the creatures below the surface were mysterious and strange. One day, a crew of sailors was out at sea when they spotted something unusual near their boat. A creature with long, wiggly arms drifted beneath the water. ...

Once upon a time, in a bright and busy coral reef, there lived a little fish named Reek. Reek was small and brilliant blue, with a big heart — and an even bigger fear of the shark gang that prowled the deeper water. The gang was led by a shark called Scar, famous for his teeth and for the way the water seemed to go quiet whenever he passed. The mere mention of Scar’s name was enough to set Reek trembling from nose to tail. ...

Deep down in the warm, sparkling waters of a sandy ocean bay, there lived a family of bright red hermit crabs. The mother crab, whose name was Constanza, was very proud indeed. She loved everything to be tidy, and proper, and just right. One bright morning, Constanza was sitting on top of a smooth piece of driftwood, watching her young son Oliver scurry across the sand. Oliver was having a wonderful time, chasing tiny bubbles and dodging the waving green seaweed. ...