Dora and Boots skipped along the beach path, enjoying the warm sun and the salty breeze. Dora carried a little seashell in her hand, and Boots hopped from one flat stone to another, laughing at the splash of water below. "What a beautiful day for an adventure, Boots, and maybe we'll find something amazing by the shore if we keep our eyes open and stay together," said Dora. "I love beach adventures, Dora, but some of these tide pools look deep and mysterious, like they might be hiding a surprise," replied Boots.
A rattling sound came from behind the rocks, and Dora and Boots froze in place. Out stepped what looked like a crabby crab witch, with a lumpy cloak, sideways steps, and claw-like gloves that clicked together in the grayish light. "Dora, look, it's a crabby crab witch, and it looks so spooky and grumpy that I don't want to stay here another second," cried Boots. "Run, Boots, run, we have to get away and find someone who can help us understand what we just saw," shouted Dora.
Dora and Boots ran for their lives, screaming as the image of the crabby crab witch filled their minds. Their hearts pounded, and every rustle of leaves made Boots jump higher than before. At last they spotted Geo from Team Umizoomi near a colorful bench beside a fountain, studying shapes drawn in chalk on the pavement. "Geo, Geo, you have to help us right now because we saw a crabby crab witch at the beach and it was so scary that we had to run all the way here," said Dora breathlessly.
Character Introduction: Geo, a clever helper from Team Umizoomi, is calm, observant, and loves solving puzzling problems.
Geo listened carefully, his eyes thoughtful instead of frightened. He knelt beside Boots and pointed to the sandy footprints on the path, noticing that they looked more like shoes than crab legs. "Let's not panic, because sometimes something scary only looks scary from far away, and if we use our eyes and our thinking skills, we can figure out what is really going on," said Geo. "I want to be brave, Geo, but that crabby crab witch had claws and a creepy walk and everything about it made me want to hide," admitted Boots.
Step by step, Dora, Boots, and Geo returned to the place where the figure had appeared. They hid behind a driftwood log and watched as the crabby crab witch shuffled out again, wobbling awkwardly and muttering to itself. "Look closely at the way it moves, because those claws seem tied on, that hat is slipping sideways, and I think this mystery is about to become much less spooky," whispered Geo. Dora narrowed her eyes and noticed a familiar pair of sneakers under the costume.
Geo stepped forward and gently called out to the figure. Startled, the crabby crab witch tripped over a shell, and the claw gloves, crooked hat, and ragged cloak tumbled off in a heap. Underneath was just a person in a silly homemade costume, red-faced and embarrassed rather than dangerous. "See, it was someone all along, not a witch at all, and the costume only seemed frightening because you saw it suddenly and didn't get a chance to look carefully," said Geo.
Dora let out a long breath and smiled, feeling her courage return. Boots peeked out from behind Dora and then laughed when he saw the floppy claws lying in the sand. "I'm so glad we came back to find the truth, because something that looks scary can turn out to be completely different when we stay calm and ask for help," said Dora. "And next time I see a crabby crab witch, I might still scream first, but after that I'll remember to look twice," said Boots, making Geo and Dora laugh as the stars brightened overhead.
