Cowboyapuss rides across the sunny seaweed prairie, tipping his hat to the sea-cows.

Morning rolled in gold and green over Rodeo Reef. Cowboyapuss rode the Seaweed Prairie nice and slow, tipping his hat to the sea-cows, the way he did every day.

1

A seahorse dad counts his four little seahorses by the kelp gate, and one is missing.

Down by the kelp gate, a seahorse dad was counting his little ones. "One, two, three, four... oh no." The littlest seahorse was not there.

2

Cowboyapuss comforts the seahorse family, then sets off across the prairie to search.

"Hold your seahorses, partner," said Cowboyapuss kindly. "Stay home with the others, in case she swims back. I will go out and find her." And off he rode.

3

Cowboyapuss searches between tall green kelp stalks, calling for the little seahorse.

He looked all through the Tall Kelp, high and low. "Little seahorse, where can you be?" Only the kelp waved back, slow and green. She was not there.

4

Cowboyapuss looks behind grey rocks and peeks inside an old sunken wagon on the dunes.

He searched the rolling dunes, up and down. He checked behind the big grey rocks, one by one. He even peeked inside an old sunken wagon. Nothing.

5

Cowboyapuss cups his arms round his mouth and calls out across the quiet open water.

The water grew quieter the further he went. "Little seahorse, where can you be?" he called, cupping his arms round his mouth. The only answer was bubbles, drifting up and away.

6

Cowboyapuss sits on a stone in golden light, thinking about where a little seahorse would go.

The light turned low and golden. Cowboyapuss sat down on a stone to think. "If I were a little seahorse," he said slowly, "where would I be?"

7

Cowboyapuss imagines a little seahorse curling its tail around kelp and turning green to hide.

Then he remembered what seahorses do. When a seahorse feels lost, it wraps its tail tight around some kelp and holds on. And it changes colour, to hide, until somebody kind comes along.

8

Cowboyapuss turns green as the kelp, all but his tan hat, and drifts into the kelp forest.

"Well now," smiled Cowboyapuss. "I can change colour too." And slowly he turned green as the kelp, all but his trusty hat. Then he drifted into the Tall Kelp, looking for a piece of kelp that was not quite kelp.

9

A tiny curled tail holds tight to one kelp stalk, almost the same green as the leaves.

"Little seahorse, where can you be?" he whispered, green among the green. And there, low on one swaying stalk, he saw it: a tiny curled tail, holding on tight.

10

The littlest seahorse turns from green back to pink as Cowboyapuss finds her.

The little tail belonged to a little seahorse, green as her hiding place. "Found you," said Cowboyapuss softly. She blushed back to pink, and her eyes went wide and glad.

11

The littlest seahorse tells Cowboyapuss how she held on and stayed still, and he nods kindly.

"I got lost," she said in a small voice. "So I held on, and stayed very still, just like my dad taught me." "That was exactly right," said Cowboyapuss. "You stayed put, so I knew where to look."

12

The littlest seahorse rides home on the brim of Cowboyapuss's hat across the sunset prairie.

She rode home on his hat brim, small and proud. The prairie glowed sunset gold. "Nearly there, partner," said Cowboyapuss. "Somebody has been watching the water for you all day."

13

The seahorse dad hugs the littlest seahorse with his curly tail while her family bounces with joy.

Her dad counted again by the kelp gate. "One, two, three, four... FIVE!" He hugged her with his whole curly tail. And the littlest seahorse was never too lost to be found.

14