“Graciella!!” a booming voice reverberated off of the rocks
and coral. A much softer version of it reached the ears of two young mermaids
off playing in a deep part of the ocean.
“Uh-oh,” said Gracie to Ella. “You know my Dad is mad when
he puts our names together like that. We better head back.”
“Yeah, but he’ll be less mad if we bring back this plant.
I’m pretty sure it’s the one he’s been searching for,” grinned Ella as she
filled her arms with the a squirming tentacular plant. Gracie plunged her hands
into the muddy sandy ground and pulled at the roots with all her might.
Huffing and puffing, she said, “I can’t get it. We better
go! Daddy sounds mad!”
“Use magic, Silly,” Ella rolled her eyes at her cousin.
“Oh, right,” Gracie smacked her forehead. “Let’s see, how
does it go again?” She raised her arms above her head and swirled her fingers,
then her hands, then her arms and torso until her whole body was swirling in a
circle and she was repeating the magical phrases they had learned in their
Study of Magic classes just last week. “Swisha wisha moosha wift!” The roots of
the plant slid easily away from the earth with just enough soil clinging to it
to transplant nicely when they got it back home. Gracie grabbed the muddy roots
and the girls swished hard with their fins and swam straight for home.
“And just where have you been?” Grace’s father grumbled as
they passed through the gate enclosing their mer-city. “I was about to lock you
out!” His eyes were smiling a bit too much and they knew they were not in too
much trouble.
“We found this plant, Uncle. Is it the right one?” Ella
asked. The mer-King stroked a leaf between his fingers.
“You know, I think it very well might be! Let’s take it to
the Royal Gardener to be sure.” The girls giggled at their Grandfather’s
official title and took off in the right direction.
Grandpa Merman fingered the plant tenderly. “Yes, yes, this
will work wonders! Wonderful job, my lovely Granddaughters!” Guiding a big pot
over to them with a curl of his finger, the girls laid the plant in the pot.
They ducked as their Grandfather summoned more soil to cover the roots and it
flew over their heads and into the pot. “This plant will act as a guardian to
the other plants in the royal garden. When those pesky fish try to nibble at my
prize winning anemone, this plant will slap their little fins and send them on
their way!” The girls giggled.
“And as your reward tonight, you may help the herders gather
up the fish still inside the city walls and herd them back out into the deep.”
“But Daddy, we do that every ni…” Ella slapped her hand over
Grace’s mouth, but she had already said too much.
“I knew it!” the mer-King slapped what would have been his
knee. “I’ve been right all along! You HAVE been sneaking out of bed to play
with the herders! I guess we might as well make it official.”
“Oh, really, Daddy? We can really become herders?” Grace and
Ella held hands and swam in a little giddy circle for their dreams had just
come true. “We do so love to herd the beautiful colored fish back through the
gate!”
“Oh, thank you, Uncle! Truly, thank you!” Ella squeaked with
glee.
Soon they were just a trail of bubbles as they sped off to
join the herders in their task. They took their places at the end of the line
as they moved through the city chasing any straggling fish towards the gates.
They dodged and waved their arms and encouraged all of the fish towards a small
part of the gate near the bottom that only opened one way. Once the fish were
out in the open ocean, they could not get back in for the night. Their skill at
fish herding helped the herders get their job done much faster than usual.
“Thanks, girls!” they called as they swam to their homes for the night.
Grace and Ella slept well that night, side by side on kelp
beds, they dreamed of fish getting slapped by the plant.
