The Sleepy Mermaid

Once Upon A Time, in the oceans deep, there was a city named Finsville made of coral and reefs. In it lived merpeople of the sea with long and bright tails and pearl necklaces hanging around their necks. So deep into the ocean was Finsville that no sunlight ever came down on the coral and reef houses. So, the merpeople, who slept in clamp beds and ate seagrass for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, would often swim to the surface to see the sun. But most of the time, the merpeople were happy on the ocean floor, in the coral and reef houses of their beloved Finsville, where the soil did not stick to their lovely tails. Although not as bright or warm as the sunlight, the lights from lanternfishes were enough for them, thank you very much! The lanternfishes hung around in the streets and within houses, peacefully living with the merpeople, lighting up their otherwise dark city. And so, life went on in Finsville, where everyone was happy as they could be. That is, except for one little mermaid…

Kaini, the little mermaid, had always been different from the rest. Her tail was orange, and her hair was yellow as the sun. Such a combination of hair and tail color was unique to her. Most of the merpeople had green and blue hair and tails. Moreover, Kaini’s heart was adventurous, and her mind was creative. Unlike the other merpeople, she loved the sun and adored the moon. Her favorite pastime was swimming to the surface and watching the birds flying in the blue sky. She would watch seagulls and dolphins while sitting on a rock. She took great joy in seeing the seagulls beat their wings in the air as if they were swimming in the sky. Kaini, the mermaid, loved how dolphins shot out of the water, only to dive back in, emerge once more, and then back in. She had learned that this way of moving was called porpoising.

“Yikes! That is a huge and ugly word for something so pretty,” she thought when the octopus, the teacher, gave a lesson on the subject.

In Kaini’s mind, the dolphins were dancing between two worlds… air and water, sunlight and darkness, warmth and coldness, silence and sound…

But she could not say all of this aloud in her classroom. The other merpeople did not like hearing too much praise of the world of air. They considered it a dangerous territory. A place that was fine and charming as long as one stuck close to the water and visited it only briefly. However, Kaini, the little mermaid, had one dream: she wanted a house that could float on the water…a home not made of coral and reefs…but something else. Something soft and pleasant to the touch. Kaini wanted a retreat where she could look at the seagulls and dolphins for as long as she wanted. Her little heart wanted to see the sun sink into the waters far away. She desired to sleep in a world of moonlight and stars…of sea breezes making her hair wave in the air. But there was one catch.

She did not have the slightest idea of how she would ever be able to build such a house.

And so, Kaini, the mermaid, roamed about in Finsville, sad and confused. But then, one day, her friend Mimi, the glowing fish, came to pay her a visit. Mimi and Kaini had become friends in school. The little glowing fish was also orange, and she glowed brighter than any lanternfish in Finsville. When she saw her best friend’s usually sunny and cheerful face, all sad and gloomy, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Why, my dear mermaid, are you so sad? Come on, tell Mimi everything that bothers your good heart,” offered Mimi with a bright smile.

“You wouldn’t understand, Mimi,” said Kaini, “You are such a sweetheart to ask. But there is nothing you or anyone can do. So, why waste bubbles talking about it? Instead, let us go on some underwater adventure to pass the time.”

Kaini and Mimi often went out to search for wrecked ships sitting on the ocean floor. They would explore every corner of it with the help of Mimi’s orange light. But Mimi was a good friend; she could not think of her own fun when her friend was sad. So, she wanted to help her in any way she could.

“Even if I can’t do anything,” said Mimi, “Just sharing your troubles will help you feel better.”

Kaini knew there was truth in that. So, she opened her heart to Mimi, the glowing fish, her best friend in the ocean. Kaini told her everything about her dreams and desires: the house not made of coral or reefs, which can float on water. Mimi was always confused by the mermaid’s fascination with the world of air. But that hardly mattered. She knew that these dreams meant a lot to her friend.

“Well, now isn’t this interesting. I believe I have exactly what you need,” announced Mimi, the glowing fish.

Instantly, Kaini’s heart jumped and danced. She experienced one of the most amazing things in the world: hope.

“You heard me right, yellow head,” said Mimi, smiling, “The thing you are looking for is called a boat, and it can float. But we will have to figure out what to use to make a little house on it for you. But I know the place, a rock near the shore where the boat’s tied since before my birth. My parents told me about it a long time ago. I have seen it myself, this boat. So, what do you say?”

Without another thought, Kaini, the little mermaid, and Mimi, the glowing fish, were swimming up and up, leaving bubbles through the water. They passed many of their classmates on the way, the seahorses and puffers, starfishes and turtles, but there was no time to greet them.

Up and up they went…until Kaini saw the world of air through the water. It was like a curtain separating the two worlds. Kaini wondered what it would be like to look at the water from above. Flying over the sea like a bird, diving towards the water just as she was swimming towards the air. She stopped and looked at the curtain. The sun appeared smudged, its light spilling into the water.

Smiling, she swam quickly up with her tail and arms until… she jumped out of the water. Shouting with joy, Kaini landed with a splash. Looking at the sun, she closed her eyes and felt the warmth kissing her skin. Down below, Mimi swam in a circle. Dipping her head back in, Kaini listened to what her friend had to say.

“We better get there before it’s dark. Follow me, little mermaid,” said Mimi as she swam away.

Kaini followed her, swimming just below the surface. Occasionally, she jumped out and saw the sun diving slowly towards the water far away. When they got closer, Kaini stopped to see the sun melting into the ocean. Its reflection on the water was like a light carpet, inviting Kaini to swim toward the sun. It was all so beautiful that Kaini could not wait to get to the boat. Finally, the two friends reached their destination.

The boat floated on the water, going up and down with the waves. Going over the big rock, Kaini untied the rope and jumped into the boat. It was perfect! As she thought about building a house, a seagull landed nearby. He was wearing a cap and a smile on his beaked face.

“Hi, dear mermaid,” said the seagull, “I am Seamus, the seagull! This is my first time seeing a mermaid sitting on a boat. What, may I ask, is your name?”

“I’m Kaini, and I’m here because I have a dream, Seamus. A dream most beautiful that this boat will help me fulfill,” said Kaini, her eyes sparkling. Just then, Mimi jumped out of the water and dived back in. Kaini dipped her head into the water to hear what her companion had to say.

“Ask the seagull if he can help you, Kaini. Come on, he seems like a decent fellow,” suggested Mimi. And that is precisely what Kaini did.

She lifted her head out of the water and said, “O kind seagull, could you help me achieve my dream?”

Seamus, the seagull, was a kind soul. He bowed his feathered head and spoke, “If it is possible to do, I will do it, my polite mermaid.”

Excited beyond words, Kaini told Seamus about her dream.

“So, you see,” said Kaini to Seamus, “We found the boat. But what do we use to make the house?”

“You are in luck, little mermaid,” said Seamus, “I know exactly what you need. Come along now, grab my webbed feet, and I will take you with me to a field of all kinds of flowers. We will find wood and vines, too. All this will be enough to fulfill your dream, sweet Kaini.”

As happy as she was, the little mermaid was also confused. The seagull was too small. How could he possibly carry her in the air? Seamus saw the confusion on her face and laughed. He beat his wings and flew towards Kaini; turning around, he offered his webbed feet to her.

“Doubt not, little mermaid! Just grab my webbed feet and see the magic for yourself. Oh, and tell your bright friend that you will be back soon,” said Seamus.

Feeling silly, Kaini did just what the seagull had said. And then, something magical happened. Her body became light as a feather; she felt like the ocean was no longer pulling her down. It was as if the air had become like water…

As Seamus flapped his wings and flew into the sky…Kaini, the little mermaid, flew with him…

At first, Kaini felt scared as the air rushed around her. But soon…flying with Seamus, the seagull, became the most exciting experience of her life. Looking down, she saw the water like a bird. It was like the sky had poured into the ocean. Little pearls of sunlight twinkled like the stars of the night sky. Kaini’s heart had never been happier. But, as it often happens when we are having too much fun, the flight ended too quickly as Seamus told her that their destination was nearby. Looking ahead, she saw a garden beyond the shore…

The kingdom of green was decorated with every flower imaginable. There were red roses, purple violets, yellow sunflowers, white lilies, and many more. In the middle of the garden was a pond. Seamus dropped Kaini off into the pond and went away to get a box to put the flowers in. Soon, he came back with a huge box made of wood.

The box also appeared to become feather light when Seamus touched it with his webbed feet.

“Tell me, dear mermaid, what flowers bring happiness to your little heart?” asked Seamus.

And then, Kaini pointed the flowers out, and Seamus flew her over the flowerbeds. Kaini took as many as she liked and put them in the box while flying beside Seamus. The petals were perfect! Exactly what she needed. They were soft and had the loveliest scent. After gathering enough flowers, Seamus dropped her off into the pond again and went away to get vines and thin tree branches. Kaini could not understand how he was doing it, but the seagull got everything they needed. Seamus was a genuinely exceptional seagull! Something told her that he would be her best friend in the world of air.

Once they were done, Seamus had the box tied to his left webbed foot with a vine and asked Kaini to hold his other webbed foot. Soon, they were back in the air, with the giant box flying alongside the mermaid. Upon reaching the boat, Seamus allowed the box to rest on the big rock. Immediately, Kaini jumped back into the water where Mimi, the glowing fish, her best friend in the world of water, was waiting for her. Excitedly, Kaini told her everything. The poor little fish could not believe what she was hearing.

“I guess there are a lot of things we still don’t know,” was all she said at the end.

Over the coming days, Kaini and Seamus constantly worked to make the house of flowers on the boat. Seamus handed her a thin tree branch, to which Kaini tied petals with the vines. After making their brains work overtime, making mistakes, and learning new things about making flower houses on boats, the day finally came when the house was complete.

Kaini, the little mermaid, had achieved her dream. She didn’t have the words to thank Seamus, the seagull.

“I will remember this kindness for as long as I live, Seamus,” was all she could say.

“Dear little mermaid,” said Seamus, “Your dream was just too beautiful to have been left unfulfilled.”

And with these words, he flew off into the sky…

And so, Kaini looked at the sun lying on the flowerbed within the flower-roofed boat, her tiny home.

She saw the sun melting into the water and the dolphins dancing between the worlds of water and air. Kaini looked at the birds flying in the sky, swimming in the air. And as the moon came out and the stars lit up, she felt peace and comfort in her mind, heart, body, and soul. But there was one little surprise left. The water around her house started to glow orange. Jumping back into the water, she found Mimi shining brighter than ever.

“Go back up, Kaini. I want you to have the most beautiful memory of your life,” said Mimi. Kaini opened her arms and hugged the glowing fish tightly.

Back on her boat, Kaini saw the moon…paper white, glowing with a buttery light. Around her, the water glowed orange. Taking a deep breath, Kaini let the experience sink into her memory. It was the most beautiful day of her life.

Stretching and yawning, she lay on her bed, falling asleep in the world’s most beautiful place.