Mermaids

After reading these tales, you may never look casually over the ocean again.

Then the Merman Laughed

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…

The Mermaid's Twin Sister

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…

Menanna and Piskaret

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…

Melusina

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…

Sam and The Mermaid

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…

Squant, The Sea-woman

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…

The Mermaid and The Poor Fisherman

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…

The Fish Lover

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…

The Beautiful Girl and The Fish

In the far-off days when there was great magic everywhere, there lived a beautiful girl…

The Lady of Gollerus

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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After reading these tales, you may never look casually over the ocean again.