

Sara and Tom liked to play near the lake. They had a small boat that they could push in the water. They pretended to be pirates and explorers. They had a lot of fun.
One day, they saw a big boat on the lake. It was white and shiny. It had a flag and a horn. Sara and Tom wanted to see it up close. They ran to their small boat and got in.
"Let's go to the big boat!" Sara said.
"OK, but be careful. It might be a bad boat," Tom said.
They pushed their small boat into the water and started to row. They got closer and closer to the big boat. They could hear the horn and see the people on the deck.
"Hello!" Sara shouted.
"Hello!" a man shouted back. He had a hat and a beard. He smiled at them.
"Who are you?" Tom asked.
"I'm the captain of this boat. Do you want to come aboard?" the man asked.
Sara and Tom looked at each other. They were curious and excited. They nodded.
"OK, but you have to guess the name of my boat first. It's a playful word that rhymes with boat," the man said.
Sara and Tom thought hard. They tried to think of words that rhymed with boat.
"Is it goat?" Sara asked.
"No, that's not it," the man said.
"Is it coat?" Tom asked.
"No, that's not it either," the man said.
"Is it float?" Sara asked.
"Close, but no," the man said.
"Is it note?" Tom asked.
"No, no, no," the man said.
Sara and Tom were running out of words. They looked at the boat again. They noticed something on the side. It was a picture of a fish with a big smile.
"Is it moat?" Sara asked.
"No, but you're very warm," the man said.
"Is it...gloat?" Tom asked.
"No, but you're almost there," the man said.
Sara and Tom looked at each other. They had one more word in their minds. They said it together.
"Is it...dote?"
"Yes, that's it! You guessed it! Dote is the name of my boat. It means to love and care for someone very much. I named it after my wife, who is very playful and sweet. You're very smart and brave. Come aboard, I have some treats and toys for you," the man said.
Sara and Tom cheered. They had guessed the name of the boat. They were happy and proud. They climbed aboard the big boat and met the captain's wife. She was very playful and sweet. She gave them cookies and juice and showed them her dolls and books. They had a wonderful time on the dote boat. They made new friends and learned new words. They thanked the captain and his wife and went back to their small boat. They waved goodbye and rowed back to the shore. They had a lot of fun.
