

Inky the Octopus stretched his purple tentacles across the rocky tide pool. Shelly the Hermit Crab scuttled nearby, clutching her favorite shiny pebble. Stella the Starfish clung to the side, her peachy-orange arms glistening in the sunlight. From above, Billy the Sandpiper watched curiously, his thin orange beak pointing toward the miniature ocean world.

The hot sun began to shrink their watery home as the tide pulled away. "Our pool is getting too shallow," worried Shelly, hiding partially in her red shell. Inky changed colors nervously while Stella's arms drooped with concern. Billy hopped closer and chirped, "Perhaps I can help you friends find a solution!"

Inky used his clever tentacles to move small rocks, creating a deeper center. Shelly gathered tiny pebbles to build a wall that would trap more water. Stella pushed sand with her strong arms to shape their pool. Billy flew back and forth with seaweed in his beak, creating shade to slow the evaporation.

When the tide returned, their improved pool filled with fresh seawater and tiny treasures. "Look how our home sparkles now!" exclaimed Stella as new algae glowed in the sunlight. Shelly added her special pebble to a collection of colorful stones at the pool's edge. Inky, Shelly, Stella, and Billy watched proudly as their little ocean world thrived, a perfect home for friends who worked together.