The Truth Tide

In the bright, warm ocean lived a young dolphin named Ripple. Ripple loved to flip through bubble rings and race the laugh-waves that tickled the sandy floor. His best friends were Pebble the turtle, Willa the seahorse, and Snap the crab. They played every day at Coral Corner, where the seaweed swayed like ribbons.

One morning, a singing shell bobbed up from a puff of bubbles. It hummed, and a tiny note rolled out. Pebble read slowly, “You are invited to the Shimmer Parade at Rainbow Reef!” The reef was famous for clapping clams and dancing fish. The only way there was through the Puzzle Current, a twisty path that listened to words.

Willa’s eyes sparkled. “Do you know the way, Ripple?”

Ripple puffed out his chest. He wanted to be the brave leader. “Yes,” he said, even though his tummy felt wiggly. He had never been to Rainbow Reef.

“Follow me!” Ripple clicked, and off they swam. The water turned fizzy and cool. Long grass waved hello from the Sea Grass Maze. A rock shaped like a whale whistled, and a Humming Shell sang, “The current likes true words.”

Ripple smiled, but his smile wobbled. “This way!” he said, pointing his nose to a narrow path. The maze rustled. The current began to swirl. Pebble bumped a frond. Snap’s claws clacked.

“Are you sure?” Pebble asked.

Ripple nodded, even though he felt smaller than a sand grain. They swam deeper. The water huffed and puffed. The path pinched tight, and a bright little fish squeaked, “Help!” It was tangled in a long ribbon of seaweed.

“I know how to fix it!” Ripple blurted. He tugged. The ribbon knotted tighter. The little fish sniffled. Willa frowned. Snap shuffled his claws.

Ripple’s heart thumped. The swirl got stronger. Pebble said softly, “Ripple, it’s okay if you don’t know.”

Ripple blinked. He took a brave breath. “I don’t know,” he whispered. Then he said it louder, so the current could hear, “I don’t know the way. I just wanted to be brave.”

The water shivered… and softened. A string of glowfish lit up, one by one, like tiny lanterns. The Humming Shell sang a brighter tune. The Puzzle Current whispered, “Thank you.”

Willa swished her tail. “Look! The lights are showing a path.”

Snap lifted his claws. “And I can snip that ribbon. But only if someone holds the ends.”

“I can hold,” Pebble said. “I am strong.”

“I can braid,” Willa added. “I am quick.”

Ripple wiggled close to the little fish. “I can say what’s true,” he said. “I was pretending before. I’m sorry.”

The little fish smiled a tiny smile. “Honest words feel like fresh water,” it chirped.

Together, they helped. Pebble held. Willa looped. Snap snip-snip-snipped. Ripple kept still and calm. The ribbon slipped free, and the little fish zipped around them in happy circles, making giggle-bubbles pop.

“Thank you!” it cheered. “The Puzzle Current likes helpers and honest words. Follow the glowfish. They shine brighter when you tell the truth.”

So they swam after the glowing line. When they came to a fork, the lights dimmed. Ripple tried to peek, but instead he said, “I still don’t know. Can someone else choose?” Pebble pointed left. The lights brightened. The current smoothed.

At last they reached a pearly arch made of shells and coral. A sign carved by sea stars read: Truth Tide. The arch was closed, like two clams pressed together.

A gentle voice flowed from the coral. “To open the Truth Tide, say something true.”

Snap clicked, “I am a little scared, but my claws are brave.” The arch trembled.

Willa dipped, “I am small, but I can do quick things.” The arch peeked open.

Pebble smiled, “I move slowly, but I never stop.” The arch opened wider.

Ripple’s turn. He took another brave breath. “I don’t know everything. I don’t always know the way. But I can ask, and I can be honest.”

The arch blossomed open like a flower. The Truth Tide whooshed, soft and warm, carrying them through. On the other side, Rainbow Reef sparkled with dancing light. Clams clapped. Fish twirled with ribbons. Coral chimed with chimmy-ching-ching music.

“You made it!” sang the little fish, already wearing a crown of bubbles. “Honest words keep friends safe.”

Ripple felt lighter than foam. He spun in the parade with Pebble, Willa, and Snap. His giggle-bubbles floated high.

Later, when they swam home, the glowfish winked goodbye. Ripple swam beside his friends and said, “Next time someone asks if I know, I’ll tell them the truth. We can find the way together.”

Pebble nodded. “That’s the bravest kind of splash,” he said.

And the ocean hummed, as if it agreed.