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But hidden deep inside

Rough and gray as rock,

Jack picked up the ocean book and flipped through it.

Annie climbed out of the tree house.

"Let's go find the answer," said Annie.

What am I?

"Oh, man, tiny skeletons," said Jack. He pulled out his notebook and wrote: Millions of coral skeletons

Annie picked up the riddle scroll. She unrolled it. Together she and Jack read the riddle:

She and Jack looked out the window. The tree house wasn't in a tree. It was on the ground.

"Why is the ground pink?" said Jack.

"I don't know," said Annie. "But I'm going out there."

I'm plain as plain can be.

"I'm going to do a little research first," said Jack.

He found a picture of a pink island surrounded by water. He read: This is a coral reef. Corals are tiny sea animals. After they die, their skeletons remain. Over time, the reef builds up from stacks of coral skeletons.

There's great beauty in me.

A breeze blew through the window. Sea gulls cried. Waves lapped the shore.

She was standing at the edge of the water. Beside her was a strange-looking machine.

Jack found a picture of the machine in the ocean book. He read: Scientists who study the ocean are called oceanographers. Sometimes they travel in small diving vessels called submersibles, or "mini-subs," to study the ocean floor.

"What is it?"

"Is it a special kind of boat?" asked Annie.

"Jack! Jack! Come look at this," cried Annie.

Jack threw his notebook and the ocean book into his pack. He climbed out the window.

"Is it the answer to the riddle?" he called.

Jack hurried over the bumpy coral to get a better look.

"No!" said Jack. Actually, he did want to see what the sub looked like inside. But he shook his head. "We can't. It's not ours."

"I don't think so. It doesn't look very plain," said Annie.

The machine was half on the reef and half in the clear blue water. It looked like a huge white bubble with a big window.

"I don't know. But you'll love it!" she said.

"It's a mini-sub," said Jack. He pulled out his notebook.

"Let's get inside it," said Annie.

"Don't worry," said Annie.

He and Annie slipped off their shoes and socks and threw them toward the tree house.

Jack sighed. "Okay. But we have to be careful. Don't touch anything," he said.

"Just a teeny peek," said Annie. "It might help us figure out the riddle."

"What's wrong?" Jack looked up.

The mini-sub was tiny. Two seats faced the big window. In front of the seats was a computer built into a control panel.

"Oops," said Annie.

Jack opened the ocean book and read more on the mini-sub page: Mini-subs have strong hulls to keep air in and protect those aboard from water pressure. Computers are used to guide the mini-sub through the ocean.

She and Jack climbed inside. The hatch slammed shut.

Then they stepped carefully over the sharp coral.

Annie turned the handle on the hatch of the mini-sub. It opened.

Annie sat down.

Annie was waving her hands in front of the computer. Now the screen showed a map.

"And take off your shoes so they won't get wet," said Jack.

"I just pressed a few keys --" said Annie.

"What's going on?" said Jack.

An air blower came on. The mini-sub jerked backward.

"Get out!" said Jack.

Then it dove silently down into the deep.

"What? I said not to touch anything!" said Jack.

The mini-sub slid off the reef.

He and Annie scrambled for the hatch. Jack grabbed the handle.

But they were too late.