Deep in the heart of Giggle-Glug Harbor, where the water shines like a blue lollipop, lived a brave little boat named Toby. Toby was a tugboat. He wasn’t as big as the ocean liners, and he wasn’t as fast as the speedboats, but Toby had something very special. He had a big, shiny, silver steam whistle.
Every morning, Toby would wake up, wiggle his rudder, and look for his best friend. His friend was a bright yellow Rubber Ducky who loved to bobble by the pier. Toby would say a loud “TOOT!” and Rubber Ducky would reply with a happy, squeaky “QUACK!”. Can you say Quack? That was Toby’s favorite sound in the whole world.
But one sunny Tuesday, Toby woke up and gave his loudest “TOOT-TOOT!”. He waited. He listened. He tilted his ears toward the waves. But there was no “QUACK.” Nothing but the sound of the water against the dock. Slosh, splash, slosh. Rubber Ducky was gone!
“Oh no!” cried Toby. “I must find my friend!” Toby decided to be a detective. Being a detective means you have to look very, very closely. He chugged over to the tall dock where Clara the Crane was sleeping.
“BEEP-BEEP!” Toby signaled. Clara woke up with a start. “Have you seen Rubber Ducky?” Toby asked. Clara looked down with her long neck, but she only saw rusty anchors and old ropes. “No Ducky here!” she creaked.
Toby’s engines went Thump-thump, thump-thump. He was getting worried. He sailed past Old Captain Barnaby, a very sleepy ferry. “HOONK!” Toby called out. “Captain, have you seen a yellow friend?” The Captain just snored a big bubble. “Zzz-phew! Zzz-phew!” No Ducky here, either.
The harbor was so big, and the ocean was so wide. Where could a tiny ducky be? Suddenly, Toby heard a very faint sound coming from the Whispering Reeds near the High-Tower Lighthouse. Splash! Just a little splash.
“Is that you, Ducky?” Toby called. But the wind was too loud. The seagulls were too noisy. Toby knew he had to use his big voice. He took a deep breath of salty air, puffed out his chest, and gave the longest, strongest, most magnificent whistle ever heard in Giggle-Glug Harbor.
“HOOOOOOOOONK!”
The sound bounced off the lighthouse. It echoed off the hills. It even made the Gossiping Seagulls stop talking and point their wings toward the tall, green grass. Toby followed their wings. He nudged his way into the reeds. Shhh-shhh went the grass against his hull. And there, stuck in some wiggly green seaweed, was a spot of bright yellow!
With a gentle Puf! of steam, Toby used his nose to wiggle the seaweed away. Rubber Ducky popped out and floated right into Toby’s side. “QUACK!” went the ducky. It was a very happy quack indeed.
Toby felt warm and fuzzy from his funnel to his floorboards. He had used his loud whistle to find his quiet friend. He towed Rubber Ducky all the way back to their favorite pier. And that’s how everything in the harbor turned out just right. TOOT-TOOT!