"Look Grandma, a sparkly shell!" Evelyn giggled, holding up her treasure. Grandma smiled. "That's a pretty one, Evelyn! The ocean is full of amazing things." Evelyn, who was only three, loved the ocean. It was her secret hideout, a place full of colorful fish and swaying seaweed. She loved to dive down and touch the smooth sand.
"Grandma," Evelyn asked, "Why does the ocean have waves?" Grandma, who was fifty-nine and loved to bake, was ready with a story. "Well," she chuckled, "I heard a little bird tell me it's because a friendly witch lives out there! She blows bubbles with her magic wand, and that makes the waves go up and down!"
Evelyn's eyes widened. "A real witch? Can we visit her?" Grandma laughed, "Oh, she's very shy. But she loves when children play in the ocean. It makes her happy!" Evelyn, full of excitement, splashed her feet in the water. "We should give her a present then!"
"That's a kind thought," Grandma agreed, "What do you think witches like?" Evelyn thought hard. "She probably likes sparkly things, like my shell! And maybe...a flower?" Grandma nodded. "That's a wonderful idea!"
They went back to their cozy home, which was filled with the warm smell of Grandma's baking. Evelyn carefully picked out the prettiest flower from Grandma's garden - a bright yellow sunflower. Then, she grabbed her sparkly shell.
Back at the beach, Evelyn whispered to the waves, "This is for you, ocean witch! Thank you for the waves!" She tossed the flower and shell into the water and watched them bob up and down.
Suddenly, something else bobbed to the surface - a tiny bottle! Evelyn squealed and pointed. "Grandma, look!" Carefully, she fished it out of the water. Inside was a teeny, rolled-up piece of paper.
"It's a message!" Evelyn cried, unable to read yet, but excited all the same. Grandma carefully unrolled it. It read, in curly writing, "Thank you for the lovely gifts. The ocean thanks you, too!"
Evelyn gasped. "It's from the witch! She likes our presents!" From that day on, Evelyn believed even more in the magic of the ocean and its friendly witch. She knew that even though she couldn't see her, the witch was always there, watching over the waves and enjoying the gifts from a little girl who loved the sea.
