David bounced on his bed, a wide smile on his face. He loved Saturdays! Mom had promised a surprise, and David loved surprises almost as much as he loved dinosaurs.
“Alright, explorer,” Mom said, peeking in. “Get your swimsuit! We’re going on an adventure to the beach!”
David scrambled off the bed. The beach? That WAS a surprise. He didn't get to see the ocean very often.
The car ride was long, but David kept himself entertained by pretending he was a time traveler, soaring through the sky on the back of a Pterodactyl. He even convinced Mom to play a dinosaur guessing game!
Finally, they arrived at the beach. It wasn't a bright, sunny beach, though. The sky was cloudy and gray, and the wind whispered through the tall grass growing on the dunes.
“It’s a little spooky, but cool!” David whispered to Mom.
As they walked along the beach, David noticed something strange. There, sitting on a weathered piece of driftwood, was a tiny bird. It was a beautiful shade of blue, but its eyes were closed, and it was shivering.
“Mom, look!” David pointed. “It’s cold!”
Mom gently scooped up the bird. “Poor little thing,” she said softly. “We need to find a way to help it.”
Suddenly, an old, weathered sign poked out from the dunes. It read, “Dr. Seagull’s Bird Sanctuary - This Way.”
“A bird doctor! Perfect!” exclaimed David, forgetting all about the spooky feel of the beach.
They followed a sandy path through the dunes until they came to a small, cozy cottage. It had a garden filled with bird feeders and baths, and a sign on the door that simply said "Open."
Inside, a kind-faced woman with twinkling eyes smiled at them. "Welcome! Welcome! You must be here about the bluebird?"
Mom explained how they found the bird, and Dr. Seagull, whose real name was Agnes, took the bird gently.
“He just needs a little warmth and some special birdseed,” she explained as she tucked the bird into a tiny bed lined with cotton balls.
While the bird rested, Agnes showed David and Mom her amazing collection of seashells, each with its own story. David even got to hold a giant conch shell up to his ear and hear the ocean’s roar!
Finally, it was time to go. The little bluebird had perked up and was happily chirping.
“He just needed a little care,” Agnes said with a wink.
As they drove away, David looked back at the spooky beach. It didn’t seem so spooky anymore. In fact, it felt kind of magical. He knew he would never forget the day he helped a tiny bluebird and met a kind doctor who lived by the sea.
