dently, and calling for help.
Far out on the sands rose a group of rocks, which,
though covered at high water, were bare now. It was about
half ebb, and spring tide, too, so the sea was further out
than usual, so far, in fact, that a wide bar of sand stretched
between the rocks and the sea. It was from these rocks that
Among the Mermaids
32
the cry seemed to come, and Lutey, feeling sure that someone
was out there in distress, turned and walked back quickly to
see if he could give any help.
As he drew near he saw that there was no one on the
landward side, so he hurried round to the seaward, and
there, to his amazement, his eyes met a sight which left him
almost speechless!
Lying on a ledge at the base of the rock, partially cov-
ered by the long seaweed which grew in profusion over its
rough sides, and partially by her own hair, which was the
most glorious you can possibly imagine, was the most beau-
tiful woman his eyes had ever lighted upon. Her skin was a
delicate pink and white, even more beautiful than those ex-
quisite little shells one picks up sometimes on the seashore,
her clear green eyes sparkled and flashed like the waves with
the sun on them, while her hair was the colour of rich gold,
like the sun in its glory, and with a ripple in it such as one
sees on the sea on a calm day.
This wonderful creature was gazing mournfully out at
the distant sea, and uttering from time to time the pitiful
cry which had first attracted Lutey’s attention. She was evi-
dently in great distress, but how to offer her help and yet not
frighten her he knew not, for the roar of the sea had dead-
ened the sound of his footsteps on the soft sand, and she was
quite unconscious of his presence.
My Husband Will Eat My Children
33
Lutey coughed and hem’d, but it was of no use—she
could not or did not hear; he stamped, he kicked the rock,
but all in vain, and at last he had to go close to her and speak.
“What’s the matter, missie?” he said. “What be doing all
out here by yourself?” He spoke as gently as possible, but,
in spite of his gentleness, the lovely creature shrieked with
terror, and diving down into the deep pool at the base of the
rock, disappeared entirely.
At first Lutey thought she had drowned herself, but
when he looked closely into the pool, and contrived to peer
through the cloud of hair which floated like fine seaweed
all over the top of it, he managed to distinguish a woman’s
Among the Mermaids
34
head and shoulders underneath, and looking closer he saw,
he was sure, a fish’s tail! His knees quaked under him, at that
sight, for he realized that the lovely lady was no other than a
mermaid!
She, though, seemed as frightened as he was, so he sum-
moned up his courage to speak to her again, for it is always
wise to be kind to mermaids, and to avoid of-
fending them, for if they are angry there
is no knowing what harm they may do
to you.
“Don’t be frightened, lady,” he said coax-
ingly; “I wouldn’t hurt ’ee for the world, I wouldn’t harm a
living creature. I only wants to know what your trouble is.”
While he was speaking, the maiden had raised her head
slightly above the water, and now was gazing at him with
eyes the like of which he had never seen before. “I ’opes she
understands Carnish,” he added to himself, “for ’tis the only
langwidge I’m fluent in.”
“Beautiful sir,” she replied in answer to his thoughts,
“we sea-folk can understand all languages, for we visit the
coast of every land, and all the tribes of the world sail over
our kingdom, and oft-times come down through the waters
to our home. The greatest kindness you can do me is to go
away. You are accustomed to women who walk, covered with
My Husband Will Eat My Children
35
silks and laces. We could not wear such in our world, sport-
ing in the waves, swimming into caverns, clambering into
sunken ships. You cannot realize our free and untrammeled
existence.”
“Now, my lovely lady,” said old Lutey, who did not un-
derstand a half of what she was saying, “don’t ’ee think any-
thing about such trifes, but stop your tears and tell me what
I can do for ’ee. For, for sure, I can help ’ee somehow. Tell me
how you come’d here, and where you wants to get to.”
So the fair creature floated higher in the water, and, grad-
ually growing braver, she presently climbed up and perched
herself on the rock where Lutey had first seen her. Her long
hair fell about her like a glorious mantle, and she needed no
other, for it quite covered her. Holding in her hand her comb
and mirror, and glancing from time to time at the latter, she
told the old man her story.
“Only a few hours ago,” she said sadly, “I was sporting
about with my husband and children, as happy as a mer-
maiden could be. At length, growing weary, we all retired to
rest in one of the caverns at Kynance, and there
on a soft couch of seaweed my husband
laid himself down to sleep. The chil-
dren went off to play, and I was left
alone. For some time I watched the
Among the Mermaids
36
crabs playing in the water, or the tiny fish at the bottom of
the pools, but the sweet scent of flowers came to me from
the gardens of your world, borne on the light breeze, and
I felt I must go and see what these flowers were like whose
breath was so beautiful, for we have nothing like it in our
dominions. Exquisite sea-plants we have, but they have no
sweet perfume.
“Seeing that my husband was asleep, and the children
quite happy and safe, I swam off to this shore, but when here
I found I could not get near the flowers; I could see them on
the tops of the cliffs far, far beyond my reach, so I thought I
would rest here for a time, and dress my hair, while breathing
in their sweetness.
“I sat on, dreaming of your world and trying to picture
to myself what it was like, until I awoke with a start to find
the tide far out, beyond the bar. I was so frightened
I screamed to my husband to come and help me,
but even if he heard me he could not get to me
over that sandy ridge; and if he wakes before I
am back, and misses me, he will be so angry,
for he is very jealous. He will be hungry, too,
and if he finds no supper prepared he will eat
some of the children!”
“Oh, my dear!” cried Lutey, quite horrifed, “he surely
wouldn’t never do such a dreadful thing!”
My Husband Will Eat My Children
37
“Ah, you do not know Mermen,” she said sorrowfully.
“They are such gluttons, and will gobble up their children in
a moment if their mea
ls are a little late. Scores of my children
have been taken from me. That is how it is,” she explained,
“that you do not oftener see us sea-folk. Poor children, they
never learn wisdom! Directly their father begins to whistle
or sing, they crowd about him, they are so fond of music, and
he gets them to come and kiss his cheek, or whisper in his
ear, then he opens wide his mouth, and in they go. Oh dear,
what shall I do! I have only ten little ones left, and they will
all be gone if I don’t get home before he wakes!”
“Don’t ’ee take on so, my dear. The tide will soon be in,
and then you can float off as quick as you like.”
“Oh, but I cannot wait,” she cried, tears running down
her cheeks. “Beautiful mortal, help me! Carry me out to sea,
give me your aid for ten min-
utes only, and I will make you
rich and glorious for life. Ask
of me anything you want, and
it shall be yours.”
Lutey was so enthralled
by the loveliness of the mer-
maid, that he stood gazing at
her, lost in wonder. Her voice,
which sounded like a gentle
“Ah, you do not know
Mermen,” she said
sorrowfully. “They are
such gluttons, and will
gobble up their children
in a moment if their
meals are a little late.”
Among the Mermaids
38
murmuring stream, was to him the most lovely music he had
ever heard. He was so fascinated that he would have done
anything she asked him. He stooped to pick her up.
“First of all, take this,” she said, giving him her pearl
comb, “take this, to prove to you that you have not been
dreaming, gentle stranger, and that I will do for you what I
have said. When you want me,
comb the sea three times with
this, and call me by my name,
Morwenna, and I will come to
you. Now take me to the sea.”
Stooping again he picked
her up in his arms. She clung
tightly to him, twining her
long, cool arms around his
neck, until he felt half suffo-
cated. “Tell me your wishes,”
she said sweetly, as they went
along; “you shall have three. Riches will, of course, be one.”
“No, lady,” said Lutey thoughtfully, “I don’t know that
I’m so set on getting gold, but I’ll tell ’ee what I should like.
I’d dearly love to be able to remove the spells of the witches,
to have power over the spirits to make them tell me all I want
to know, and I’d like to be able to cure diseases.”
“I’d dearly love to be
able to remove the spells
of the witches, to have
power over the spirits to
make them tell me all I
want to know, and I’d
like to be able to cure
diseases.”
My Husband Will Eat My Children
39
“You are the first unselfish man I have met,” cried the
mermaid admiringly, “you shall have your wishes, and, in
addition, I promise you as a reward, that your family shall
never come to want.”
In a state of great delight, Lutey trudged on with his
lovely burthen, while she chatted gaily to him of her home,
of the marvels and the riches of the sea, and the world that
lay beneath it.
“Come with me, noble youth,” she cried, “come with me
to our caves and palaces; there are riches, beauty, and every-
thing a mortal can want. Our homes are magnificent, the
roofs are covered with diamonds and other gems, so that it
is ever light and sparkling, the walls are of amber and coral.
Your floors are of rough, ugly rocks, ours are of mother-of-
pearl. For statuary we have the bodies of earth’s most beau-
tiful sons and daughters, who come to us in ships, sent by
the King of the Storms. We embalm them, so that they look
more lovely even than in life, with their eyes still sparkling,
their lips of ruby-red, and the delicate pink of the sea-shell in
their cheeks. Come and see for yourself how well we care for
them, and how reposeful they look in their pearl and coral
homes, with sea-plants growing around them, and gold and
silver heaped at their feet. They crossed the world to get it,
and their journeys have not been failures. Will you come,
Among the Mermaids
40
noble stranger? Come to be one of us whose lives are all love,
and sunshine, and merriment?”
“None of it’s in my line, I’m thinking, my dear,” said Lu-
tey. “I’d rather come across some of the things that have gone
down in the wrecks, wines and brandy, laces and silks; there’s
a pretty sight of it all gone to the bottom, one time and an-
other, I’m thinking.”
“Ah yes! We have vast cellars full of the choicest wines
ever made, and caves stored with laces and silks. Come,
stranger, come, and take all you want.”
“Well,” answered the old smuggler, who was thinking
what a fine trade he could do, if only he could reach those
caves and cellars, “I must say I’d like to, ’tis very tempting,
but I should never live to get there, I’m thinking. I should be
drownded or smothered before I’d got half-way.”
“No, oh no, I can manage that for you. I will make two
slits under your chin, your lovely countenance will not suf-
fer, for your beard will hide them. Such a pair of gills is all
you want, so do not fear. Do not leave me, generous-hearted
youth. Come to the mermaid’s home!” They were in the sea
by this time, and the breakers they wanted to reach were not
far off. Lutey felt strangely tempted to go with this Siren;
her flashing green eyes had utterly bewitched him by this
time, and her promises had turned his head. She saw that
he was almost consenting, almost in her power. She clasped
My Husband Will Eat My Children
41
her long, wet, finny fingers more closely round his neck, and
pressed her cool lips to his cheeks.
Another instant, and Lutey would have gone to his
doom, but at that moment there came from the shore the
sound of a dog barking as though in distress. It was the bark-
ing of Lutey’s own dog, a great favourite with its master. Lu-
tey turned to look. At the edge of the water the poor creature
stood; evidently frantic to follow its master, it dashed into
the sea and out again, struggling, panting. Beyond, on the
cliff, stood his home, the windows flaming against the sun,
his garden, and the country round looking green and beauti-
ful; the smoke was rising from his chimney—ah, his supper!
The thought of his nice hot meal broke the spell, and he saw
his danger.
Among the Mermaids
42
“Let me go, let me go!” he shrieked, trying to lower the
mermaid to the ground. She only clung the more tightly to
him. He felt a sudden fear and loathing of the creature with
the scaly body, and fish’s tail. Her green eyes no longer fasci-
nated him. He remembered all the tales he had heard of the
power of mermaids, and their wickedness, and grew more
and more terrified.
“Let me go!” he yelled again, “unwind your ghastly great
tail from about my legs, and your skinny fingers from off my
throat, or I’ll—I’ll kill you!” and with the same he whipped
his big clasp-knife from his pocket.
As the steel flashed before the mermaid’s eyes she slipped
from him and swam slowly away, but as she went she sang,
and the words floated back to Lutey mournfully yet threat-
eningly. “Farewell, farewell for nine long years. Then, my love,
I will come again. Mine, mine, for ever mine!”
Poor Lutey, greatly relieved to see her disappear beneath
the waves, turned and waded slowly back to land, but so
shaken and upset was he by all that had happened, that it
My Husband Will Eat My Children
43
was almost more than he could accomplish. On reaching the
shore he just managed to scramble to the shed where he kept
many of the treasures he had smuggled from time to time,
but having reached it he dropped down in a deep, overpow-
ering sleep.
Poor old Ann Betty Lutey was in a dreadful state of
mind when supper-time came and went and
her husband had not returned. He had never
missed it before. All through the night she
watched anxiously for him, but when break-
fast-time came, and still there was no sign of
him, she could not rest at home another min-
ute, and started right away in search of him.
She did not have to search far, though. Outside
the door of the shed she found the dog lying sleeping,
and as the dog was seldom seen far from his master,
she thought she would search the shed first—and
there, of course, she found her husband.
He was still sound asleep. Ann Betty, vexed at once at
having been frightened for nothing, shook him none too
gently. “Here, Lutey, get up to once, do you hear!” she cried
crossly. “Why ever didn’t ’ee come in to supper—such a beau-