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The Lady of Gollerus (Ireland)

On the shore of Smerwick harbour, one fine summer's morning, just at daybreak, stood Dick Fitzgerald "shoghing the duedeen", which may be translated, smoking his pipe. The sun was gradually rising behind the lofty Brandon, the dark sea was getting green in the light, and the mists clearing away out of the valleys went rolling and curling like the smoke from the corner of Dick's mouth...

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The Beautiful Girl and The Fish (Yoruba)

In the far-off days when there was great magic everywhere, there lived a beautiful girl. Many young man of her town wished to marry her, but she had refused all offers, saying that her husband must be the most handsome man in all the land. One day, as she was busy in the marketplace, she saw a very handsome man and immediately fell in love with him...

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Fish Lover (Antilles)

There was a gyril a fish was courtin'. Every time they give the gyirl her food, she gives the fish. She used to get clean water, and everybody get dirty water. She give the fish a ring to hold. One day they give her a food and sent her for water. She give the fish a ring to hold. One day they give her a food and sent her for water...

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The Mermaid and The Poor Fisherman (Chile)

Once upon a time there was a fisherman who had to give fish to the king every day. On the day he failed to do so, his head would be cut off. He lived with his wife, a little pup, and a baby two months old. When he returned home in the evening, his wife never came out to meet him, but his dog was always at the door barking a welcome...

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Squant, The Sea Woman (Native American)

Every Indian knows the story of how Maushop fought the Bird-monster, challenged that man-eating eagle to come down from a tree and fight, how the eagle flew at Maushop's eyes, tried to claw out the giant's heart, how talons tore at living flesh and great beak ripped at veins and muscles of neck and shoulders; and how, finally Maushop permitted the monster to come so close that it seemed as if the Bird-demon were beating its black wings on his breast. At that moment a storm arose over the sea...

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Sam and The Mermaid (African American)

Before they had any steam, ships were sailing by sails, you know, across the Atlantic. The Atlantic was fifteen miles deep, and there were mermaids in those days. And if you called anybody's name on the ship, they would ask for it, say, "Give it to me." And if you didn't give it to them they would capsize the ship. So the captain had to change the men's name to different objects -hatchet, ax, hammer, furniture...

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Melusina (France)

Emmerick, count of Poitou, was a nobleman of great wealth and eminent for his virtues. He had two children, a son named Bertram and a daughter Blaniferte. In the great forest which stretched away in all directions around the knoll on which stood the town and castle of Poictiers lived a count de la For�t, related to Emmerick but poor and with a large family...

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Menanna and Piskaret (Native American -Ottawa)

Long, long ago a warrior of the nation of the Ottawas found a strange little figure at his door. Her face and breast were those of a woman, but her hands and arms were covered with scales and in place of legs she had twin fishtails...

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The Mermaid's Twin Sister (Trinidad)

Every Sunday, after Mama, Daddy, and me come back from church and eat lunch, we pack up the car and go to Maracas Beach. At the beach we find a good spot between two coconut trees and lay out the towels. Then Mama sits and reads a book and daddy and me carry the rubber raft down to the water and pretend we are sailing for a new island...

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Then The Merman Laughed (Iceland)

A merman is a dwarf that lives in the sea. There is an old saying in Iceland that many people use as a proverb: "Then the merman laughed". As for how it arose, it is said that certain farmer drew up in his finger-net a sea-dwarf who called himself a merman, with a big head and broad hands, but shaped like a seal below the navel. He would not teach any of his magic lore to the farmer, so the latter took him ashore, much against his will...

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