Mermaid Story

Dream my little cousins, dream, life can be good beyond measure.

Once upon a time there was a young girl, her name was Lala, she lived in southern California, where the beaches were all golden and where her parents owned a massive beach front house.  Every morning as the mist rolled back she walked out onto the sand

to see what treasures the waves had left her the tendrils of mist withdrew she danced in the sand each morning picking up little shells that caught her eye: that one, the spiral so like a hair pin, the other one, with that streak of red so brilliant it must be paint, but no, it was natural, that rock that glinted in the morning light, like it was gold.  She laughed at the morning breeze, which blew her hair out towards the ocean laughed at the feel of the sand, and smiled in the sun.  

On this particular morning, however, her eye caught on something she hadn't seen before ...it wasnt a shell nor was it a rock, as she thought at first.  It was a sand dollar, perfectly round, with an imprint of a star on it... for a moment Lala stared at it... taking it in... without thinking about it she waded into the water.  She smiled as it tickled her toes, then as it splashed about her legs.  And then she was swimming... The water was warm, and it felt so good, she started diving down under water... down and down she swam, beyond what she should have been able to, through the crystal clear blue waters through darting fish of all different colors.  Lala smiled and waved "hi fishiessss" they waved their fins back and Lala laughed happily. :)

She decided to swim with the fishies, the pwetty colored fishies who seemed so happy and who darted around her and they took her to the magical underwater castle.  It was the mermaid castle king Neptune held court.  Now, Lala had read stories about king Neptune, he was supposed to be the bad tempered god of the seas... but, in this sparkling castle of coral reef Lala saw that king Neptune was a GOOD king with a healing hand he took away the pain of the mermaids and fish who came to him he kept them cared for and happy.  

When Lala came to him he smiled, a twinkle in his eye and said "Lala of california, welcome to my castle, you may stay here as long as you wish, and you may have fun here."  Lala looked up at him and said... "king neptune sir, you're nice... but scary... like Santa Claus"

King Neptune looked down at Lala and laughed, a nice deep booming laugh, and smiled at Lala... run along and play"... and Lala did run along and play!

She swam with dolphins and rode on their backs, she played with the seahorses and petted them, she danced with all the little fishes who formed undersea rainbows, she laughed with the seals (har har har) and she couldn't help smiling, she loved this undersea kingdom in the castle made of coral reef! 

But the best was still to come... the mermaids came and played with her they swam through gardens where undersea flowers bloomed in colors that were never seen above the water.  She played hide and seek with the little mermaids (they were dreadful, they kept giggling and she found them every time!)  This was her favorite part, seeing all these little mermaids, who were so happy in the clear waters dancing happily, without a care.  

She smiled... if only every day were like this...........

Author's Note

I wrote this from a memory of a story I told my little cousins... and the same story I told to my best friend. She's 17, she'll be 18 in a matter of days, yet she loved this story. It makes her happiful. (I know thats not a word).
Any suggestions, questions or comments are appreciated! :)