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Skipper was not like the other squirrels in the park. While they were busy burying nuts and chattering about the best oak trees, Skipper dreamed of the sea. His biggest wish was to be a pirate. He’d seen a picture of a ship in a discarded newspaper and had been hooked ever since. He loved the thought of a life of adventure, of salty sea spray and buried treasure.

His pirate ship was a masterpiece. He'd found an old, empty plastic bottle and fixed a stick into the top as a mast. His sail was a bright green sycamore leaf, and his flag was a tiny scrap of red ribbon he’d plucked from a lost gift box. His captain's hat was a particularly flat acorn cap. His parrot was a very patient cricket who sat on his shoulder.

One day, Skipper decided it was time for his first great voyage. He found a puddle of water that had collected in a hollow in the park and launched his ship. He was just a few feet from the shore when he found his first great treasure: a shiny, round button. He held it up and squinted at it, imagining it was a giant, polished pearl. He carefully tied the button to a piece of string and attached it to his mast. His cricket chirped in approval.

He was so thrilled by his find that he declared he needed a treasure map. He drew a crude map on a smooth leaf with a piece of charcoal he found from a summer barbeque. The “X” marked the spot where he would bury his great treasure: the pearl-button. He hopped ashore and carefully buried it near the base of a big maple tree.

The next morning, Skipper woke up ready to retrieve his treasure. But there was a problem. He couldn't remember which maple tree he had buried it under. He ran from tree to tree, digging frantically. He looked for hours, but every tree looked the same. Defeated, he sat on his ship and hung his head. Just then, an old owl named Ollie hooted from a branch above. "Why the long face, little sailor?" the owl asked.

Skipper explained his predicament. Ollie hooted softly. "Ah, the great mystery of lost treasure. Sometimes, the most valuable treasures are the ones we carry in our hearts, like the joy of adventure and the fun you had sailing your ship." Skipper thought about this. The feeling of sailing his ship and finding the button had been a real thrill. He smiled. He didn't need the button to be a pirate; he just needed a love for adventure. He set off again, his little ship sailing across the puddle, a new treasure map already forming in his mind.