Captain Pearl and the Rainbow Treasure

Captain Pearl had a big hat with a feather on top. She had red boots and a creaky wooden ship called The Rainbow.

"Avast!" said Captain Pearl. (That means "Look out!" in pirate talk.)

Every morning, Captain Pearl looked at her treasure map. The map had a big red X on it. The X meant: THIS IS WHERE THE TREASURE IS.

"We will find the treasure today," she told her crew.

Her crew was three friends: Hamish the cook, who smelled like gingerbread. Dot the lookout, who had the best eyes on any sea. And Pip the parrot, who said "Pieces of eight!" at breakfast and "Bed time!" at bedtime.

They sailed and sailed.

They sailed past three dolphins who waved with their fins. They sailed past a very grumpy cloud. They sailed past an island shaped like a boot.

At last they reached the X on the map. Captain Pearl threw down the anchor.

"Dig!" she said.

They dug and dug. Hamish dug. Dot dug. Captain Pearl dug. Even Pip tried to dig, but parrots are not very good at digging.

Then — CLUNK.

A chest.

Captain Pearl opened the lid.

Inside was a piece of paper. Just a piece of paper.

Captain Pearl read it. Then she began to laugh.

"What does it say?" asked Hamish.

"It says: 'The greatest treasure is not gold — it is the friends you sail with.'"

Dot rolled her eyes. Pip said "Pieces of eight!"

But Captain Pearl hugged her crew — Hamish who smelled like gingerbread, and Dot with her sharp eyes, and Pip with his silly squawk.

"We already have the treasure," said Captain Pearl. "We've had it all along."

The sun went down, all red and gold. Captain Pearl tucked herself into her hammock, with Pip asleep on the post beside her.

"Best treasure ever," she whispered.

And the ship rocked gently, and the stars came out, and everyone on The Rainbow went to sleep.