Moana walked to the beach and waddled¹ around, enjoying the feel of the sand between her toes. She gazed out at the ocean, its playful waves rolling back and forth², breaking farther out in the distance on the reef that surrounded her island of Motunui. Suddenly, she noticed a beautiful conch shell sparkling in the surf. The shell's creamy pink surface formed a perfect spiral, and Moana wanted to pick it up and hold it. But just as she was about to move closer to it, she heard a loud rustling³ behind her. She turned to see a group of squawking seabirds tormenting⁴ a baby turtle. The turtle was trying to make its way to the water, but the hungry birds blocked its path, threatening to strike. The turtle looked frightened, and each time it tried to take a step, one of the birds lunged for it. The turtle retreated and tried to hide inside its shell.

 

Moana anxiously eyed the big conch shell. She was afraid that the tide would pull it away before she could get to it. Yet she couldn't leave the baby turtle in its predicament. So she picked up a big leafy palm frond⁵ and shielded the turtle as she escorted it across the sand. When the birds tried to go around the palm to get to the turtle, Moana didn't flinch⁶. She bravely shooed them away, stomping⁷ her foot to scare them off. She stayed close to the little turtle as its protector, helping⁸ it carefully make its way to the water. As the turtle swam into the surf, she stood for a moment, swinging her arms at her sides, and watched it with a grin on her face.

 

Once the turtle disappeared into the ocean, the water began to mysteriously spiral and bubble. Then it receded¹⁰, revealing the conch shell, which a wave had indeed taken. Delighted, Moana squatted¹¹ to pick it up. As she reached for it, another conch shell appeared, deposited by the receding¹² water. The ocean continued to recede⁹, revealing more and more conch shells. Moana collected them all, balancing the tall pile in her small arms.

 

The ocean swelled¹³ and released a slight wave that curled over Moana and hovered¹⁴ directly above her head. It magically stayed there, seeming to say hello. She grinned up at the wave and poked¹⁵ it with her finger, as if popping a bubble. A trickle¹⁶ of water dripped down over her, making her giggle¹⁷ with delight.

 

The little wave curled over Moana again, this time playing with her hair and tickling¹⁸ her head. Then, with a twist, it gave her a silly hairstyle. Moana laughed again and again as she played with her strange new friend.

 

Suddenly, the wave fell back and the ocean parted, forming a canyon¹⁹. A surprised fish flopped²⁰ around in the sand at Moana's feet and then found its way back to the safety of the water. Spellbound, Moana toddled²¹ along the mysterious canyon, trailing her hand against its watery²² walls.

 

This path had led Moana deeper into the ocean, where she saw the baby turtle with its mother by its side. She watched as they swam off together. Once they faded into the distance, her eyes were drawn²³ to a shiny object. It drifted closer, and Moana reached into the water and grabbed it.

 

The object was round and smooth like a stone on one side, but it had an interesting design on the other. With her finger, Moana traced its unique spiral, curiously²⁴ feeling the edges of the swirling²⁵ ridge²⁶. She knew there was something very special about this stone.

 

"Moana!" Her father's panicked voice called her name in the distance, snapping her out of the magical moment. The ocean quickly picked her up and whisked her to shore just before Tui arrived through the trees. As he raced over, Moana accidentally dropped the shiny stone. Tui grabbed her before she could see where it went.

 

"What are you doing?" Tui said, holding her close. "You scared me."

 

Moana wriggled²⁷ in his arms, trying to return to the shore. "Wanna go back," she begged.

 

"No," he said firmly, facing her. "You don't go out there. It's dangerous."

 

Moana turned around to glance at the ocean, scanning it for the stone, but she didn't see it. The ocean was once again calm as the gentle waves rippled²⁸ onto the shore. All the magic appeared to be gone.

 

Tui set her down and held out his hand. "Moana? Come on. Back to the village."

 

She reluctantly took her father's hand and walked with him. But she kept her eyes firmly on the ocean until it was out of sight.

 

Sina, Moana's mother, smiled widely as she approached her family, and the three walked together toward the village.

 

"You are the next great chief of our people," said Tui, looking down at his daughter.

 

"And you will do wondrous²⁹ things, my little minnow," added Sina.

 

"Oh, yes. But you must learn where you're meant to be," said Tui.

 

Suddenly, Moana turned from her parents and bolted back to the ocean. Sina and Tui exchanged a worried look and quickly caught up to her. They scooped³⁰ Moana up and carried her the rest of the way to their safe, quiet village.

 

莫阿娜走到了海滩上，并四处溜达了一会儿，尽情享受细沙在脚缝间流动的感觉。她凝眸眺望大海，看见顽皮的海浪忽前忽后地翻滚着，拍打着远处环绕莫图鲁尼岛的礁石。突然，莫阿娜发现有一个美丽的海螺壳在海浪里闪闪发光。它那柔粉色的外壳上有一组完美的螺纹，莫阿娜想把它捡回来收藏。她正要走近，突然听到身后传来一阵沙沙声，转身便看见一群嘶鸣的海鸟正纠缠着一只龟宝宝。这只龟宝宝努力朝海里爬去，但是那群饥饿的海鸟们堵住了它的去路，威胁着要攻击它。龟宝宝惊慌失措，每挪一步，就有一只海鸟朝它扑来，吓得它连连后退，躲进龟壳里不敢动弹。

 

莫阿娜不安地盯着大海螺壳，生怕还没拿到手，它就被海浪卷走了。可她又不忍心看着龟宝宝身陷困境，于是便捡起一片大棕榈叶遮盖住龟宝宝，护送它穿过沙滩。海鸟们试图绕过棕榈叶去抓龟宝宝时，莫阿娜毫不退缩，勇敢地发出嘘声驱赶它们，边嘘还边跺脚吓它们。她俨然是龟宝宝的守护者，寸步不离，小心翼翼地护送它回海里。龟宝宝游入海浪中时，莫阿娜站了一会儿，胳膊在身侧晃着，看着它咧嘴笑了。

 

龟宝宝游回海里后，海水神奇地开始打旋、冒泡。接着，它往后退去，沙滩上露出了之前被海浪卷走的那个海螺壳。莫阿娜兴高采烈地蹲下去捡它。她刚伸出手，又有一个海螺壳出现在海水退去的地方。大海继续后退，露出越来越多的海螺壳。莫阿娜一路捡过去，在怀里堆了一摞海螺，堆得又稳又高。

 

这时，海面隆起，一小股海浪围着莫阿娜绕了一圈，然后直接盘旋在她头顶上方。它神奇地立在那儿，似乎在向她招手问好。莫阿娜也咧嘴对它一笑，还伸出手指戳了戳它，像戳泡泡一样。一小股海水落到莫阿娜脸上，她开心得咯咯直笑。

 

这股小海浪又围着莫阿娜，摆弄起她的头发，还挠了挠她的小脑袋。随即，海浪一个急转，给她弄了个搞怪的发型。莫阿娜同这个陌生的新朋友玩得不亦乐乎，不停地哈哈大笑。

 

忽然，海浪朝后退去，大海一分为二，形成一座峡谷。一条受惊的小鱼在莫阿娜脚旁的沙子上啪嗒乱蹦，又安全跳回海里。被迷住的莫阿娜手扶着水墙，摇摇晃晃地朝神秘的峡谷走去。

 

这条小道指引莫阿娜来到海洋深处，在这里，她看到了那只龟宝宝回到了龟妈妈身旁。莫阿娜看着它们一起游走了。它们刚消失在远处，她就被一个发光的物体吸引了。那物体越漂越近，莫阿娜从把手伸进水里，一把抓住了它。

 

这个物体呈圆形，一面像石头般平滑，而另一面的纹理却十分有趣。莫阿娜沿着它独特的螺纹摸去，好奇地摩挲着它漩涡状的纹路。她知道这块石头肯定有其独特之处。

 

“莫阿娜！”父亲在远处惊慌地喊着她的名字，将她从如梦似幻的景象中拽了回来。就在图伊酋长穿过树林、来到海边之前，大海迅速托起她，把她送回了岸边。图伊酋长飞奔过来，这时莫阿娜不小心弄掉了那块闪光的石头。她还来不及细看石头掉在哪儿，就被父亲一把抱住了。

 

“你跑这儿来干什么？”图伊酋长把她抱近些说道，“你可吓坏我了！”

 

莫阿娜在父亲怀里扭来扭去，想回岸边去。“我想回刚刚那儿。”她乞求道。

 

“不行，”图伊酋长坚定地对她说，“你不能去那里，太危险了。”

 

莫阿娜扭头望向大海，搜寻着那块石头，可怎么也找不着。轻柔的海浪一波一波拍打着海岸，大海又恢复了平静。一切魔力都消失了。

 

图伊酋长把女儿放了下来，伸手牵她。“莫阿娜？快点，跟爸爸回村里去。”

 

她不情愿地拉着父亲的手，跟他一起往回走。可她仍坚定地望着大海，直到它消失在视线中。

 

莫阿娜的母亲西娜笑盈盈地走近父女俩，随后一家三口朝村子走去。

 

“你是咱们下一任伟大的酋长。”图伊酋长低头看着女儿说。

 

“你是要做大事的人，我的小宝贝。”西娜补充道。

 

“噢，是啊。不过，你得先清楚自己的使命。”图伊酋长说。

 

突然，莫阿娜抛下父母，转身朝大海冲去。西娜与丈夫担忧地对视了一眼，迅速追上莫阿娜，一把拎起她，带着她一起向那安全、宁静的村庄走去。

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