Squid Sitting Old Jack's Boat

Hello there.

How are you today?

Salty and I have a tale or two to tell you about this beach

and the rockpools

and all the magical things that have happened here.

# Come with me, we're off to the sea

# To where I used to play

# Looking back when I was a boy and the fun we had each day

# Over the cobbles and through the streets

# Playing in the sun

# Friends to meet with games and treats

# Adventures just begun

# Stories from a magical world Washed in by the sea

# Meet the rockpool creatures there It's amazing what you see

# Looking back when I was a boy

# Shrimps and starfish Crabs and snails

# In twinkly Rockpool Tales... #

Ha-ha!

# Those lovely Rockpool Tales. #

Ho-ho! Oh, hello!

Salty and I have been playing hide and seek today.

You know, she's always quite hard to find on the beach

because her sandy-coloured fur acts as camouflage.

It helps her to blend in.

Which reminds me

of another time I played hide and seek on the beach.

Why don't I tell you the story?

Well, it all happened when I was a boy,

in a twinkly time, long, long ago.

I used to run down to the beach as often as I could,

meeting up with my best friends, Little Ernie and Little Sailor Sue.

-Let's play hide and seek.

-I'll count.

-Go, go.

One, two...

'The three of us would play hide and seek

'around the harbour in Staithes.'

One day, when Little Sailor Sue was "it",

Ernie and I ran off to hide in our usual spot behind some lobster pots.

We always hide here. She'll find us straightaway. Come on.

'Ernie wanted to stay where he was,'

so I ran off towards the rockpools.

'I found a really good hiding place,'

and then I waited for Sue to come and find me.

'And as I gazed down into the glittery green water,

'a magical world appeared before my eyes.'

On this particular day,

Buster the Crab was looking after a special visitor.

His name was Luca and he was a lively young squid.

Little Luca's dad, Big Charlie, had gone to do some errands,

so Buster was looking after him.

Luca had lots of arms and lots and lots of energy.

He was as zingy and poppy as a fizzy lemonade bubble.

"Ah, squiggly squid. What shall we play, Buster?" he chortled.

"Tell you what," said Buster, chuckling,

"I'll race you."

"Oh, zipp-ee!" cried Luca.

And they shot off.

And guess who got there first. SALTY BARKS

Yes, Salty, yes. Yes, it was Luca, of course.

"Oh, squiggly squid! I win!" he chortled.

"What shall we play next?"

Well, Buster thought that Luca would love the seaweed trampoline.

"Follow me, little squiggly squid," he said.

And they trooped off. Now, on the way, they met Sidney the Snail.

"We are going to trampoline," said Luca.

"Are you coming too?"

Luca and Buster jumped backwards, frontwards,

roundy round, upside down.

"Try bouncing, Sidney! It's fun!"

So, Sidney jumped onto the trampoline and bounced.

When he was in mid air, he stretched himself out,

but just as he was about to land,

he sucked himself back into his shell.

Now, Luca thought this was very funny.

"Quicker, Sidney! Quicker!"

he cried, letting out a gleeful chuckle.

But Buster and Sidney were tired.

But Luca wasn't.

Luckily, Sheena the Shrimp arrived and she was in the mood for dancing.

"Oh, a new dance partner!" she said, happily, when she saw Luca.

"Come and see my musical rock."

"Yes, squiggly please," cried Luca.

The musical rock played a very lively piece

of clapping and stamping music.

And they danced.

Luca was a lovely mover, flinging his arms in all directions.

They danced the kazambo and the jigga-jigga jango.

And after a while, Sheena, oh, she needed a rest!

But Luca didn't seem to be tired at all.

"Squiggly squid! What shall we play now, Buster?" he asked.

Buster wasn't sure. He was too tired to think.

Belinda the Blenny swam by.

"Help us, Belinda," Buster whispered. "We're all worn out.

"I promised Charlie the Squid I would look after his little son,

"Luca, and we've jumped and danced and we've had lots of fun,

"but now, everyone's very tired, except for Luca!"

Belinda swam up close to Luca to get a better look at him.

"Oh, aren't you a real sweetie?

"Now, what we need is a nice calm game.

"Hm, yes. What about hide and seek?"

"That's my best game ever," said Luca.

So, Luca ran off to hide, while Belinda counted.

"One, two, three, four..."

She gave him lots of time to find a really good hiding place.

"598, 599, 600!

"Coming, ready or not!" she cried.

She swam about the sandy floor, looking for him.

She thought it would be easy because Luca was purple,

with lots of long, dingly-dangly arms.

But it wasn't easy

because that little squid had a very clever way of hiding.

SALTY BARKS Yes, Salty, yes.

Luca could camouflage himself.

He could actually change his colour

and his pattern to blend in with things.

So, when Belinda looked amongst the tangly-dangly seaweed,

she had to look extra closely,

for, in amongst it, was a tangly-dangly little squid.

"Oh, there you are, you clever boy!" she called.

"Ha-ha! Now you see why it's my best game ever!

"It's cos I can camouflage myself," Luca said, proudly.

Well, all the creatures cheered.

They thought Luca was extremely clever.

"Let's play hide and seek for ever and ever," he chortled happily.

Then, an extremely long arm

stretched into the pool

and plucked up Luca.

It was Big Charlie the Squid.

"Yeah! Dad's back!" cried Luca.

"Hi, Dad! Can I stay and play a bit longer, please?

"I don't want to go home yet."

"Buster and his friends might need to rest now, Luca,"

said Big Charlie.

"And besides, you haven't played with me yet."

"Come back soon, Luca, we had lots of fun," said Buster.

"You are brilliant at hide and seek."

"Can I come back tomorrow?" cried Luca.

"Come back any time you like," said Buster.

All the creatures waved goodbye.

"Squiggly squids! Ha-hey, see you soon," they called.

Jack? Jack?

'And just then, I heard Sue calling me

'from across the beach.'

Found you, Ernie.

Let's find Jack.

I think he went over there.

Jack?

'I kept hiding. I thought they wouldn't see me

'because I blended in quite well'

with the rocks, but they spotted something.

-Is that his hat?

-I think it is.

Found you, Jack!

-How?

-We saw your green hat.

Then it was Ernie's turn to be "it".

One, two, three, four, five...

'Coming, ready or not!

'And we played hide and seek for the rest of the afternoon...'

Found you, Jack!

'..until the tide came in...'

Found you, Sue!

..and covered the rockpool like a great seaweedy blanket.

Salty's hiding again. Can you spot her?

I'm coming, Salty! Ready or not!

Ha-ha! Oh, she's not there.

Shush!

There you are! Oh!

Not in there either.

Where's she gone? Let's have a look.

Oh, look at you!

There you are! Come here!

Oh, you come and find us next time

for some more Rockpool Tales, all right?

Goodbye.

Good girl! Right, this way! WHISTLES

This way! Come on! Come on!