A mermaid bedtime story: Nora and the seahorse

Ages 3 to 7 · 5 min read aloud

Nora and the Glow Beneath the Waves

Deep in a warm blue sea lived a mermaid called Nora. She had long wavy hair and a tail that shimmered like mother of pearl. And Nora had a special gift: when she swished her tail, the water began to glow softly, like a little lamp in the dark.

Nora lived in a cave of pink coral. Every evening, as the sky above the sea grew dark, she swam one last loop through her garden of swaying seaweed. She said goodnight to the crabs, the starfish and the tiny silver fish.

That evening she heard a small sound behind a rock. She peeked round the side. There sat a very little seahorse, his tail curled tightly round a strand of seaweed. ‘Hello,’ said Nora softly. ‘What are you doing out so late?’

‘I was playing with the bubbles,’ said the seahorse. ‘I chased them further and further. And now I can’t remember where my home is. It’s so dark.’ He looked down at the sand, feeling a little glum.

‘That’s all right,’ said Nora. ‘I can make light. We’ll look together.’ She swished her tail, and at once the water around them glowed a soft green. The seahorse gazed about with big round eyes. ‘How beautiful,’ he whispered.

Side by side they swam slowly on. Past the great shell where an old turtle lay fast asleep. Past the rock where the octopus had wrapped all eight arms round himself like a blanket. Everywhere was hushed and still.

‘What does your home look like?’ asked Nora. ‘It’s a forest of tall, soft seaweed,’ said the seahorse. ‘With a little dip in the sand, just the right size for me. And my mum always sings a song there.’

Nora listened carefully. Far away she could hear something. A soft, slow song, drifting along with the waves. ‘Can you hear that?’ she asked. The seahorse nodded happily. ‘That’s my mum!’

They followed the song. Nora made the water glow a little brighter, so they could see the way. After a while they saw it: a forest of tall seaweed waving gently to and fro. And in the middle of it waited a big seahorse.

The little seahorse swam straight to her and curled his tail round hers. ‘Thank you,’ said Mummy Seahorse to Nora. ‘Do come back and visit. We can sing together.’ Nora smiled and waved goodbye.

Slowly Nora swam back to her coral cave. She let her light grow softer and softer. First green, then pale blue, then almost nothing at all. The sea around her became dark and calm, and the water rocked her gently from side to side.

In her cave Nora lay down on a bed of soft seaweed. She pulled a blanket of sea lettuce over herself. Above her the little fish drifted slowly past, and far, far away she could still hear the seahorse song.

Nora closed her eyes. Her tail glowed one last time, very faintly, like a tiny star beneath the waves. Then everything was still. Goodnight, Nora. Goodnight, little seahorse. And goodnight to you, too.