Wispwater's Tide Song

Wispwater loved humming while she tiptoed along the tide pool boardwalk. She had a name like a ripple because she wanted to know everything about water. One evening she heard a song of la-la-las drifting from a clamshell radio. She sang back, matching the melody with soft taps on the shell. A tiny fish peeped out and asked, "Are you thirsty too?" Wispwater blinked. She remembered how fish live surrounded by water and don't get thirsty like people. The fish explained that freshwater pals soak up water through skin and gills, while ocean friends sometimes actually drink seawater and shove out the extra salt with special gill cells. Wispwater hummed a new tune about gills and tiny salt pumps. Together they made a silly la-la chorus that echoed over the waves. Wispwater learned that singing can be a way to listen and learn. She tucked the clamshell radio under her arm, waved goodnight, and hummed her new song as moonlight puddles followed her home.