“Let’s build the most
spectacular sand castle ever,”

said Taffy Saltwater on the
way to the beach with her two
best friends. Rollo the Beach
Ball bounced along beside her,
but Rigby Rabbit insisted on
being carried.

Rollo said, “I just hope it’s not
too windy.”

They crossed the boardwalk, where the wonderful smell of hot dogs, the music of the carousel and the warm sun all mixed with the salty beach air.

Taffy waved to Mr. Footer the Hot Dog Man, Edna the Lemon-Ice Lady and Chris the Lifeguard.

Rigby didn’t like the beach. “It’s too hot. The
sand gets in my furry feet. There’s nothing to do.”

“We forgot Bob,” said Taffy.

She reached into her bag, pulled out Bob the Sea Monster and began pumping him full of air.

“Enough! Stop! I don’t want to explode,”

said Bob.

Then Taffy and her friends searched for the perfect spot to build the most spectacular sand castle ever.

One section was packed with noisy families.
Another was covered in slimy seaweed.
And a third was too far from the water.

Rigby complained, "We're not getting anywhere."
"At least it's not windy," said Rollo.

At last Taffy found an empty spot of smooth
sand. She picked up a seashell and listened. “I can
hear the ocean.”

Rollo said, “I’ll set up our umbrella.”
Rigby sat on his towel. “I’m bored.”
“Let the sand-castle building begin,” said Taffy.

Suddenly, a gust of wind lifted Rollo and the
beach umbrella high into the air.

“Help, Taffy, help!”

“Hang on, Rollo,” Taffy shouted.

Taffy jumped on Bob’s back. “Hurry.”

“Don’t forget me!” said a very grumpy Rigby.

“We’re coming,” yelled Bob.

They raced down the beach, picking up Chris…
and Edna … and Mr. Footer.

Way, way, waaaaaay down the beach, a
nervous Rollo landed on the soft sand with a thump.

“I’m lost,” he said to a seagull. Then he added,
“That’s a sharp beak. I need to be careful of pointy
objects.”

The seagull said nothing.

Rollo felt another breeze. “Oh, no, it’s getting
windy again.”

Without a word, the seagull flew off.
“Silly bird.”

Rollo worried he would never see his
friends again.

Just then the seagull returned, carrying
a beach towel. He dropped the towel on
Rollo right as the wind picked up.

Bob galumphed into view.

Taffy shouted, “There he is, look!”

“This is my new buddy,” said a happy
Rollo. “He doesn’t say much, but he
saved me from blowing away.”

Rigby shook out his furry feet. “We’re never going to build anything.”

Taffy looked around and said, “Rollo, I think you found the perfect spot for a spectacular sand castle.”

They dug and dug and shaped and scraped in the yummy summer sun. Rigby helped, but he stood on a towel so his furry feet did not touch the sand.

Edna served her coldest, sweetest lemon-ice.

Finally it was finished.

The seagull crowned the highest tower with
a flag made from Mr. Footer’s handkerchief.
Everyone cheered.

“Wasn’t that fun, Rigby? Even if you did get some sand in your furry feet?”

Rigby looked up at the spectacular sand castle. At last he smiled and said, “I guess we could come back tomorrow.”

Taffy laughed and gave him a big hug.
Rollo bounced up and down. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll build a rocket,” said Bob.

“And travel to the stars,” said Rigby.

“We’ll think of something spectacular,”
said Taffy. As the sun sank into the sea,
they turned toward home.

Rollo laughed. “I hope it’s not windy
on the moon.”