Chapter 1

Sir Pigglesworth flopped along the beach in San Juan in his snorkel gear.

He wore flippers that left monster size tracks in the sand as he walked.

“I can’t wait to see the fish and coral, but I hope we don’t see a shark!” he said to his mom.

The snorkel in his mouth made it sound like he said, “I pan gate to dee da sith and moral, gut I dope gee bone a park!”

“We’ll check out a park later, dear,” his mom said patting him on the back.

“Right now we’re going to see some fish and coral and who knows, maybe even a shark!”

Sir Pigglesworth shuddered remembering the shark he had seen in Bermuda.

He hoped it hadn’t followed him to San Juan. It hadn’t seemed very friendly.

While his parents stretched out under a beach umbrella, Sir Pigglesworth waddled to the water and stuck one flipper in the foamy waves.

Just then a big wave washed over him and knocked him backwards. He fell on his rump.

“I’ve been snorkeling several times,” said a voice behind him, “but I have never seen anyone dive in the water like that!”

Sir Pigglesworth scooted around and looked up – it was JoAnn!

He tried to get up, but wave after wave kept knocking him back down.

“Let me help you,” someone else said. Sir Pigglesworth turned to see Bill bending over him.

He spit out his snorkel and looked at his friends.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked with a big happy smile.

“You didn’t think we would miss your speech, did you?” JoAnn asked.

“When your mom told us you were giving a speech to the graduating class at the University here, we immediately made plans to come.”

She bent over and scratched behind Sir Pigglesworth’s ears. He sighed happily and thumped one flipper against the sand.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said. “I have so much to show you!”

“And I have so much to show you, too,” JoAnn said.

“I lived here for 2 years when I was a young girl.”

Sir Pigglesworth looked like he was about to say something, but just then a moving green target caught his eye.

“Is that a dragon?” he asked, pointing at what looked like a lizard.

“No, that’s an iguana,” Bill explained.

Sir Pigglesworth tried to follow it, but his flippers made it hard to walk and it got away.

So he pulled his flippers off and raced down the beach trying to catch up to it.

He wasn’t watching where he was going and he tripped over something. He landed face down in the hot sand.

When he lifted his head, some sand stuck to his face making it look like he had a beard and mustache.

“Santa?” asked a voice. Sir Pigglesworth turned to see the something he had tripped over was actually someone!

There were two kids kneeling there digging holes in the sand.

“Me?” Sir Pigglesworth asked, looking confused.

The boy laughed. “I didn’t know you like to hang out at the beach, Santa,” he said. “Are you here to make sure we’re being good?”

Sir Pigglesworth explained that he wasn’t Santa. “I actually came here to give a speech.”

“Wow, Raul,” the little girl said to her brother. “Santa gives speeches!”

“Of course he does, Maria,” her brother said as he leaned toward Sir Pigglesworth. “What’s a speech?” he whispered.

Just then, Sir Pigglesworth saw another iguana running back toward Bill and JoAnn. He jumped up.

“Sorry, I have to go,” Sir Pigglesworth said, “but remember to be good and get along, and whatever else Santa wants you to do!”

“We will!” Raul and Maria called after him.

Sir Pigglesworth was very close to the iguana when a boy on a surfboard lost his balance and fell off the board. The board was pushed by a wave into the running pig.

Sir Pigglesworth toppled over onto the boy’s board just as Bill turned around.

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go surfing? I’ll rent surfboards for us.”

Sir Pigglesworth watched another iguana get away. “I’ll get that dragon if it’s the last thing I do,” he mumbled.

Then he turned and followed Bill into the water.

Sir Pigglesworth, his dad and Bill surfed for a long time. Much to their surprise, Sir Pigglesworth was a skilled surfer.

“How did you get so good?” JoAnn asked when Sir Pigglesworth flopped down in the sand next to her.

“My friends and I take turns balancing on the rails of the drawbridge back home,” he said.

Behind him, his parents’ eyes became huge. “I think we need to hire guards to keep little hooves off of the drawbridge,” his mom whispered to his dad.