Curtis James was a little boy in the Sunken City. The streets were under water. Soft bubbles went up, up, up.
Curtis wore a round diving hat. He felt brave, but also a bit shy.
In his arms he held Teddy Bear. Teddy Bear was small, but very loyal.
“Hello, Curtis,” Teddy Bear said in a tiny voice. “I will stay with you.”
Curtis whispered, “Okay. Hold tight.”
They walked past tall seaweed. They waved at slow fish. A crab clicked-clacked hello.
Curtis stopped. “Uh-oh,” he said.
A big street lamp was dark.
Teddy Bear looked up. “The city is too dim. We need the light back.”
Curtis nodded. He wanted to help.
They swam to a wide square. In the middle was an old lighthouse, tipped to the side.
At the door was a huge footprint in the sand.
Thump. Thump.
A Giant came from behind a broken statue. He was very, very tall. His hair floated like a cloud.
Curtis hugged Teddy Bear. His heart went bump-bump.
The Giant rumbled, “Who is in my Sunken City?”
Curtis tried to speak. His voice was small. “I am Curtis James. This is Teddy Bear.”
Teddy Bear held up a paw. “We want to light the beacon, please.”
The Giant frowned. In his hand was a bright pearl. It glowed like a tiny moon.
Curtis stared. “That pearl is the light!”
The Giant grumbled, “I found it. It is pretty. It is mine.”
Curtis felt scared, but he stayed kind. He remembered to use gentle words.
“Giant,” Curtis said, “when the city is dark, little fish get lost. And we get lost too.”
Teddy Bear added, “You can still have a treasure. But can we share the light?”
The Giant blinked. He looked at the dark lamp posts. He listened to the quiet.
A tiny seahorse bumped into his toe and swam away fast.
The Giant sighed. “I did not want to hurt anyone. I just wanted a shiny thing.”
Curtis had an idea. He was clever.
He opened his pocket bag. Inside was a small toy shell, painted gold.
“It is not a real gold shell,” Curtis said, “but it is special. It is my lucky shell.”
He held it out with both hands.
The Giant’s eyes went wide. “A gift?”
Curtis nodded. “A trade. You keep the lucky shell. We use the pearl for the lighthouse.”
Teddy Bear whispered, “Teamwork.”
The Giant smiled, slow and warm. “Deal.”
They swam to the leaning lighthouse. The Giant lifted the heavy door like it was a book.
Inside was a round socket, empty.
Curtis took the pearl carefully. It felt smooth and cool.
He placed it in the socket.
Click.
Whoooom.
The lighthouse woke up. A wide beam of light shone through the water. It made bright paths.
Fish danced in the light. Bubbles sparkled.
Curtis clapped. “We did it!”
Teddy Bear giggled. “Hooray!”
The Giant watched the beam. His smile got bigger.
He said, “I will help. I can stand here and guard the beacon.”
Curtis felt proud. He felt brave, too.
A treasure chest drifted from a crack in the floor, pushed by the new light and current.
It bumped Curtis’s boot.
“Look!” Teddy Bear said.
Curtis opened it. Inside were five little glow-stones, safe and bright.
“Wow,” Curtis breathed.
The Giant chuckled. “For you. For your kindness.”
Curtis put one glow-stone in Teddy Bear’s paw. “For you, best buddy.”
They swam home under the shining beam. The Sunken City looked happy again.
Curtis James held his glow-stones close and said, “We can be gentle and brave.”