On the warm beach, a little Knight walked in soft boots.
His name was Her brother CJ.
CJ was brave, but also gentle. He liked to help.
His shiny helmet was a bit too big. It went clonk.
The sea went shhh-shhh.
A crab went click-click.
CJ waved. “Hello, crab!”
On a tall dune sat the Queen.
She wore a bright crown and a kind smile.
She held a tiny flag.
“Knight CJ,” said the Queen, “I need your help.”
CJ bowed. “Yes, Queen!”
The Queen looked sad.
“My special seashell is gone,” she said.
“It is small and swirly. It is pink like a sunset.”
CJ opened his eyes wide.
“We will find it!” he said.
They looked near the towel.
No shell.
They looked near the bucket.
No shell.
CJ tapped his chin.
“Hmm,” he said.
A wave rolled in and ran away.
It left sparkly foam.
CJ pointed. “Footprints!”
The Queen leaned close.
“Tiny footprints,” she whispered.
“Like a little zig-zag.”
CJ marched.
Clomp, clomp.
The Queen walked too.
Step, step.
They followed the zig-zag to a sand hill.
CJ climbed.
Up, up.
The Queen held her skirt.
At the top, the wind went whooo.
CJ’s helmet slid and covered his eyes.
He spun.
“Uh-oh!” said CJ.
The Queen giggled.
“You look like a walking pot,” she said.
CJ laughed. “I am a pot-knight!”
He lifted the helmet. “All better.”
Down the hill, they saw a tiny hole.
Click-click came from inside.
The crab!
CJ knelt.
“Hello, crab,” he said softly.
“Did you see a pink shell?”
The crab blinked and waved one claw.
It scuttled out.
On its back was a little swirly shell.
Pink like sunset.
The Queen gasped.
“My seashell!”
The crab did not look mean.
It looked shy.
It hugged the shell.
CJ spoke gently.
“Crab, do you want to play?”
The crab went click-click.
It made a tiny sad sound.
The Queen understood.
“Oh,” she said. “It thought the shell was a home.”
CJ nodded.
“Let’s make a home,” he said.
They built a small sand castle.
CJ packed sand.
Pat-pat.
The Queen made a door.
A big shell made a roof.
A smooth stone made a table.
CJ found a different shell.
Not pink. Just safe and round.
He placed it by the door.
“For you,” he told the crab.
The crab stepped in.
It went click-click-click, happy.
Then the crab pushed the pink seashell toward the Queen.
It let go.
The Queen’s eyes shone.
“Thank you,” she said.
She held the shell to her ear.
“Whoosh,” she whispered. “It sounds like the sea.”
She placed the shell in CJ’s hands.
“You are my beach Knight,” she said.
“And you get a treasure.”
From her basket she gave him a golden star sticker and a tiny silver whistle.
“Blow it when you need help,” said the Queen.
CJ smiled big.
He put the sticker on his helmet.
He tooted the whistle.
Toot-toot!
The crab popped out and waved.
The Queen waved.
The sea went shhh-shhh.
CJ marched back on the beach.
Clomp, clomp.
He felt proud.
He found the lost seashell, and he made a new friend too.
And the sun stayed warm, like a hug.