The little octopus tapped one bright green seaweed. Then he tapped another. "One, two, three... wait a second," he muttered, dropping his counting pebbles into the sand. The unruly seaweeds drifted and tangled into a giant floating knot. He slumped against a rough purple coral rock and scowled at the messy garden.
"Let's try pointing," he thought, stretching out a single tentacle to tap a bubbly frond. Pop, pop, pop! Tiny bubbles burst against his suction cups, making him completely forget his count. He crossed two arms over his face and blew out a giant, frustrated bubble.
It was time for a bigger plan. He swam up high and tried to hug the entire forest into one giant clump. But the slippery green stalks slid right through his grasp! They scattered everywhere, completely burying his favorite blue sea-glass path. He covered his eyes, wishing the plants would just tidy themselves.
A stray stalk tickled his nose. Swoosh! He swatted at it, accidentally scooping up exact bunches of plants. He blinked and stared at his own limbs. Every one of his eight arms held perfectly onto one single seaweed stalk! "Eight!" he shouted, realizing his arms were the ultimate grouping tool.
He zoomed around the reef like a spinning top. Plop, plop, plop! He swooped his arms through the water to gather the messy stalks. Quickly, he planted each cluster of eight straight down alongside his blue sea-glass path. He twirled, watching the chaotic jungle turn into a beautiful patterned layout.
Floating above the glowing coral, he looked down at his garden. The bright green seaweeds stood in perfectly straight, orderly rows. He clapped his tentacles together and flashed a giant grin. Counting his beautiful home was finally a breeze, exactly eight stalks at a time.
