Another busy day was winding to a close on the Big Harbour. Theodore and his best friend Hank were finishing their work for the day. They had both been very busy doing pushing jobs, and were on their way home. As they listened to the many greetings other boats gave them, Theodore took a deep breath.
"This is the nicest place in the whole world!" He exclaimed to the sea below him and the skies above them.
He heard a loud horn behind him.
"What was that?" He asked.
"Thirteen!" Hank tooted his horn. That was the original noise he had heard before.
"What does 'thirteen' mean Hank?" He asked him.
"Thirteen seaweed covered rocks!" Grinned Hank.
Rolling his eyes, Theodore started on his journey once more, but then Hank pulled up alongside him.
"Wait Theodore!" He called. "How about we comb Cobequid Cove?"
Theodore loved Cobequid Cove; it was very peaceful and the waters were much warmer too.
But he knew it wouldn't be very peaceful with Hank's loud rock counting! Besides, the Dispatcher had warned them both to be back before dark.
Hank sped up and then allowed himself to slow down again to let Theodore catch up.
"It will only take 18 minutes." He said, in his most convincing voice.
"Alright." Theodore relented. That should give them both time to head back to the dock before dark.
"I'll race you!" Hank called as he turned to head to the cove.
"You're on!" Theodore replied.
...
Theodore felt very anxious. He could tell that this was taking a lot longer than 18 minutes, not to mention that Hank had beaten him to the cove. Now, he was nowhere to be seen.
Theodore was in a dilemma. He knew he had to get back to the Big Harbour soon before it got dark, but he also didn't want to leave Hank all by himself.
He switched off his engine, and looked around cautiously. Now, with his engine off, he was able to hear much more clearly. However, he was also unable to stop himself from drifting away into the cove nearby - which happened to be a cove he had never been in before.
He gulped when he saw a dark, sinister wreck of a boat floating quietly just inside the cove, and trees loomed high above him, twisted branches gesturing to sharp, dangerous rocks at the top of the cove.
Theodore drifted further into the cove. It felt more like a cave, and it was very, very dark. He hoped that he found his friend soon so he could leave.
"Hank?" He whispered. But there was no response. Theodore still couldn't see or hear his friend.
"This is the worst place ever!" He yelled,as loud as he could. No one replied, which made him feel worse.
Suddenly, he saw a dark shape looming out of the water. It looked like... a crocodile!"
Alarmed, Theodore reversed as fast as he could, only to bump into a rock behind him.
"Oh no..." He moaned.
One hundred and eleven... twelve - oh, hello Theodore!"
"Hank!" Theodore exclaimed in both relief and amazement.
He didn't know whether to be relieved that he hadn't hit a rock, or annoyed and cross that the 'rocks' turned out to be Hank.
But before he could make up his mind, a loud and scary sound echoed round the cove, scaring the two tugs.
"Let's get out of here!" Hank yelled in fright.
"Follow me Hank!" Theodore replied, trying to sound brave.
The two tugs raced as fast as they could out of the cove. They zig - tagged round bends and darted out of the cove as fast as their engines could power them.
However, neither tug noticed that Hank' s lifeboat had fallen off in the process and floated further into the cove, out of sight...
...
After a shaky night in their dock, the two friends had to face the Dispatcher first thing in the morning. He was very stern with them.
"...and Hank, any tugboat without a lifeboat will not be allowed to work, due to company policy, so you must remain in your dock until it is found. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir... Hank replied in a small voice.
"As for you, Theodore Tugboat, you are to work double duty today - in fact, every day until Hank's lifeboat is found and returned to him. "Is that understood?" He asked.
"Yes sir!" Theodore replied quickly.
"And one more thing - do not come back late like yesterday, or you will be staying in your dock also."
"Understood, Mr Dispatcher." Theodore said seriously, and he left to begin his work.
...
Theodore was first assigned to work with George to pull a cargo ship at Cobequid Light, right outside the dark and scary cove he and Hank had been in before.
He tried not to think about it as he ducked behind the ship.
"Shall I buffer up, George?"
George blew smoke from his enormous smoke stack before answering;
There's no cargo aboard Theodore - I'll manage this myself no problem! The cargo ship will be in its new dock in next to no time!"
"Hooray - I mean, alright George." Now Theodore could get away from the scary cove even sooner!
Just then, he heard a voice calling his name.
"Theodore!"
It was Pearl the pilot boat! And... and she was in the dark and scary cove!
"Theodore, can you hear me? I need you in here!" Pearl' s impairment voice echoed.
"Oh no..." Theodore groaned, and slowly made his way to the cove, before entering.
However, as Theodore looked round the cove, still remembering what he had seen the previous night, he realised that the sun was helping him see things in a different light - nothing looked as scary as he had remembered it.
Soon, he found Pearl waiting for him at the spot where he had found Hank, and also saw the crocodile. He was about to warn Pearl of this, when something stopped him.
Now that the cove was better lit, he could see that what he thought was the crocodile was actually a gnarled tree that had ended up in the cove!
"Well, were you going to tell me something?" Pearl asked him.
"No." Theodore replied quickly.
Well, seeing as you are now available, you need to tow this tree out of the cove - it could be dangerous to small boats if they come in here. And remember,...
"Don't be late!" Theodore finished, and with that, Pearl left.
Once his tow rope was tied to the tree, Theodore began to leave the cove, when he saw something floating towards him...
"Hank' s lifeboat! Boy, will he be glad to see you!" Theodore exclaimed happily.
But as Theodore was about to to retrieve his friends' s lifeboat, he heard the exact same sound as the night before.
"What was that?" He asked he felt tempted to leave the lifeboat where it was, but he knew that he would be disappointing Hank. Though he also remembered that the Dispatcher had warned him not to be late... Oh well. He would get the lifeboat later.
Just as he was going to leave, he saw something on the rocks, and wondered if the noisy intruder was actually scary or if it was just his imagination.
As he rounded the corner, he saw a Bull Frog sitting on a rock!
"Hello little frog!" Called Theodore.
The frog responded by croaking loudly once more.
Theodore laughed before grabbing his friend's lifeboat, and still laughing, he towed the tree all the way to the Big Harbour.
He told the story to Hank, and now neither are afraid of the cove anymore.