Madison's Mysterious Rocks

Written By Jennifer Maruno

Illustrated By Brian Hart

    Madison spotted a pink rock lolling about in the waves. She nudged it with her toe. Then, she picked it up. It glittered and sparkled in the sunlight.

    All morning, she searched for more rocks like it. Before long, a pile of pink rocks sat glistening on her towel.

    When it was time to go back to the cottage, Madison gathered up her things. On her towel lay a pile of dull white stones. Where were her pink rocks? “Someone else took my beautiful rocks home,” she said. She put her hands on her hips. “They left me these instead.”

    That afternoon, Madison discovered a rock the colour of a robin’s egg. She looked for more blue rocks like it. She found one with a black stripe. She found one with black spots. This time, Madison hid her rock collection under a pile of driftwood.

    At the end of the day, only dull white stones lay under the driftwood. Madison slumped down on to the sand and frowned deeply. Her robin blue rocks were gone. How did anyone know they were there?

    Madison carried her sand bucket to the shore, the next morning. She found some bright red rocks hiding in the wet sand. She put them in her bucket. Madison kept the bucket by her side as she collected red rocks. At lunchtime, she put the bucket underneath the cottage steps.

    Later, when Madison peeked in the bucket, a pile of dull white stones lay inside.

    She plunked herself down on the wooden steps and slammed her face into her fists. “Someone is playing tricks on me,” she said. Tears formed in her eyes. “I know I had red rocks in my bucket.”

    In anger, Madison grabbed the bucket. She marched all the way back to the beach and dumped the stones onto the shore.

    As the waves lapped up and over them, the white rocks turned red. “It’s like magic,” Madison said, staring down at them. “It’s the water that is making the color of the rocks show.”

    Madison searched the shore and found pink, blue, yellow and green rocks. She took them back to the cottage and put them in a glass bowl. She filled it with water. All of her colored rocks shimmered and glistened.

    “Instant magic,” Madison said, as she put the bowl of rocks on the picnic table. “Just add water!”

    Did you know? A rock's color comes from its minerals. Air, heat and moisture can change that color. Air and heat oxidize the minerals making the rock look pale and dusty. Moisture tarnishes the minerals, making the colors deeper. A cool dry rock will show its best colors.