A Mermaid Story from Royal Mermaiden Princess Waverlee

“Your Majesties, we have arrived.”

“Finally!” I yelled as I threw myself out of our carriage. I don’t like to sit still for too long and the ride here was torture because my little brother went straight to sleep on my lap and I couldn’t move! Even when I saw the gigantic golden building we were about to enter, I had to sit still instead of bouncing around the way I wanted to. My father followed me out of the carriage and smiled at me, while my mother rolled her eyes.

“We were only in the carriage for fifteen minutes, Waverlee.”

“It felt like so much longer! But when am I going to meet everyone?” I clapped my hands and looked around. I could see the actual MerCouncil room – a gigantic conch shell shape towering in the center of the otherwise layered rectangular structure. As big as the MerCouncil building was, though, it was completely dwarfed by the size of the chasm it sits inside of. I couldn’t even see the top of the rock walls around me! It was really dark down so deep, too. Thankfully, glowing stones lined the rock walls as far as I could see, so everything was lit up nice and bright.

There are four main transporting caves, and since this was such a big meeting, a steady flow of merfolk came out of each one. The meeting wouldn’t begin until that night, though, so they were heading straight to their assigned alcoves. The chasm walls have numbered alcoves for miles to make sure everyone has a place to stay until the MerCouncil proceedings are over. We were staying inside of the MerCouncil building, though, along with the other MerKings and their families.

We started to go inside to see our rooms when I heard someone call my name. I spun around and saw a Mermaiden whipping towards me. It was Zoey, the Australian Princess! I barely had time to yell her name before she crashed right into me and we went tumbling backward, laughing.

“Waverlee, I missed you! How’ve ya been? No more jellies invading, right?” she laughed and gave me a huge grin. Zoey is so loud and funny and energetic!

“Nope, thanks to you! Although the waves might start dragging them in if that means you’ll come and visit more often,” I added with a mischievous look that made her laugh again. “How are you and Cooper?”

“Ah, that silly little turtle is still getting me into loads of trouble. Wouldja believe me if I told you he fell into Dad’s soup the other day after taking a nap on his head? I’ve never heard Dad laugh that hard!”

I giggled but caught my breath as Cooper came flying out of nowhere and head butted me in the stomach! “Oof!” I grunted and then started to laugh as Zoey grabbed Cooper and lectured him. Just then, Bubbles, who had refused to ride in the carriage with us but fell asleep on top of it, came dashing up to me with a beautiful Mermaiden right on her tail. This Mermaiden had dark skin and darker hair that swirled around her head in hundreds of tiny ringlets. Her bright orange and gold tail flashed brilliantly when she moved it in the light. Right behind her was another Mermaiden with a lighter skin, super dark, long hair and a beautiful silver tail that shimmered whenever she moved. Zoey and I looked at each other but neither of us recognized these other Mermaidens.

Just then, Bubbles, who had refused to ride in the carriage with us but fell asleep on top of it, came dashing up to me with a beautiful Mermaiden on her tail. This Mermaiden had dark skin and even darker hair that swirled around her head in hundreds of tiny ringlets. Her bright orange and gold tail flashed brilliantly when she moved it in the light. Right behind her was another Mermaiden with lighter skin, long, dark hair and a beautiful silver tail that shimmered whenever she moved. Zoey and I looked at each other, but it seemed that neither of us recognized these Mermaidens.

The one with curly hair floated forward a little and smiled at me. “Hello, Waverlee! You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Destiny, Princess of the Caribbean Sea. We met when we were very young. And this is Serena, Princess of the Mediterranean Sea.”

I thought for a moment and looked at her, trying to picture her as a little Mermaiden. “Oh!” I shouted. “Oh yeah! I remember now. I visited you when we were little. I remember you have a gorgeous voice and you always carried around that little lobster!”

Just then, a streak of red flashed in Destiny’s hair and “that little lobster” surfaced. He shook his claw at me and jumped up and down as he yelled, “Excuse me, mademoiselle! I am no lobster, you see no lobster here! I am a crab. You are never to insult ze crab with talk of lobsters! Were you born under a rock? Is it not obvious that I am a crab?”

Destiny’s eyes got wide and she quickly snatched the crab out of her hair and cupped him in her hands, muffling him. We all stared in silence at her for a few seconds before Zoey and I suddenly burst into laughter. Destiny and Serena looked at each other and smiled.

“I’m so sorry!” Destiny rolled her eyes. “Frank is such a nuisance sometimes. He never knows when to keep his mouth closed.”

At that, we heard a muffled Frank exclaim, “Francois! Ze crab’s name is Francois!”

I giggled. “That’s okay! I’m sure I can win Francois over soon enough.”

“If you ask me, he’s pretty funny,” Zoey chuckled. “So do you girls know where any of the other Mermaidens are?”

Serena nodded and pointed towards a Mermaiden with startling white hair and a beautiful blue tail. “That’s Crystal, Princess of the Arctic Ocean. And the Mermaiden she’s talking to is Jia, Princess of the Sea of Japan. The Mermaiden with the red hair is Brynn, Princess of the Celtic Sea. We were on our way over to see them when we saw you two.”

“Well then, let’s go meet them!” I squealed. I grabbed Destiny’s hand and dragged her along, Zoey and Serena following close behind. As we swam towards the three Princesses, Jia spotted us and pointed in our direction. I gave them a beaming smile, and as soon as we were all gathered together we started the introductions. Jia has a cute little seahorse that follows her everywhere, Brynn’s swimalong is Fergus the seal, and Crystal’s finfriend is a penguin named Pepper. He is the most adorable little thing I’ve ever seen, but Crystal says he can be a handful. Crystal seems a little shy but super sweet. Jia is quiet and really smart. Brynn is super confident and brave. She told us all about the ships that she saves from the storms back home. I wish I could do important stuff like that with my powers!

Soon, my mom floated over to us. “Mermaidens, we need to go inside now. The MerCouncil is going to start soon and we need to be ready. Waverlee, come help us unpack.” I sighed and wistfully hugged my new finfriends goodbye. Then I left to help Mom. She and Dad are sharing a room while my two brothers get their own. I get my own room too. It’s nice and bright, with lots of comfy cushions and fur wraps from the Arctic.

I stayed in my room to unpack, but my parents came to get me before I was done. They told me to make sure I had the speech I’d written with me. Then they led me down so many huge halls, I felt like I was in a maze! We finally stopped in front of a pair of gigantic black marble doors. We waited there for a long time and, for the first time ever, I started to get little nervous bubbles in my stomach! I tried my best to be calm and patient. Soon, Zoey and her parents came around the corner to my left and she waved at me. I waved back and tried to say hi but my mom shushed me. I shot Zoey a look that I hoped told her how nervous I was feeling. She nodded that she understood and made a ridiculous face, surely meant to ease my worries. I stifled a giggle just as Brynn came around the right-hand corner with her parents. One by one, each of the Mermaidens came to stand around the black doors. It was killing me to stay this quiet!

All of a sudden, the doors started to swing open. The bubbles in my stomach erupted and my hands started to shake. I took a deep breath as we began to swim inside the room, all of us in a single file line. I was first behind my parents so I got the first glimpse. As I passed the black doors, I noticed my reflection in the shiny surface and made sure to smooth my hair down so it looked perfect. Then I followed my parents into the dark room.

The entire room around me was in the shape of a conch shell, with twisting spirals ascending higher than I imagined. The walls were covered with panels that I couldn’t see through, but I knew from my dad’s description that there were thousands of merfolk watching us from the other side. In the middle of the room was a column of light shining on a huge circular table of polished black marble. Around the table were dozens of seats made from giant clamshells, each with a fitted cushion inside. Fourteen of the seats were occupied by mermen and mermaid Council members. I stared at the strange merfolk seated. Some were old and some were surprisingly young! Their tails were of many colors–blue, green, pink, gold, and even red.

My parents ushered me over to three of the clam chairs and sat down on either side of me. Each of the other Mermaidens and their parents did the same until we were all sitting down, staring at each other.

Then one of the wrinkled, white-haired old mermen raised his arms towards us all. With a serious face and a deep voice, he said, “Welcome to the MerCouncil.”

A New Mermaid Story from Fin Fun Mermaiden Serena

I was sitting in my special little clearing of seaweed when I heard Leon coming. Quickly, I smoothed my hair behind my ear and leaned back on one hand on the rock I was perched on as he came into view. He was swimming quickly and sped up when he saw me. “Serena!” he called.

I looked up at him and smiled to myself. “I’m here, Leon.”

“Are you all ready to go?” He asked.

Was it just me or did he sound sad?

“Yes! I finished packing last night and we leave in twenty minutes. I’m glad to see you before I leave.” I looked up at him hesitantly. He did look sad! “Is something wrong, Leon?”

“No! I mean…well…I’m just going to miss you. I really like spending time with you, Serena.” I felt little bubbles erupt in my stomach as he smiled his adorable half smile. I quickly smiled down at my fin. Then I looked back up at him out of the corner of my eye and said, “Well, I’m going to miss you too, Leon. But I promise to come back and tell you all about the important people I meet and the important decisions we make and all the embarrassing things Picasso does.”

Leon laughed. “If he does anything mortifying, just remember that we’ll probably laugh about it someday when you’re the queen.”

I laughed and hung my head. “I’ll keep him on a tight leash and hopefully the MerCouncil will still be standing when we leave.” Leon smiled and put his arm around me, sending goosebumps down my arm. I smiled up at him and then sighed. “I should probably go now. We can’t be late, and honestly, I’m pretty excited to meet the other Mermaidens!” Leon squeezed my shoulder before letting go and hovered as if reluctant to leave. We watched each other for a moment in silence. Then he took my hand and drew himself up as straight as he could. “And now, fair Princess, I must bid you farewell and safe travels. May your carriage travel swiftly there and bring you back just as swiftly.”

Leon squeezed my shoulder before letting go and hovered as if reluctant to leave. We watched each other for a moment in silence. Then he took my hand and drew himself up as straight as he could. “And now, fair Princess, I must bid you farewell and safe travels. May your carriage travel swiftly there and bring you back just as swiftly.”

He bowed deeply and kissed my hand. I laughed and drew myself up as regally as I could. “I thank you, most handsome Prince, for your kind words. And I promise to hasten my return as much as possible.”

Leon laughed and pulled me into a hug. We said our goodbyes, and I rushed home. Our home is a castle made of glittering diamonds. It’s gorgeous if you know where to look. The entire outside is so reflective that it’s practically invisible. But my mother allowed me to paint every room inside the castle using my Mermaiden powers so every room has its own special color and theme. It took me a couple of weeks to plan and paint, but I get so many compliments on my work! It makes me very happy.

As I was making my way inside past all the merfolk who were carrying our bags out to the carriage, my mother pulled me into a room.

“Serena, where have you been? Never mind. Now, you’re sure you’re completely ready? You have everything you need? Where’s Picasso?”

I put my hand on my mom’s shoulder to reassure her. “Mom, everything is fine. I’m completely packed and ready, we haven’t forgotten anything. Picasso is upstairs in my room sleeping. I thought I’d let him get some rest.”

“Alright, but we’re ready to leave now, so you should go get him.”

I rushed upstairs to get Picasso. Before long we were all packed inside our carriage; my father, mother, my three sisters, and Picasso, who promptly fell back asleep on my lap. The carriage was pulled by six dolphins that were rested and ready to swim fast. I leaned my head against the window and watched our home fade behind us. We only had a short way to go before we came to the cave.

Since the ocean is so enormous, it would take weeks or even months to travel anywhere. That’s why the MerWorld has a system of transport caves set up. The caves can take us anywhere we want to go. All you do is swim through them and imagine where you want to be and the magical current in the cave will transport you there. It’s really simple, but I love coming out on the other side in a completely different place!

As we neared the cave, my mother leaned forward and told us all to close our eyes. “No peeking, Nautica! Now, I want you all to imagine what the MerCouncil will be like. Imagine the grand halls made of coral and the ceilings so high, you forget that they’re there. Stop poking your sister, Elata. Imagine the council room, a giant cylinder in the middle of the building with rings and rings of rooms behind diamond barriers for people to watch the meeting. And in the middle is a giant circle made of stone, and around the circle, sitting on cushions, there are 14 council members. They are the wisest and noblest mermen and merwomen from the Seven Seas. They want the best for all of us. You can open your eyes now girls.”

I opened my eyes and immediately my jaw dropped. As I stared, I felt my father lean close to my ear and with his deep voice, he said quietly, “Welcome to the MerCouncil.”

Fin Fun Presents a Mermaid Story from Royal Mermaiden Crystal

Crash!

My head shot up from its nest in my arms, and I listened in the dark. I heard something shuffling around in the darkness near me. Fear crept up in my throat and I fumbled around for my little chest of glow stones that I keep close to my ice bed. Finally, I found them and whipped open the lid to grab two stones. I lifted them up and quickly surveyed the room. Pepper sat sprawled in the middle of a huge mess. Somehow the clumsy little penguin had knocked over my ice sculpture of a killer whale and her baby. I gasped and put my hand to my mouth.

“Pepper, are you alright? You could have been hurt so badly! You naughty little penguin, what do you think you were doing?” I scooped him up in my arms and held him tight while trying not to cry. I was so angry and scared and relieved! The sculpture was very heavy; it could have crushed him if it had fallen on him! Pepper seemed to know it–he was shaking and whimpering slightly.

When we both finally calmed down, I carried him over to my ice bed and set him down while I went to work fixing the sculpture. I call it an ice bed but it’s really more of an ice nest. I made it special with my powers because I don’t like the gap between my bed and the floor. I know that sounds silly at my age, but I’m always afraid something with sticky tentacles is going to grab me during the night! So my bed is just a ring of ice about a foot tall. I sleep in the middle with polar bear fur made into wraps. We don’t kill the polar bears to take their fur though! We wait until after winter when it gets a little warmer. The polar bears start to lose their winter coats, along with some other animals like arctic foxes. We gather up the old fur and make wraps and cushions out of them. They’re so soft and fluffy!

Once I had restored the sculpture, I laid down again with Pepper. He was already asleep so I scooted him over and watched his little stomach go up and down with each heavy breath. I was still a little shaky from fear but I was calming down. I rolled onto my stomach and swirled my fin around and around above me, creating a mini ice storm over my head while I thought. In a few hours I would be on my way to the MerCouncil. I’d have to appear in front of thousands of merfolk and make decisions and speeches! I let my face drop into my arms. What am I going to do? I thought. I’m terrified!

I glanced over at Pepper and felt better. At least I have Pepper. I really have no idea what I’d do without him. This little penguin is so brave,  surely I can summon some courage of my own. I sighed and thought about meeting all the other Mermaidens. I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of seeing Brynn again. She’s the only other Mermaiden that I’ve met but she’s a pearl! I love her red hair and Fergus is the cutest little seal I’ve ever met. I felt myself relax a little more as I remembered I’ll have a friend there…

“Crystal, darling, wake up. We need to leave now.” I slowly peeled my eyelids open to stare into my mother’s deep blue eyes. She smiled at me and helped me sit up. I must have dozed off again last night without realizing!

“Everything is prepared to go, Crystal,” My mother reached out and tucked a loose strand of white hair behind my ear. “Are you ready, Princess?” She has such a soft voice, like mine, but somehow she makes herself heard no matter where she goes. I studied her beautiful features and hoped I could be half as confident as her someday. “Yes, Mother. I’m ready” I whispered.

She smiled at me gently and took my hand in hers. “Then let’s go.”

A New Mermaid Story from Fin Fun’s Royal Mermaiden, Zoey!

“Zoey, are you sure you have everything for our trip? I don’t want to make extra work for anyone by forgetting something here. Sit up straighter, dear. Oh and don’t forget to—are you even listening to me, Zoey?”

I let my chin drop from my hand to the ornate, shell-encrusted stone table that our dinner sat on. I curled my blue and green fin under me on my cushion, wrapped my arms around my head and groaned as my mother started talking again. This was the sixth time today that she had reminded me of our trip. Honestly, I just wanted to go already. I was excited to finally see someplace new!

“Oh Zoey, I’m only trying to help,” my mother said with a sigh. “Pick your head up off the table and sit up straight. I won’t take my daughter to the MerCouncil if she can’t behave herself like a proper Mermaiden.”

I picked up my head and rolled my eyes to the ceiling of our Coral Castle dining room. The walls of my home are literally made out of layers of all different kinds of coral. There are pinks, reds, oranges, blues, and purples, just to name a few. This room is actually called the Blue Room because inside all you can see is blue coral on the walls and ceiling. Each room in our castle is made from a different color of coral. My room is my favorite, the Turquoise Room. It’s made out of a combination of blue and green coral, just like my tail!

I glanced to my left where my little brother sat staring at me with big, blue, mischievous eyes. He’s only ten, but he’s already more of a troublemaker than I am! When he made certain I was looking at him, he nodded his head toward our father. Dad sat at the very end of the table to my left. He was tired and sat on his own cushion groggily, eating absentmindedly. He’d had to stay up all night the night before, making arrangements for our short notice trip. My eyes traveled up his bearded face to the top of his large head. He had light brown hair just like mine that was cut a little below his ears. On top of his head, snuggled inside of his huge crown, lay Cooper, tucked in his shell and snoozing lightly.

I couldn’t help myself. I let out a very unladylike blast of laughter at the strange sight. My mother stopped her ear bashing to stare at me; my father glanced up and then went back to eating, and my brother’s head snapped down to his chest as he tried to stop himself from laughing as well. I quickly composed myself and looked up at my mother intently.

“Sorry, Mom. Got a bit of this sautéed seaweed stuck in my throat. You were saying?” My mother looked anything but convinced as I gave her a winning smile and look of pure innocence. As she resumed her speech, I snuck a glance at Cooper again. As I watched him, one of his droopy eyes slid halfway open, looking at me. Then a slow, goofy grin spread across the tiny turtle’s face. I snapped my eyes back to my mother as she looked up at me, and I struggled to keep a straight face.

A few minutes later, well into my mother’s lecture on proper MerCouncil etiquette, we heard a splash, my dad’s splutter, and my brother’s uncontrollable giggling. I whipped my head up from my plate to see Cooper, soaked in seaweed sauce and standing in the middle of my father’s plate while my father, also soaked in seaweed sauce, stared down at him with his jaw hanging open. For a moment, everyone froze and stared at my father and Cooper. Then, all of the sudden, Dad broke into a huge bellow of laughter, and the table came to life again. My brother resumed his giggles, and even my mother allowed herself a small chuckle. I let out a loud whoop of laughter and shot out of my seat to grab Cooper. The happy little turtle leaped up into my arms.

“Sorry, Dad! Cooper thought you might like your seaweed sauce in your beard. What a silly little turtle he is, isn’t he?” I chuckled and picked up a handkerchief to dab at my father’s beard. Then I made my way toward the doorway. “Come on, Coop, let’s go get you cleaned up!”

“Wait a moment, Zoey! Your father and I heard about the incident with the sharks the other day.” I cringed at my mother’s voice and slowly turned around.

“Oh, yeah?”

She looked at me and almost said something, but paused. Then she said, “I just want you to know that your father and I are very proud of you.”

I started, surprised. Then I gave her a big grin and swam out of the room.

A Mermaid Story from Fin Fun Mermaiden Brynn!

“Quick, Fergus! Catch it!” I playfully tossed my orb of light in an arc over my eager seal friend.

With a goofy grin, he leaped off his rock to catch it. I lifted my light just out of reach and Fergus went sailing into the water with empty fins. I chuckled as he came back up, looking extremely confused and disoriented.

“Poor wee Fergus. Are you tired now or shall we play again?”

By then, a little silver fish had caught Fergus’s attention and he playfully dove under the water to catch it. It was the day before we were to leave to attend the MerCouncil, and Fergus and I had spent much of the day helping my parents get ready for the trip. When we finally finished all our chores, we escaped to our favorite cave along the base of a cliff in the rocky Ireland seashore. Inside there are plenty of boulders sticking up out of the water for us to lie out on. We’d been hanging out there for a couple of hours.

I’m excited to go on this trip, I thought as I watched Fergus chase the silver minnow, but what if there’s a terrible storm while I’m away? I’ve been guiding lost ships into the harbor for the last three years. I would never forgive myself if one sinks because I’m not here to show it the way. The past few weeks have been fairly good weather, but Celtic storms are unpredictable. One minute the skies are clear and the next it’ll be raining sharks and minnows.

Suddenly, I became conscious of a small noise. I froze with my mouth wide open in the middle of a yawn. I heard a splash and whipped around to see Fergus surfacing noisily. As he came swimming around in front of me, I lifted up my tail and bopped him on the head. He looked at me indignantly, and I shushed him with one finger to my lips. I listened intently for the sound I had heard before. I counted to 23 in my head, and then I heard it again! It was a wee laugh that sounded like it was coming from right outside the cave. Fergus looked up at me, black eyes expectant, and I patted him on the head. Then I slowly slipped into the water, and we swam out of our cave.

I made sure that Fergus and I were far enough away from the cave’s entrance before coming up out of the salty water so that we wouldn’t be spotted. It was already night, and the stars above us shone nearly as bright as my own light. We came out of the water and quickly swam a little closer to the beach area next to our cave. I squinted my green eyes to see if I could spot anything. In the darkness, I could just see a little shape moving along the beach. I swam as close as I dared, Fergus right behind me. Soon, I heard the laugh again and I realized what the shape was.

Dancing on the beach was a wee little human lass, wearing a white dress and a crown of flowers on her head. She stooped over every once in a while to pick something up, probably some sort of shell. I’ve heard that humans like to collect shells, which seems odd to me because I see so many down on the ocean floor. Maybe the ones on land are special, though. Each time the lass added a shell to her collection she let out a sweet giggle that warmed my heart. She reminded me of my own little sister, Fiona. I smiled to myself as I watched the little lass. The way she danced on those wee feet had me grinning from ear to ear and longing to join in.

I had been watching her for some time when I saw noticed movement in the corner of my eye. I turned my head to the left and was startled as I saw two more figures in the distance, running high up on a hill. As the moonlight shone down on them, I realized the two new humans appeared to be looking for something. In fact, they were calling out and seemed to be growing frantic in their search. I looked back at the young lass who was obviously lost in her own imagination.

Then it dawned on me. The two humans must be her parents! She had probably strayed away while they weren’t watching her and now they thought they’d lost her. Without wasting another second, I closed my fist and focused. When I opened it back up a small glowing light sat in the palm of my hand, ready to do my bidding. Fergus peered into my hand excitedly, getting ready to pounce.

“Not this time, Fergus,” I whispered, “I have a wee little ship to guide first.”

I held my light close to my face and blew on it softly. It lifted and began to sail toward the young girl, who spotted it quickly as it reached the beach. She paused in her dancing and with childlike curiosity, she reached out her hands toward the mysterious light. I let my little orb flicker and bounce like a firefly, which only intrigued the child further. She squealed with delight as I spun the light around her in large circles. Then, concentrating carefully, I began to guide the lass up the path leading her home. She ran after the light without hesitation, and in no time she was making her way up the winding path with ease. She only tripped once, and I gasped in fear, nearly letting my light fade, but she hopped right up and laughed as she continued on.

When finally she reached the top of the hill, her parents spotted her immediately. Fergus nuzzled my chin as we watched the girl’s father scoop her up in his arms and spin her around and around. Her mother covered them both in kisses. I sighed happily as they all walked home.

Fergus tugged on a lock of my red hair to show his impatience. “Alright, alright ya wee devil!” I chuckled at him.

As we started back home, I glanced behind me to see the small family fading into the darkness.

“Goodbye, my wee little ship. Maybe I’ll guide you again someday.”

A New Mermaid Story from Mermaiden Jia

I took a deep breath and knocked on the carved stone door in front of me. It was small, and I’d have to duck down to enter, but the cottage looked lovely. Like the door, the cottage itself was carved out of a large gray boulder, polished until it shone. The roof was crafted from different assortments of underwater plants, mostly seaweed.

I heard a small squeal echo inside of the little home. Then, the stone door swung open and an older merwoman looked out at me. Worry and then relief were written plainly in her features. She invited me into the lovely cottage with a wave of her hand. There weren’t quite enough windows, and the room was very dark. I looked around, surveying the tiny home. There was a small kitchen, a living area, and two small bedrooms with no doors. The merwoman floated in front of me. Hiding behind her soft emerald tail, two young mermaids peeped out at me with big eyes. I smiled kindly down at them before I looked up at their mother and said, “Hello. My name is—“

I only got that far when one of the little mermaids darted out in front of her mother and latched onto my tail, hugging me tightly. She started to babble… “Oh, Princess Jia, you have to help us! My sister is sick! She can’t come pick seaweed with me for Mommy. Please, Princess Jia, heal her so we can play together again.”

Obviously embarrassed, her mother started to detach the little mermaid from my tail and apologize, but I raised my hand and smiled at her. Then I bent down and looked into the little blue eyes that were staring up at me with bubbles leaking out. “What’s your name, little one?” I asked her softly.

“My name is Mei.”

“Well, Mei, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. You lead me to your sister, and I’ll show you and your mother which ingredients to use to heal her. That way, if she ever gets sick again, you’ll know how to help her. Does that sound like a good plan?”

The child’s smile was a ray of sunlight that lit up the dark room. She simply beamed at me and squealed as she turned around and looked at her mother, giggling. Her mother stood with her other daughter and smiled at me with tears in her eyes. She reached out her hand and Mei took it. Then they led me to one of the rooms, where the young mermaid lay in a seaweed bed. She was very pale and very still. She had a sickness that no merdoctor had heard of. That’s why I was there.

My mother had come to me while I was packing for our upcoming trip to the MerCouncil. She had told me that there was a young mermaid who needed my help. With schooling and all my Mermaiden responsibilities, I don’t often get the chance to go heal the loyal subjects in our kingdom. I’m very excited when I do get the opportunity. I love to help people. It’s what I do best.

I knelt by the little mermaid’s side and asked her mother a few questions. How long had she been like this? When was the last time she ate? Had she ever been this ill before? These things would help me to know what to use. “She started showing signs of sickness last week. She hasn’t been able to eat since yesterday and it was only a little. Her previous illnesses were never this bad,” the little girls’ mother told me.

I was worried by her answers. If this was a recurring sickness that got worse each time, I would need something special. Quickly, I pulled a little pouch from my satchel and opened it. Inside were thirteen golden pearls. I pulled one out and set it in the palm of my hand. Then I concentrated and blew warm water on the little gold pearl. It slowly melted away into a fine, sparkling glitter. I sprinkled the stuff over my patient. Within seconds, the color came back into her face, and she sighed with relief in her sleep. I smiled.

“Again, Jia, again!” Mei shrieked with happy laughter. She clapped her soft little hands and beamed up at me. I laughed and explained that the golden pearls were very special and that I didn’t have enough to do it again. I told Mei that her older sister would be just fine after this.

Mei, her sister, and her mother thanked me countless times as I backed out of the door. They insisted that I take some special candied seaweed for Akiko. She couldn’t come with me on this trip because she had her own little job to do. Akiko carries messages for my father because she is so fast. He ties a message to her tail and she comes back with the response. Sometimes our jobs make it hard for us to have time to play together, but we always seem to find some time here and there.

As I headed back to my home in our palace, I thought about our upcoming trip. I was so excited to see Brynn again. We’re close friends. We keep in touch, although I hadn’t been able to see her for the past two years. I was also thrilled to finally meet all five of the other Mermaidens.

I didn’t know exactly what the MerCouncil was being called together for, but it must be important. My parents said I’d find out soon. They said a big change could be coming and that I could have a huge role in it. I hope so! I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world. This might be my chance!

Mermaid Stories from Fin Fun Mermaiden Waverlee

“Waverlee! We are going to be late! We must leave right away!”

“Yes, Dad! I’m coming!” I quickly pulled aside my seaweed hangings—which are decorated with lots of little shells and human trinkets and hang across the threshold of my room to give me some privacy—and dashed into my room with Bubbles at my side, scrutinizing the entire space to make absolutely sure that I hadn’t missed anything. I had packed my comb, various flower pieces for my hair, my lucky pearls and shells, my favorite human objects, and a few other important things.

I still couldn’t believe that I was actually going to the MerCouncil! I nearly screeched out loud just thinking about it! I really did screech when my mother first told me about it two days before.

After I saw a human wearing a mermaid tail a few weeks ago, I quickly rushed home to tell my parents. They were just as astounded as I was! Then they shut themselves in Dad’s throne room and wouldn’t let me come in at all! How unfair is that? I tried listening with a conch shell, but I think my dad knows me too well because he had some of his guards come by the door. They were “under strict orders not to let anyone near.” I may or may not have “accidentally” thrown a wave at them for that.

Soon after their meeting, my mom and dad invited me into the throne room. They thanked me for telling them about the human girl and her removable tail, and they told me that this was going to change a lot about the MerWorld. I was a little confused about how until they told me that they had just contacted the MerCouncil. I knew that it was a big deal then. The MerCouncil only deals with the important stuff.

Oh, I forgot to tell you about how they were able to contact the MerCouncil! See, it’s a really big deal to see the MerCouncil, and it takes some time to get a conference with them, so if you have something important to tell them it would take a while. That’s why each of the seven MerKings has a big mirror that they can use to talk to the MerCouncil or other MerKings instantly. They aren’t allowed to use it except for important stuff, though.

I’ve seen my dad use his mirror. He just says the name of who he wants to talk to, and all of a sudden, there they are in the mirror. Except it only works if the other king is standing in front of their mirror, too. That’s why all the MerKings keep their mirrors guarded by their most loyal and trusted guards. If the king is contacted by someone with the mirror, then one guard quickly informs the king. It’s a pretty good system.

So the conference was all very hush-hush, but then they told me that we would be attending a gathering of the MerCouncil in two days! They told me that I would have a special job to tell the Council members everything that I remembered about that day. I’ve been practicing my speech ever since. I love to talk in front of merfolks! I don’t get nervous at all!

Also, my parents told me that all the other royal Mermaidens would be there, too! I am so excited to see them! I haven’t met many of my fellow princesses, but I have met Zoey, the Australian Mermaiden from the Coral Sea. She’s a real pearl! We met two years ago when our kingdom was in a little bit of trouble with a jellyfish invasion—they were everywhere! They were stinging mermaids and humans alike! Zoey has power over animals, so she drove all the jellyfish away. After that, my father let Zoey and her parents stay as our “honorary guests” for two weeks! We had a great time together. Zoey loves to play hide-and-seek. We played all afternoon every day and I let her splash through my waves with her turtle friend, Cooper. Cooper and Bubbles get along really well. I can’t wait to meet the other five Mermaidens, though! I heard that one– I can’t remember her name–has ice powers! How cool is that?

“Waverlee!” My mother’s voice brought me back from my thoughts.

“I’m coming, Mother!” I called. I glanced into my mirror to make sure my golden hair was perfect and then I turned to Bubbles. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go meet the MerCouncil.”

To be continued…

Mermaid Stories from Fin Fun Mermaiden Destiny

I sat on the beach and watched the moon in the sky, humming a song to myself. It was finally a full moon. I looked down eagerly at my orange tail and waited. Any minute now, I thought to myself. Then I felt a tingling in the tip of my tail. I held my breath as, slowly, the beautiful orange and gold of my fin gave way to a brilliant, shimmering Caribbean blue. As the tingles faded, I let my breath out and sighed happily. This had happened ever since I was a little girl. Every full moon, my orange tail would transform into a beautiful blue one! I call it my nighttime tail, but really it only comes with the full moon. I love my daytime tail, but sometimes the change is nice.

I leaned back onto my arms, wiggling my fingers into the sand. I love sitting up on the beach during the night. It’s relaxing and helps me think. Right then, I had a lot to think about. My Mermom and Merdad had just given me some wonderful… and frightening news. We’re going to see the MerCouncil in just two days!

The MerCouncil is made up of very important and wise old merfolk. They meet together when something is wrong in the MerWorld. They don’t settle just any old argument, though. They only meet for very important reasons, and my parents told me that this meeting was especially imperative. They wouldn’t tell me much, but I overheard them talking about Waverlee, the princess from the Pacific Ocean.

I’ve only met Waverlee once when I was a very small girl. I don’t remember much about her except that she was very bubbly and friendly and she had long golden hair, which was strange to me. I didn’t see many merfolk or humans with blonde hair here in the Caribbean. Most of the people and merfolk have dark skin and dark hair. Waverlee was the opposite!

I was excited to see my fellow Mermaidens, especially Serena! I met her just a few years ago. I remembered her very well! She was charming and sweet and artistic. We had so much fun together, painting and dancing. It turns out that I’m not so good with colors, but she is fantastic! She loved to watch me dance, and I loved to dance for her! She was a great audience. Even Frank liked her. And Frank doesn’t like many people, or at least he pretends not to.

Right then, I heard some mumbling coming from behind me, and then I felt little tugs on my curly hair. The tugs rose higher and higher until all of the sudden, a little pair of eyes popped down in front of mine.

“Hello, Miss. You are tired, no?” Frank said, suspiciously cheerful.

I lifted one of my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes at him. Frank tried to mirror my expression, but he doesn’t have eyebrows, which is a tender subject for him, so he just ended up looking confused. I laughed, and then he got upset and turned around on my head, plopping himself down to brood.

“Oh, Frank! Lighten up!” I reached up to my head and nudged him a little. He only scuttled back farther and did his best to cross his front legs. “And I’m not tired. I’m too excited and nervous to be tired.”

Frank turned back around curiously. “You are nervous, Mademoiselle?”

“Yes, Frank. I’m really nervous! I’ve never been to the MerCouncil. My parents won’t even tell me why we’re going! What if something serious is happening? And what if I embarrass myself in front of everyone? Oh, Frank, tell me what to do!”

Frank slipped off the back of my head, scuttled around until he was in front of me, and climbed up my tail. He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment. Then he announced, “Ze crab has two things to say. One. Again, ze name is Francois, not Frank. Two. Ze crab is very smart. He does not ever embarrass himself. He will be your guide at ze MerCouncil. With him as your companion, you will excel!” he said, jumping into the air to emphasize ‘excel.’

I beamed down at Frank. Then I scooped him up in my hands and planted a kiss on his little shell. “Oh, thank you, Frank! You are the best finfriend I’ve ever had! I can’t think of what I would do without you!” Frank had a goofy grin on his face when I set him down but quickly straightened his expression into a stern, business face. I handed him up into my hair again and he tied himself in with a couple of strands. Then he marched back and forth across my head as I flipped into the sea and started my swim home. I had a lot to do before we left!

“Well then, Mademoiselle! Let us get to work! Pack ze jewels! Pack ze combs! Pack ze pearls! Pack ze boat!—”

“Frank, we’re not bringing our sunken ship,” I reminded him gently, hiding my smile.

“Oh yes, of course. Pack ze treasure! Pack ze furniture! Pack ze crab! Zat is very important. Do not forget ze crab. Do you hear? I …”

I started to hum to myself again and thought about the MerCouncil. I will focus on the exciting things, I thought. Seeing all the other Mermaidens and going somewhere new would be exciting! And, I thought while my heart leaped, my father thinks there might be a ball!

Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Fin Fun Presents a Mermaid Story by Royal Mermaiden Serena!

“Hmm. What should I paint today, Picasso?” I asked my rainbow fish finfriend. He smiled up at me happily and blew a big bubble. I laughed and turned back to my canvas, tapping my chin with my special paintbrush. Deciding what to create is always the hardest part of painting, in my opinion.

Picasso is a lot of fun, but not always the most helpful painting partner. Once, I tried to paint a portrait of him. That was the last time I’ll ever do that! I spent an hour just trying to keep him in position long enough to capture his outline! Then he decided to play hide and seek and I gave up. He’s a fin full of colorful trouble!

As I contemplated what to paint, I felt someone behind me. I whirled around and came face to face with Leon. I gasped and fluttered backward a bit, a blush instantly tinting my face. He was so handsome! His lovely green eyes shone against his tan skin, and he had such a charming smile. I couldn’t help but smile back!

“Hey, Serena. I hope I didn’t scare you,” Leon said with one of his dazzling smiles. I momentarily forgot to breathe. How do I talk again? Oh, right!

“Uhh…Hi, Leon! No, no you didn’t scare me. I was just startled a little.” I felt my cheeks burn more. His smile widened and I found myself staring at the dimples that formed in his cheeks. How adorable… Then I realized he had just finished saying something and was looking at me expectantly for an answer. My own cheeks were on fire as I said, “I’m sorry. I missed that. What was it that you asked?”

“I asked what you are planning on painting,” Leon said with a kind smile.

“Oh. Well, I haven’t decided yet, but probably something simple with a lot of colors. I would paint Picasso, but he won’t sit still long enough for me to get a good look.”

I turned around to make sure Picasso was still there. He was swimming around with a lovely female rainbow fish who was a little smaller than him. He was blowing bubbles and then darting after them, clearly trying to impress her. She seemed to be impressed by his bubble-popping skills, and he seemed very pleased with himself. I laughed and rolled my eyes as I turned back to Leon.

Leon was watching the pair of them with an amused look. I smiled up at him and he smiled back at me. I blushed again and he smiled wider. I quickly turned around so he wouldn’t see the joy in my eyes. I never understood why Leon didn’t treat me like the others did. I was somewhat of an outcast in my kingdom, at least among the merfolk my age. Everyone treated me with respect and awe and kindness, but no one ever tried to be my friend. They almost seemed scared of me. I hated that.

But Leon had always been very friendly towards me. He was kind and gentle and funny. We had been friends for a long time. So why did I feel bubbles in my tummy every time he was around?

“You know, Serena, you could paint me.” Leon came in front of me and sat on a large rock, his eyes twinkling. His tail was the perfect shade of green. My heart leaped at the thought of painting him. Could I do it? Could I actually paint him perfectly?

“Well, it will take a while. And you have to promise to behave like a proper gentle merman. No squirming, moving, or blowing bubbles,” I teased.

“I promise.”

“Okay, then. Sit still.” I tried to avoid showing the thrill I felt. I had to concentrate!

When I paint, I use my power. I hold onto my special paintbrush and imagine the color I want to use. Then, when I move the paintbrush, that’s what color it paints. I could do it without the brush, but my fingers aren’t as accurate with the strokes. My father, the king, gave me this paintbrush as a special gift. It’s my most treasured possession.

I worked on my painting for two whole hours! Leon was very patient. He only moved once or twice, although while Picasso and his new splash were playing tag, Picasso accidentally ran into the back of Leon’s head. We laughed for a long time after that. After realizing he wasn’t in trouble, Picasso raced around in circles with a little grin on his face.

Finally, I was done. I looked over what I had painted and felt nervous. It was a good picture, I thought, but would he like it?

“Done?” Leon asked me from his seat on the rock.

I pushed back a lock of my long, dark brown hair and frantically looked for any errors. “Yes, I think so,” I said uncertainly.

Leon smiled and hurried over to see it. I held my breath as he looked down at the picture. There he was, sitting on a rock in a little grove of tall seaweed. He had a half smile on his face with one of his dimples showing. His eyes and tail were a deep green and his skin had a glowing tan. His hair was the color of caramel and a few of his curly locks were astray.

Leon turned to me with a huge smile on his face. “Serena, this is amazing! I love it. Thank you.”

He wrapped his arms around me and spun me around. I laughed at his enthusiasm and he laughed, too. “I can’t wait to show my mother! She’ll be ecstatic,” Leon told me as he let me go. “Pretty soon, she’ll put you to work doing all of our portraits.” Leon has lots of little brothers. I’ve never met them before but they look so sweet!

“I would love to help your family with that,” I told him excitedly. He gave me another of his winning smiles.

“You may regret that when you have to paint my little brothers. They’re worse than Picasso!” Leon teased. We laughed again.

“Speaking of my little brothers,” he said, “I should probably go. My mother will need help with them while she’s making dinner. Thank you again, Serena. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He looked hesitant for a moment, and then he bent down and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I was so shocked I barely had time to force out a small “goodbye” before he was gone.

When I was certain that he couldn’t hear or see me, I let out a squeal and twirled around in circles. Picasso looked at me with happy confusion as I gathered him in my arms and spun him as well. Even as I fell asleep that night, I couldn’t stop myself from beaming.