Beach Day

It is a bright summer morning. Sam, Grandma Lu and Pepper the puppy walk down the sandy path to the beach.

Grandma Lu smiles. "Tonight is the Sunset Fair. Let's build the best sandcastle on the beach."

Rita the lifeguard waves. "First, put your fingers on the home row," she says. "That is where they live, just like your toes live in the sand."

The towel is down and the umbrella is up.

Pepper rolls in the warm sand and sneezes. Everyone laughs.

Little pools of sea water sit between the rocks. Tiny fish dart around inside.

Sam wants to climb up and look. "Reach up to the top row," says Rita, "then come back home."

Captain Pinch, the little crab with a tiny hat, waves a claw. "The best shells are down the shore," he says.

Sam and Pepper follow him along the water.

The tide is low. The wet sand shines like glass.

Shells are everywhere. "Reach down to the bottom row to pick them up," says Rita.

The bucket is full of shells: white ones, pink ones and swirly ones.

They will make great windows for the castle.

Rita's tall tower has flags with big letters on them.

"Names start with a capital letter," says Rita. "Hold Shift with one pinky and press the letter with the other hand."

Rita gives Sam a little flag for the castle. It has a big S on it.

"Have fun, and stay where I can see you," she says.

The snack shack smells like lemons and popcorn.

The menu has lots of prices. Grandma Lu lets Sam count the coins. "Numbers live on the top row of keys," says Rita. "Reach up and come back home."

Sam carries three cold lemon drinks back to the umbrella.

Pepper gets a dog biscuit. Captain Pinch gets one crumb, which is plenty for a crab.

A long wooden pier walks right out over the waves.

People are fishing, asking questions and telling jokes. Their words need commas, question marks and quotes.

An old fisher hands Sam a long, shiny ribbon. "For your castle flag," he says.

The ribbon flutters in the sea breeze.

The boardwalk is full of games, prizes and signs.

The signs use special symbols like $, % and +. "Hold Shift and find them on the number keys," says Rita.

Sam wins a tiny toy shovel at the ring toss.

Pepper wins a pat on the head. That is the best prize, he thinks.

Grandma Lu finds the perfect spot, close to the water but not too close.

Every word you type adds a block of sand. Let's build a castle.

The castle has four towers, a wall and a moat. Shell windows sparkle in the sun.

"It needs one more thing," says Grandma Lu. "Something special for the very top."

Grandma Lu has a small blue sailboat. "Let's sail to Little Island," she says. "Special things wash up there."

Now you type whole sentences. Each one moves the boat across the waves.

The boat slides onto the sand of Little Island.

Captain Pinch jumps off first, of course.

Little Island has three palm trees and a lot of quiet.

Inside the bottle is a tiny glass star and a note: "For the best castle on the beach."

The star will go right on top. Time to sail home before the sun sets.

The sky turns orange and pink. Lanterns glow along the beach.

But the tide is coming in fast.

Sam puts the glass star on the tallest tower. It shines in the last light of the day.

The judges smile. Everyone agrees: this is the happiest castle on the beach. The End.