Samantha was building a big sandcastle on the beach when she heard someone talking and walking back and forth. It was Captain Bumblebeard, a pirate with a big curly beard and a funny walk. “Oh no, oh no, where did I put it?!” he said, looking worried. Curious, Samantha asked, “What’s wrong?” Captain Bumblebeard sighed, “I’ve lost my treasure!”
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Captain Bumblebeard took out a crumpled map from his pocket. “This silly map isn’t helping! I can’t remember where my treasure is!” he said. Samantha looked at the map and said, “I can help! Let’s look for it together!” Captain Bumblebeard’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you! That would be wonderful!” he said.
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They started looking near a tall, swaying palm tree. “It must be here somewhere!” Bumblebeard said, looking at the map. Suddenly, a cheeky monkey swung down and grabbed the map right out of his hands! “Hey, come back here, you little rascal!” Captain Bumblebeard shouted. Samantha laughed as they ran after the monkey.
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After lots of running and laughing, they got the map back. “Whew!” said Captain Bumblebeard, wiping his face. They saw a big “X” on the map and started digging in the sand. But instead of treasure, they found a crab drawing funny shapes in the sand with its claws. “Oh no, not again!” groaned Bumblebeard as the crab waved and scurried away.
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As they tried to figure out what to do next, Samantha saw a wobbly wooden sign nearby. It said, “Buried Treasure →,” but it kept spinning in the wind. “That must be it!” Bumblebeard said excitedly. They followed the sign as it pointed left, then right, then left again. Maybe this time they would find the treasure!
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They kept following the spinning sign until Bumblebeard got so dizzy that he fell onto the sand with a big “THUD!” Samantha giggled and said, “I think it’s just spinning to trick us! Let’s pick a way to go instead.” Bumblebeard nodded and stood up, wobbling a little. “You’re right! Let’s try that!” he said.
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They walked a little farther and found an old log lying in the sand. “Let’s rest for a bit,” Bumblebeard said, sitting down with a sigh. But when Samantha tapped the log, it made a funny hollow sound. “Did you hear that?!” Samantha asked, tilting her head. Bumblebeard jumped up. “Could it be the treasure?” he asked.
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They rolled the log away together, and underneath it, something shiny sparkled in the sand. “It’s the treasure! We found it!” Bumblebeard shouted happily. They dug carefully and found a big wooden chest. Bumblebeard’s hands shook as he opened it. “Let’s see what’s inside!” he said with a big smile.
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Inside the chest were... cookies and seashells! Captain Bumblebeard slapped his forehead. “Oh, now I remember! This isn’t my treasure chest—it’s my snack chest from last summer!” he said, laughing loudly. Samantha laughed too, and Bumblebeard handed her a cookie. “Well, snacks are treasures too, don’t you think?” he said with a grin.
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As they ate cookies, Bumblebeard smiled and said, “Thank you for helping me. You’re a great treasure hunter!” He pulled a shiny gold coin pendant from his pocket and handed it to Samantha. “Here’s something to remember this adventure by!” he said. Then, with a wave and a laugh, Bumblebeard sailed off into the sunset, and Samantha felt happy and proud.
