when I was a kid my mum used to read me a story about Mermaids. Its actually about a couple called Emma and Tom who are very much in love but they are poor. Emma has a garden and makes pretty things out of sea shells and flowers. Tom is a fisherman and one day he never comes home, Emma goes to look for him but trips on a rock and falls in to the sea. She thinks she is drowning but then she hears beautiful soft voices calling her name and suddenly she is surrounded by mermaids. They cast a spell on her so she can breathe under water, they are happy to have a new friend and the make her a pretty shell necklace and green jelly to eat (YUM!). But Emma is sad because she misses Tom. One day the mermaids and Emma go up to the surface to sing to a fisherman and enchant him and then trap him. Emma recognizes the fisherman as Tom, but its too late and the mermaids trap him and lock him in their coral palace. During the night Emma sets him free, but when she gets him back to his boat she can't go with him because she is a mermaid. At the next full moon Tom comes back to rescue Emma, with him he brings handfuls of beautiful, sparkling jewels. The mermaids had never seen anything so beautiful and agree to give Tom a wish in exchange for the jewels. "I wish" says Tom, "that you would give emma back her legs so she can return to me". Emma is delighted to be back with Tom but perplexed- where did the expensive jewels come from? It turns out they are the christmas decorations that Emma made herself. Reunited they row towards home in the moonlight.
I spent every birthday wish and shooting star wishing to be a mermaid. I thought that they were some beautiful and full of whimsy. I knew they were a bit mean and they didn't seem to be very fond of boys. But mostly I loved their hair. There was a point when I realised that it was not possible to become a mythical creature. Up until then I had honestly thought it was not only possible but probable seeming as I had used every single wish. Maybe now I should just wish for Mermaid hair?
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