Welcome to Restful Journeys.
In this track,
I will be reading the short story,
Hilda's Mermaid,
By Abbey Phillips Walker.
Please find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and relax.
Take a few moments to clear your mind and allow yourself to listen to these words and help you become calm.
Let's enjoy Hilda's Mermaid.
Little Hilda's father was a sailor and went away on long voyages.
Hilda lived in a little cottage on the shore and used to spin and knit while her father was away,
For her mother had passed and she had to be the housekeeper.
Some days she would go out in her boat and fish,
For Hilda was fond of the water.
She was born and had always lived on the shore.
When the water was very calm,
Hilda would look down into the blue depths and try to see a mermaid.
She was very anxious to see one,
She had heard her father tell such wonderful stories about them,
How they sang and combed their beautiful long hair.
One night,
When the wind was blowing and the rain was beating hard upon her window,
Hilda could hear the horn warning the sailors of the rocks.
Hilda lighted her father's big lantern and ran down to the shore and hung it on the mast of a wreck which lay there,
So the sailors would not run their ship upon it.
Little Hilda was not afraid,
For she had seen many such storms.
When she returned to her cottage,
She found the door was unlatched,
But thought the wind had blown it open.
When she entered,
She found a little girl with beautiful hair sitting on the floor.
She was a little frightened at first,
For the girl wore a green dress and was wound round her body in the strangest manner.
I saw your light,
Said the child,
And came in.
The wind blew me far up on shore.
I should not have come up on a night like this,
But a big wave looked so tempting.
I thought I would jump on it and have a nice ride,
But it was nearer the shore than I thought,
And it landed me right near your doorstep.
Oh my!
How Hilda's heart beat,
For she knew this child must be a mermaid.
Then she saw what she thought a green dress was really her body and tail curled up on the floor,
And it was beautiful as the lamp fell upon it and made it glisten.
Will you have some of my supper,
Asked Hilda,
For she wanted to be hospitable,
Although she had not the least idea what mermaids ate.
Thank you,
Answered the mermaid,
I am not very hungry,
But if you could give me a seaweed sandwich I should like it.
Poor Hilda did not know what to do,
But she went to the closet and brought out some bread,
Which she spread with nice fresh butter and filled a glass of milk.
She told her she was sorry,
But she did not have any seaweed sandwiches,
But she hoped she would like what she had prepared.
The little mermaid ate it,
And Hilda was pleased.
Do you live here all the time?
She asked Hilda.
I should think you would be very warm and want to be in the water part of the time.
Hilda told her she could not live in the water as she did,
Because her body was not like hers.
Oh,
I am so sorry,
Replied the mermaid,
I hoped you would visit me sometime,
We have such good times,
My sisters and I,
Under the sea.
Tell me about your home,
Said Hilda.
Come and sit beside me,
And I will,
She replied.
Hilda sat upon the floor beside her.
The mermaid felt of Hilda's clothes and thought it must be a bother to have so many clothes.
How can you swim?
She asked.
Hilda told her she put on a bathing suit,
But the mermaid thought that a nuisance.
I will tell you about our house first,
She began.
Our father,
Neptune,
Lives in a beautiful castle at the bottom of the sea.
It is built of mother of pearl.
All around the castle grow beautiful green things,
And it has fine white sand around it also.
All my sisters live there,
And we are always glad to get home after we have been at the top of the ocean.
It is so nice and cool in our home.
The wind never blows there,
And the rain does not reach us.
You don't mind being wet by the rain,
Do you?
Asked Hilda.
Oh,
No,
Said the mermaid.
But the rain hurts us.
It falls in little sharp points and feels like pebbles.
How do you know what pebbles feel like?
Hilda asked.
Oh,
Sometimes the nerides come and bother us.
They throw pebbles and stir up the water so we cannot see.
Who are the nerides?
Asked Hilda.
They are sea nymphs,
But we make the dogfish drive them away.
We are sirens,
And they are very jealous of us because we are more beautiful than they,
Said the mermaid.
Hilda thought she was rather conceited,
But the little mermaid seemed to be quite unconscious she had conveyed that impression.
How do you find your way home after you've been at the top of the ocean?
Asked Hilda.
Oh,
When father Neptune counts us and finds any missing,
He sends a whale to spout.
Sometimes he sends more than one,
And we know where to dive when we see that.
What do you eat beside seaweed sandwiches?
Asked Hilda.
Fish eggs and very little fish,
Answered the mermaid.
When we have a party,
We have cake.
Hilda opened her eyes.
Where do you get cake?
She asked.
We make it.
We grind coral into flour and mix it with fish eggs.
Then we put it in a shell and send a mermaid to the top of the ocean with it,
And she holds it in the sun until it bakes.
We go to the gulf stream and gather grapes,
And we have sea foam and lemonade to drink.
Lemonade?
Said Hilda.
Where do you get your lemons?
Why the sea lemon,
Replied the mermaid.
That is a small mussel fish,
The color of a lemon.
What do you do at your parties?
You cannot dance.
Said Hilda.
We swim to the music,
Circle around,
And dive and glide.
But the music,
Where do you get musicians?
Hilda continued.
We have plenty of music,
Replied the mermaid.
The sea elephant trumpets for us.
Then there is the pipe fish.
The swordfish runs the scales of the sea adder with his sword.
The seashells blob,
And all together we have splendid music.
But it is late and we must not talk anymore.
So the little mermaid curled herself up,
And soon they were asleep.
The sun shining in the window awakened Hilda next morning,
And she looked about her.
The mermaid was not there.
But Hilda was sure it had not been a dream,
For she found pieces of seaweed on the floor,
And every time she goes out into her boat,
She looks for her friend.
And when the whales spout,
She knows they are telling the mermaids to come home.
That concludes the short story,
Hilda's Mermaid,
By Abbey Phillips Walker.
Thank you for listening.
I hope you have enjoyed this short story,
Had the time to become relaxed,
And possibly fallen asleep.
