Not Hans Christian Anderson

The Wee Mermaid swam around the dim sea bed, darting through coral and grass alike. She was in search for interesting things which might catch her discerning eye. The sun had just crested the waves above, and it's rays slowly penetrated the undersea world with its brilliance. She was in search of only the shiniest gadgets, gizmos, whosits, whatnots, and thingamabobs to add to her collection of Human Things she kept in the grotto.

The Human World fascinated her. Father had warned her never to interact with humans, that they were dangerous.

But that made no sense to her. Humans seemed so much like merfolk; how bad could they really be?

Sometimes she snuck close to shore so she could watch them play on the beach. She giggled when she watched them swim -- how ungainly they were in the water! But they did this mesmerizing thing on land, where they used the two spindly things on the bottom of their bodies to navigate the earth. Father called it "Walking."

Silly humans! Perhaps they didn't need a dorsal fin to stabilize them in the air. Perhaps they didn't need gills to breathe. What curious creatures, these humans.

Once, she got too close and a little girl saw her and pointed. She didn't understand the girl's words, but the meaning was clear: PAPA! COME LOOK AT THE STRANGE OCEAN DWELLING CREATURE I JUST DISCOVERED! CAN WE BE FRIENDS?

So she had dived deep as panic flooded her veins. Father would be MOST displeased with her for disobeying his orders concerning the land inhabitants.

But she returned.

Often.

How interesting their patterns of speech, words she didn't understand, the games they played. On more than one occasion, she heard one of them do a marvelous thing with their voice, almost like an instrument giving forth a tune. It was incredible!

She was enthralled.

So she scoured the seabed in search of shiny items to add to her collection.

Her sisters were quick to scowl at her adventures. They each had words to say about the humans. None of them flattering.

But she was Father's youngest, and with that came a certain understanding that they were all simply jealous sea cows.

So she dove deep, twisting and swirling in the current, letting the adventure take her where it may. Once or twice, she would pass a ray or a dolphin. Once, she gave an octopus a high five (or eight!). She picked up this and that, but nothing struck her eye as being worth her time. What she needed, what she truly desired, was a mate for her beloved Dinglehopper, but such things were a rarity at these depths. They must be absolutely treasured in their world.

But she was determined.

Her search carried her well within the confines of the bay, dangerously close to the Human World. She kept a wary eye for the awkward splashing of the Two Legs, but the beach seemed relatively unoccupied. There was a boat in the water, some ways away. It was a small one, containing but two people, and the Wee Mermaid made sure to keep out of sight.

But suddenly, there was great deal of yelling, pulling her attention back to the surface. She watched as two men engaged in something physical. If she were to guess, it looked like a struggle. One of the men fell in, much to her dismay. She immediately swam for deep water, but paused and looked over her shoulder.

The man person sunk like an anchor, leaving behind a jewel-encrusted ring of gold wavering behind him as he fell. Ooooh, it was shiny!

But as she swam closer, she realized that so too were his eyes. Two perfect white orbs in the darkness. She swam toward his plummeting body to investigate.

His hair, how soft! His skin, how smooth!

I'm going to take you home, she smiled, revealing row after row of razor sharp teeth.

It was the last thing King Eric saw before he screamed and allowed the sea water to enter his lungs.