Flipp the Flamingo had a habit of waking up just before sunrise. He liked that quiet little moment when the world still felt half-asleep and the water in the cove looked like polished silver, his favorite color, naturally. This particular morning felt different though. There was a salty breeze in the air that carried the smell of adventure.
While sipping his usual coconut-shell espresso on the pier, Flipp spotted a strange shimmer drifting toward shore. At first he thought it was the reflection of the sun, but as it floated closer, he realized it was a message bottle, sealed with a wax crest shaped like a little pirate star.
Flipp popped the cork (he’d practiced this move for years, mostly with bourbon bottles) and pulled out a tiny rolled map. Across the top were the words:
“Treasure comes to those already stacking.”
Well… that sounded like an invitation.
He followed the map along the coastline until he reached a tiny inlet hidden behind mangroves. The tide was low, and just beyond a half-buried driftwood log, Flipp saw something gleaming beneath the sand. He started digging with his wing and there it was, a small iron chest with coral growing along the hinges.
Inside were hand-poured pirate bars, vintage silver rounds, and two gold escudos stamped with an old ship crest. But wedged between the bars was something else, a note:
“This isn’t buried treasure.
It’s future treasure.
Whoever finds this is meant to share the wisdom:
Wealth isn’t found… it’s stacked.”
Flipp didn’t laugh out loud, but if flamingos could smirk, he would’ve. He tucked the chest under one wing and headed home, already deciding he wouldn’t hide this one again, he’d display it proudly at the counter of his little beach shop, right next to the bourbon decanter, where other curious stackers could draw inspiration from the reminder.
That evening, as the sun dropped and streaked the sky in flamingo-pink (which he considered nature’s salute to him personally), Flipp sat out front whittling a tiny wooden replica of the map’s crest. He’d give them out free with the next batch of silver orders, not because he needed to sell them, but because he liked giving people a spark.
And that’s the thing about Flipp:
He doesn’t chase treasure.
He attracts it, by living like it’s already his, and welcoming anyone ready to do the same.