A Story about a Mermaid

Penelope was the squires daughter and lived in Little Trembly-by-The-Sea. She loved the children in the village and helped in the school, but her most favorite thing of all was to gather them up and sit on the rocks by the sea and read to them. Little did she know that there was a secret audience listening to her stories. Three mermaids would visit the rocks and happily spend an hour listening to Penelope’s stories.One day a fierce storm blew up out of nowhere, the children were terrified and started to cry. One little girl was so scared, she couldn’t move. Penelope was shepherding the children away from the rocks, when she realized little Gracie was not with the rest of the children. To her horror, she saw Gracie standing on the rock and the angry wind carry her backwards into the sea. There was no one to help Gracie, so Penelope raced to the rocks and dove into the swirling seas. It took her a few minutes to find Gracie, but find her she did. Penelope managed to tow her to the rocks and lift her up to safety. But by this time, the storm had worsened, the waters were so angry. Her dress was heavy and she couldn’t free herself of her buckled shoes. The rocks were very slippery and Penelope couldn’t find purchase, every time she tried to find a fingerhold, her hand slipped. Exhaustion seized her and it was clear the sea wanted her for its own. The mermaids found her floating and could not save her. In their distress, they took her body to Neptune and begged his aid, telling him of their love for this man’s child. While he could not restore her human life, there was a gift he could give her, he could bring her back as a Mermaid. And so Penelope now swims the sea and reads to the mermaids. © Lynell Fox, 14 June 2008