Flora's Heavy Treasure

Flora loved sunny days at the beach. The sand felt like warm sugar between her toes, and the waves whispered secrets as they tickled the shore. She was building the best sandcastle ever, with tall towers and a moat made of sparkly shells. Being a girl who loved trying new things, she added long, green ribbons of seaweed for flags.

Just near the rock pools, Flora spotted the most wonderful treasure. It was a long, smooth piece of driftwood, worn silvery-grey by the sea. It looked just like a sleeping sea dragon! "That would be the perfect wall for my castle kingdom!" she thought. She ran over and grabbed one end, ready to drag it to her castle.

But the driftwood didn't move. Not even a wiggle. "Hnnggh!" she grunted, pushing with all her might. Her feet just slipped in the sand. She tried pulling it with a thick piece of kelp, but the kelp just snapped. Flora sighed, feeling a little bit frustrated. The big, beautiful log was just too heavy.

Suddenly, she heard friendly voices call her name. It was her friends, Zoe and Maya, running over with their buckets and spades. "What are you doing, Flora?" asked Zoe. When Flora showed them the heavy log, Maya had a great idea. "Let's all try together!" The three friends lined up. "One... two... three... HEAVE-HO!" they all shouted, and with one big push, the log rolled easily across the sand.

The sea dragon log made the most magnificent wall for their sand kingdom. Together, they decorated it with more shells and pretty stones. Flora smiled. Trying new things was her favourite, but she learned that day that some things, especially the big, heavy ones, are much easier and more fun when you do them with friends.