The Mermaids

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Morgana has loved mermaids ever since she was a tiny girl. Whenever she played on the beach, she would look out at the ocean and dream about beautiful mermaids swimming there. Then one day her dream came true, but not in the way she expected.

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Transcript

Hello,

My name is Jacqueline and I'm a very proud grandma.

I write stories for my grandchildren and I'm very happy to share them with you too.

So make yourself comfortable because my next story is about to begin.

The Mermaids.

Morgana had always had a fascination with the sea.

From the day she was born,

Her mother had held her in her arms and walked the length of the beach by her house.

No matter the weather,

She would carry her daughter,

Wrapped up warm if necessary,

Down to the water's edge to breathe in the fresh air.

The best way to start the day,

She would whisper.

Her name,

Morgana,

Meant bright sea dweller.

A perfect name for her as the beach was her happy place.

Every morning before school,

Morgana would go to the beach.

First,

She walked near the water's edge where she stood and breathed in the fresh salty air,

Just as her mother had taught her.

Closing her eyes,

She would take a great big slow deep breath in,

Filling her lungs.

Then she held that breath for a few seconds before slowly releasing all the air.

She would do this a few times and always felt refreshed and full of vigour when she had finished.

Then,

After checking the clock she could see on the little village shop,

She would walk slowly back home across the beach,

Dragging her toes through the soft sand and dream about being a mermaid.

When Morgana was two years old,

Her mother read her a book about mermaids and from that moment on,

Whenever she played on the beach,

Morgana would look out at the ocean and imagine beautiful mermaids swimming there.

As much as Morgana loved the sea and reading books about mermaids,

She loved nothing more than using her own imagination to create magnificent stories about meeting and being with mermaids.

Today,

Morgana had woken earlier than usual.

She could see the sun brightly shining through a gap in her bedroom curtains and this always made her smile.

The clock beside her bed showed it was only six o'clock,

Still an hour to go before she needed to get up.

But Morgana was awake and couldn't go back to sleep,

Knowing that the sun was shining.

She decided to go down to the beach before her family awoke.

She quickly got dressed and slipped quietly out of the house.

There was nobody about in the village or on the beach as Morgana made her way to the water's edge.

Standing still,

She breathed in the air as usual and appreciated the feeling of life within her as she went through her daily routine.

Afterwards,

She slowly began to walk along the water's edge when something in the sea caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

What was that?

She thought to herself.

It looked like a dolphin jumping out of the water,

But they didn't have dolphins around here.

At least she had never seen or heard of dolphins around here.

She wiped her eyes,

Thinking maybe she was a little sleepier than she had thought,

And then carried on walking.

Ahead of her,

Something glistened in the sand quite near the water's edge.

Going over,

She bent down and saw an ornate silver hair comb,

Which was mostly hidden in the sand.

She pulled it out carefully,

Brushed the sand off,

And marveled at how pretty it was.

The main body of the comb was shaped like flowers with tiny white pearls decorating it,

And the long teeth of the comb resembled the waves.

Hello,

Said a soft voice behind her,

Making her jump slightly.

I see you have found my hair comb.

I lost it this morning as I was swimming with my sisters.

Morgana turned around and was stunned to see a beautiful mermaid talking to her.

She had long flowing wavy blonde hair,

Tiny rosebud lips set into a perfect smile,

And the most dazzling green eyes curtained with long eyelashes.

Her tail was a deep orange,

Almost copper color,

And the scales upon it sparkled like diamonds as the sunlight caught them.

Morgana just stood open-mouthed,

Staring at the beautiful creature before her.

She had dreamt of this moment more times than she could remember,

And now that it was happening,

She didn't know what to say.

Hello,

She eventually stammered.

You are beautiful.

Thank you,

Replied the mermaid.

I'm glad you can see me.

Most humans can't see us.

They don't even believe we really exist.

But you seem special as you have a golden glow around you.

And then,

When I saw you pick up my hair comb with such a warm smile on your face,

I knew I could trust you.

Morgana smiled.

Thank you,

She whispered.

She looked at the comb one last time and then handed it over to the mermaid.

Thank you.

My name's Marina.

What's yours?

Oh,

It's Morgana,

She replied,

Still hardly believing that a mermaid was talking to her and this wasn't really a dream.

Nice to meet you,

Morgana.

Now,

How can I repay you for finding my comb?

It is very precious to me,

As my mother made it for me when I was a baby,

And I would have hated to have lost it forever.

I like the pearls on your comb,

Said Morgana hurriedly.

I would like to have one of those.

And you shall have one,

Said Marina.

Meet me here tomorrow at the same time and I will bring one to you.

And she turned and swam back into the sea.

She looked like a dolphin as she kicked her beautiful tail up and down so effortlessly as she glided through the water.

That night,

Morgana could hardly sleep,

Knowing that she was going to see Marina again the next morning.

Oh,

If only I could swim with her,

Morgana thought as she remembered how graceful the mermaid looked swimming through the waves.

I wish I had asked to do that instead of having a pearl.

What am I going to do with a pearl?

The next morning at six o'clock,

Morgana awoke and went down to the beach.

She walked along the water's edge,

But could not see Marina.

She became a little agitated and began to think she probably had dreamt the whole thing after all.

She walked along the beach feeling a mixture of emotions,

Sad,

Then angry,

Then upset,

Then bewildered,

All of them making her feel negative inside.

She didn't like feeling like this and then realized that she hadn't done her morning breathing.

She stood at the water's edge,

Closed her eyes and took her usual deep breaths in and out.

After a few minutes,

She felt much calmer and relaxed.

And when she opened her eyes,

She saw Marina floating in the sparkling blue water in front of her,

Smiling.

You look so peaceful,

Marina said softly.

I didn't want to disturb you.

Morgana smiled shyly.

Oh,

I do these breathing exercises every morning.

My mother taught me when I was really tiny.

It helps me relax and energizes me ready to begin the day,

She said,

Not wanting to admit she was using the same technique to change her negative mindset.

That's wonderful,

Said Marina.

I always begin my day swimming with the fish.

They make me smile and feel happy.

Do you like to swim?

Yes,

I do very much.

Would you like to swim with me?

Oh,

That would be fun.

I thought instead of me bringing you a pearl,

You could come and find your own pearl with me.

Where are the pearls?

Down at the bottom of the ocean,

Inside the oyster shells.

But I won't be able to hold my breath down there.

I don't think I can hold my breath for very long anyway.

Do you believe in magic?

I'm not sure.

Well,

You can see me.

So you must believe in mermaids,

Which is a kind of magic.

Yes,

That's true.

I've always believed in mermaids and I've often dreamt of swimming with one.

And today I'll make that dream come true for you,

Said Marina.

Here,

Take my hand and come with me.

Marina held out her hand,

But Morgana hesitated,

Unsure of whether to take it or not.

I promise to look after you.

Morgana tentatively held out her hand and Marina took hold of it and led her slowly into the water.

I've got you.

You'll be safe with me,

She said reassuringly.

Just do as I tell you.

And Morgana stepped slowly into the water as Marina gently glided backwards,

Allowing her tail to ease her deeper into the water.

Morgana,

You don't want to go into the sea this morning,

Shouted a voice behind her.

It's freezing cold this time of day.

And shouldn't you be getting ready for school?

Morgana pulled her hand from Marina's grasp and turned around to see Mrs.

Miller,

Her next door neighbour,

Walking her dog,

Max,

Along the beach.

Oh,

I just want to paddle for a moment,

Said Morgana,

Realising that neither Mrs.

Miller nor Max could see or sense the mermaid.

Come and walk back to the house with me.

Max loves seeing you.

And the little dog ran over and jumped up at Morgana in excitement.

Before Morgana followed Mrs.

Miller,

She turned to say bye to Marina.

But the mermaid was nowhere to be seen.

The next morning,

Morgana was at the beach at the same time.

She waited for as long as she could without making herself late for school.

But there was no sign of Marina.

And she didn't appear the next day either.

By the third day,

Morgana thought she must have dreamt it all.

She loved mermaids so much and had been dreaming about meeting one for such a long time.

Therefore,

Marina must have been a figment of her imagination after all.

But the mermaid had seemed so real.

And when Morgana had taken her hand,

Marina's skin had felt so soft.

No,

She couldn't have dreamt it.

Marina had to be real.

Morgana never gave up hope of seeing Marina again.

Every morning at the same time,

She would go down to the water's edge,

Waiting and hoping that the mermaid would appear.

Then on the sixth day,

As Morgana stood at the water's edge,

After doing her morning breathing,

Marina slowly came out of the water.

Marina!

Gasped Morgana.

I didn't think I would ever see you again.

I was beginning to think I had dreamt you.

I'm sorry,

Morgana,

Said the mermaid sadly.

My sister Miranda has been having a difficult time lately.

And my other sister Melody and I have been trying to help her through it.

But we have run out of ideas.

I thought if I came and talked to you,

You may be able to help.

Morgana could see how worried Marina looked,

But wondered how she could possibly help a mermaid.

Tell me what happened,

She said gently.

Miranda was swimming with a fish earlier than usual one morning,

Explained Marina.

My sisters and I normally swim together each morning.

But this particular morning,

Miranda hadn't been able to sleep.

So she set off alone.

She was just returning home when a large ugly fish appeared from nowhere and started chasing her.

The fish was huge,

At least four times as big as Miranda.

She was sure he wanted to eat her.

She made it home before he could.

But this scared her so much that she can't face going out anymore.

And when she thinks about what happened,

She feels as if she can't breathe and then cries uncontrollably.

Melody and I have tried to help her,

But we don't know what to do anymore.

We have tried to see the big fish for ourselves,

But he appears to be gone.

But even telling her that doesn't help at all.

We've tried bribing her with pearls and new hair combs for her beautiful hair.

And Melody sings the most enchanting songs to soothe her.

But nothing seems to work.

What more can we do?

It sounds like she could be having panic attacks,

Said Morgana.

Her friend at school gets them now and then,

Ever since she stepped onto a zebra crossing and a car didn't stop.

She had to jump out of the way quickly.

And ever since then,

She can't stop thinking about it and gets breathless,

Just like you say Miranda does.

Our teacher taught us about panic attacks so we could all understand what our friend was going through.

Yes,

It does sound similar.

Can you help?

The girl at school uses breathing techniques,

A bit like I do in the mornings here by the sea,

And some other techniques.

They could help your sister.

Marina was eager to try and said,

Come,

Take my hand.

I'll take you to her now.

With only the thought of being able to help the mermaid,

Morgana didn't hesitate this time and took Marina's hand.

She stepped into the water and listened to Marina's commands as the water became deeper with every step she took.

Just breathe normally and trust me,

Instructed the mermaid.

You will be fine.

Now close your eyes and allow me to guide you.

Morgana closed her eyes just as the water came up and over her head.

She kept her breathing steady and could feel Marina gently swimming beside her.

Morgana didn't feel scared at all.

She just felt a warm feeling of calm as she enjoyed the journey.

After what could only have been a few seconds,

Marina said,

You can open your eyes now,

Morgana.

Morgana opened her eyes and before her she saw what she could only describe as a huge castle built of sand,

Just like she used to make with her bucket and spade when she was a little girl.

It was decorated with hundreds of the prettiest shells and colorful pieces of coral.

Wow,

Exclaimed Morgana,

Still holding onto Marina's hand.

I have never seen anything so exquisite.

At that moment,

Morgana realized she could breathe underwater.

She looked at Marina.

I can breathe normally,

She said.

Yes,

Agreed Marina.

It's because of the trust you have in me.

You can also swim by yourself.

See?

And she let go of Morgana's hand.

Morgana moved in the water as if she too was a mermaid and had been doing this all her life.

It's amazing,

She said with the biggest smile on her face.

I have often dreamt of this and now I feel just like a mermaid.

And you look like one too,

Said Marina.

Look down at your legs.

Morgana looked down and saw her legs had been replaced by a beautiful purple mermaid's tail,

Which shimmered as she moved.

I am a mermaid,

She exclaimed with delight.

Dreams really can come true,

Said Marina laughing.

Now come,

Let's swim for a while so you can get used to balancing with your tail.

They swam around together,

Up and down and in and out of the coral.

Morgana marveled at how beautiful life was down here.

The tiny fish swam by as if saying hello and anemones wiggled as they waved as she passed them.

All too soon they were brought back to the moment by someone shouting from a window in the sandcastle.

Marina,

Come quick,

Miranda needs you.

Oh,

That's my sister Melody calling,

Said Marina.

Miranda must be having a bad spell.

Let's go to her quickly.

They arrived back at the sandcastle and Marina led the way in.

At the top of the stairs they went into one of the bedrooms and Miranda was huddled in a corner of the room,

Shaking and gasping for air.

It's okay,

Miranda,

Marina said gently as she tried to soothe her sister.

Miranda calmed slightly,

But then caught sight of Morgana,

Which set her off again.

This is Morgana,

Said Marina quickly.

I told you about her and how kind she was when she found my hair comb.

A mermaid Morgana hadn't noticed before suddenly appeared in front of her.

Hello,

Morgana,

I'm Melody.

I'm very pleased to meet you.

Can you help Miranda?

I will try my best,

Morgana said,

Smiling at Melody before going over to Miranda.

Miranda smiled meekly up at Morgana.

I don't like feeling like this,

She said between gasps of breaths.

What should I do?

Let's try some visualisation,

Suggested Morgana,

Sensing the urgency to get started.

This will help to take your mind off the panic you are experiencing.

Now first look around and tell me five things beginning with the letter B.

Miranda looked around the room and in a quiet voice said,

Book,

Bed,

Blanket.

She rose up slightly so she could see better.

Just as Melody came in front of her,

Moving her head back and forth.

Oh,

Braid and bow,

Miranda said as she noticed Melody's long dark hair,

The colour of a raven,

Which was neatly braided with a beautiful soft red coloured bow tied at the bottom.

Well done,

Said Morgana as the mermaids hugged Miranda.

Now look around for four things which are green.

Miranda was quite enjoying this activity and her voice became brighter as she replied,

Coral,

Shell,

Oh my fin and my hair ribbon.

Her sisters clapped with joy because this was the most excited Miranda had been lately.

Now lastly,

Said Morgana happily,

Name three things which make you smile.

Miranda did not hesitate as she gleefully said,

Marina,

Melody and you Morgana.

Morgana smiled,

Pleased to be included.

How are you feeling now Miranda?

She asked.

Much calmer thank you,

Came the reply.

Good,

I'm so happy to hear that,

Morgana said,

Pleased that the technique had helped.

But what do I do when the panic attack happens again?

Asked Miranda,

Suddenly looking a little worried.

I'll teach you my breathing sequence I do every morning,

Morgana replied.

It's another great technique to do whenever you feel a panic coming on.

It should help to distract your thoughts from allowing the panic attack to take hold.

Now close your eyes and take a deep breath in,

Slowly counting to five in your mind.

Miranda did as instructed.

Hold for a count of five,

Continued Morgana,

Now release the air for a count of five.

That's perfect.

Now let's do this again.

Miranda continued to follow Morgana's instructions until Morgana asked her to open her eyes.

Miranda opened her eyes and smiled.

That was wonderful,

She said.

I feel so amazing and full of life.

The best I've felt in a long while.

Thank you,

Morgana.

It's a simple technique,

But very energizing,

Said Morgana.

That's why I do it every morning.

It's a great way to start my day and I can do it wherever I am.

Miranda agreed,

But she wanted to know why do I get these panic attacks?

Morgana explained,

Remembering what her teacher had told her.

We often find our panic begins because we are thinking about what might happen instead of what is really happening.

For example,

When the fish was chasing you,

You thought it was going to eat you.

Yes,

That's right,

Miranda interrupted.

I could see his big shiny teeth as he swam towards me with his mouth wide open and she shuddered at the thought.

Well,

Now whenever you think about the fish,

Your mind takes you straight back to that image and the feeling that he will eat you.

Is that why I'm scared to go out for a swim now?

Miranda asked.

Yes,

Exactly,

Agreed Morgana.

So what can I do to change that?

Asked Miranda,

Keen to go back to swimming again.

Well,

If you bring your attention away from the thoughts which are causing you anxiety and into the present moment,

You will notice that there is nothing around you to scare or frighten you,

Explained Morgana.

But if you struggle at first to do this and you start to imagine the big fish will be out there,

Then just breathe deeply and say to yourself,

I am safe.

Nothing can hurt me.

Fish are my friends as many times as you need to.

This will also help calm you.

I like that idea too,

Said Miranda.

All of these techniques keep us in the present moment.

They keep our mind focused on what is going on now and do not allow our mind to wander and think about things which haven't and probably will not happen.

Let's practice the breathing technique again to make sure you can remember it.

Miranda practiced the breathing technique a few more times and her sisters joined in.

I like this,

Said Melody.

It really is so energising and calming.

I think I would do this every morning like you do,

Morgana.

It feels a great way to start the day.

Me too,

Said Marina and Miranda together and they giggled,

Happy that things were helping.

Marina hugged Miranda,

Glad that her sister was feeling more like her normal happy self again.

I feel like going for a swim,

Said Miranda suddenly.

I haven't been outside for a long time and I've missed it.

Marina didn't want to give her a chance to change her mind and quickly said,

Come on then,

Let's go.

When they were outside,

Morgana took the opportunity to look closely at the two sisters.

They were just as beautiful as Marina.

Just as beautiful as Marina with their long hair and beautiful coloured tails.

Miranda's hair was brown,

A rich chestnut colour and her tail a stunning emerald green.

Melody's dark hair had a brilliant shine and her tail was the colour and as bright as a red ruby.

And they both had dazzling green eyes,

Long eyelashes and perfect rosebud lips,

Just like their sister Marina.

They all swam out into the ocean,

Each smiling and happy that Miranda was feeling better.

Morgana felt amazing and still could hardly believe she was swimming with mermaids.

She didn't want this moment to end and thoroughly enjoyed her time with them.

After a while,

Marina led them to a tiny cove where the floor was covered in unusual looking shells.

These are oyster shells,

She explained to Morgana.

I promised I would take you to find your own pearl.

Which one do you want to choose?

Morgana looked around,

Surprised by how many there were.

She picked one which appeared a little smaller than the others,

But looked perfect to her.

She handed it to Marina.

Marina cracked it open on a nearby rock and as she lifted the oyster shells apart,

The most stunning black pearl appeared nestled inside.

A black pearl is the rarest colour of the pearls.

This will bring you good luck and abundance,

She said,

Handing it to Morgana.

It's beautiful,

Whispered Morgana as she held the tiny pearl in the palm of her hand.

I hope I don't lose it while swimming.

I'll look after it for you,

Said Miranda.

I'm used to carrying items down here and keeping them safe.

They swam around for a little longer,

Looking at the colourful coral and watching the tiny fish swimming through the gently swaying anemones.

After a while,

Miranda suggested Marina took Morgana to see the jellyfish which were gathering nearby while she and Melody went for a swim on their own.

Marina took Morgana's hand and they swam together to where the shoal of jellyfish were putting on a kind of display as they drifted with the flow of the water.

They looked so elegant as they moved so gracefully,

As if in flowing white gowns.

The jellyfish soon moved away and Marina took Morgana back down to the seabed where they looked at shells and beautiful pebbles.

Morgana found a huge shell.

That's a conch shell,

Said Melody,

Coming over as she returned with Miranda.

She took the shell from Morgana and looked into it.

It's empty now,

She said,

But it was home to a large sea snail at one time.

Here,

Place it to your ear.

Morgana took the shell and placed it to her ear and listened.

I can hear soft gentle music,

Almost as if an orchestra is playing inside the shell,

She said as she swayed to the music.

Melody smiled and said,

I love singing to the music these shells make.

And she took the shell from Morgana,

Held it to her own ear and then sang sweetly for all to enjoy.

When she had finished,

Morgana asked Miranda,

Do you have a conch shell?

Yes,

We have many at home.

I enjoy listening to them when Melody isn't around to sing to us.

Why do you ask?

It's another useful tool you can use if you feel panicky,

Explained Morgana.

Whenever you feel a panic coming on,

Pick the shell up and place it to your ear.

Listening to the calming noise coming from it will be a great distraction from focusing on the negativity of the panic attack.

Thank you for sharing so many useful tools with me,

Said Miranda gratefully.

The more tools we know about,

The better,

Said Morgana.

Some days one thing may not work,

Which has worked many times before.

So it's always good to have other options to try.

Marina came over and hugged Morgana.

I cannot thank you enough for helping my sister,

She said.

Melody and Miranda came over and they all hugged together.

Morgana had never felt happier.

She was hugging mermaids and had been helpful in making one of them feel much,

Much better.

But whilst enjoying their warm embrace,

She remembered about school.

It felt like she had been with the mermaids forever and she hated being late for anything,

Especially school.

She pulled away reluctantly from the mermaids' huddle and said to Marina,

I need to go back to the beach.

It seems like I've been down here for hours and I have to go to school.

It's OK,

Morgana,

Said Marina gently.

Time slows down under the water.

You won't have been gone for long.

As they were saying their goodbyes,

Miranda gave Morgana a necklace made out of special ocean twine,

Only found amongst the coral deep on the ocean bed.

She and Melody had made it when they went off for a swim.

They had strung some tiny,

Shiny shells upon it and in the centre attached the black pearl.

This is so gorgeous.

Thank you so much,

Morgana said as Miranda fastened the necklace around her neck.

It's the least I can do after the way you helped me.

And she hugged Morgana tightly.

I will be eternally grateful to you,

She whispered.

Come,

We should go,

Said Marina,

Holding out her hand to Morgana.

After saying their final goodbyes,

Marina began taking Morgana back up to the water's surface.

Now,

Close your eyes,

She instructed in her soft voice,

And gently move your body backwards and forwards.

Morgana closed her eyes as they drifted upwards,

Knowing she was safe in Marina's hands.

She felt Marina move gently beside her and then heard her say,

Now open your eyes as you walk on to the sand.

And she released her hand.

Morgana opened her eyes and could see the beach before her.

She walked from the water and looked at the clock in the distance on the village shop.

She had only been gone half an hour,

Still plenty of time to get ready for school.

Her hand grasped the necklace Miranda had made for her as she looked down and saw her mermaid tail had disappeared and her legs had returned.

She was also aware that she was bone dry.

She turned to Marina,

Who was floating gently on the water.

Thank you for making my dream come true in more ways than one,

She said.

Thank you for helping my sister.

You will always be a special friend to us.

Will I ever see you again?

I hope so.

I know my sisters would love to swim with you again.

Morgana smiled.

Me too,

She whispered,

Knowing that she would never forget today.

Marina waved as she turned and swam back into the sea,

Kicking her beautiful tail up and down so effortlessly.

Morgana watched the mermaid glide through the water until the tip of her tail had disappeared from sight.

She sighed as she remembered how wonderful it had felt to be a mermaid herself.

She turned and made her way home,

Content with her memories and hoping that one day soon she really would swim with the mermaids again.

Thank you for listening to my story.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Before you go,

I'd like to ask you a question.

Mermaids are considered mythical creatures.

Which mythical creature would you like to meet and spend time with?

Thanks again for listening and come back soon to hear another story from Grandma.

Bye for now.

Reviews

Beauty and the Beast and once upon a Time and fairytale and pointsjes en Count People

Loved the story maybe you could make a story about dragons

This is such a great story it always makes my kids fall asleep

That was soooooo awesome 🤩 I loved it sooooo much thank you

Phoenix and Golden baby dragon +. The mermaid 3 mythical creatures that I want to meet, Amazing I loved it I like mermaids and Maria sounds like a lovely person 🐬+💖🙂= Maria. Mermaid

Can you add a baby golden dragon meditation and maybe make it one day?

Either an avatar or a wolf 🐺 with wings. Great 😊 story!! How old is Morgana?
Have a great day
Flo flo and Willa

A mermaid or a Pegasus! I think those are really cool, because I would love to fly and I enjoy swimming a lot! Loved your story!!

I loved it! Been feeling scared lately and just made me feel sooo much better. Thank you for writing such an amazing story! ♥️

Why can’t I rate your stories 1m bc I’ve been mesmerised by them and I’m sure my siblings would enjoy it and my age ppl wouldn’t listen to these 🤩

A very sweet story! Although I worried about Morgana going off with a stranger and without her mom / guardian knowing. Hopefully, younger listeners are aware that this is generally not the best idea. Some monsters, both mythical and real, are very good at trickery and disguises.

Thank you so much grandma.. I do feel that made up this story for my son after my msg.. thank u.. It's a very beautiful n interesting story.. many beautiful messages n imaginations..