The Mermaid Who Couldn't Swim

Poppy loved the seaside, the sand and the sun, but swimming lessons? They weren't quite so fun. There were armbands and goggles and a duck-shaped float. But putting her face in the water? That was the bit that Poppy worried about.

One morning, beside a rock pool, came a sigh. Then a sniffle. Then a very watery cry. Curled up on a rock sat a mermaid with green hair. "I'm Pearl," she whispered. "And I'm stuck sitting here!" "But you're a mermaid!" said Poppy in surprise. "I know," Pearl sighed. "It's embarrassing, really. My tail just goes round in circles. See?"

Pearl flicked her tail and gave it a swish. She spun round and round with a splutter and splish! Round went her tail. Round went her head. She stopped with a wobble and flopped on the bed… Well, not a bed, but a rock by the sea. "I'm supposed to be brilliant at swimming," she said miserably. "I'm not very good either," said Poppy. Pearl looked up. "You're not?" "Not yet."

Pearl's eyes brightened. "Then let's learn together! We'll practise in sunshine, and stormy-ish weather!" Poppy dipped a toe in the cool, sparkling blue. Pearl held out her hand. "I'll be right here with you." They made a promise, a special one too: "No laughing at trying. That's what friends do." Then Pearl took a breath. "Shall we start with a bubble?"

They blew little bubbles: pop, fizz, and pop! Pearl blew so hard that she couldn't quite stop. BUBBLE! BUBBLE! BLUB! A fish poked its head out. "Is there a party? What's all this about?" They practised their kicking, their floating, their glide. Sometimes they wobbled. Sometimes they slid. And every small try made them smile a bit wider.

A crab came scuttling sideways along. "Swim like me!" he declared. "You can't possibly go wrong!" They tried going sideways. They bumped into a stone. "Excellent!" said the crab. "Now try it alone!" A jellyfish drifted by, wobbling with pride. "Just wobble your whole body!" it called from the tide. Pearl wobbled. Poppy wobbled. They laughed till they snorted. "Perhaps," said Pearl, "we need advice that's less… wobbly."

Poppy remembered the teacher's advice: "Small steps are clever. There's no need to rush twice. Hold on when you need to. Breathe slowly and blow. Practise with your teacher, and take it nice and slow." Pearl listened carefully, then tried a small kick. Her tail moved forwards! Not round in a circle. Just a little bit. "Did you see that?" she gasped. "I did!" cried Poppy.

Kick, kick, glide! Pearl moved through the pool. A little bit crooked, but wonderfully cool. She swam past a shell, then a seaweed moustache. She swam round a rock… And SPLASHED with a splash! "One length!" she cried. "Then another! Look at me go!" She spun a neat loop, then popped up below… Below the surface? Above it? Who knows! With seaweed on her head and bubbles on her nose.

Now it was Poppy's turn, with Pearl by her side. They held the pool's edge and took one slow breath. Then gently, carefully, Poppy put her face in. The water went quiet. The whole world grew bright. Little fish flashed like silver stars. Shells shimmered pink, purple and white. It wasn't a monster-filled, frightening place. It was a wonderful world, full of colour and grace.

"Come and see where I live!" said Pearl with a grin. "There's a garden of coral, with a path winding in!" Together they explored the safe, shallow pool, where sea flowers swayed and the little fish schooled. Pearl led the way, but Poppy chose the pace. Each tiny new step brought a smile to her face. They weren't the best swimmers. Not yet. Not today. But they were learning together, one splash at a time.

The merfolk came out with a cheer and a song. "Pearl's swimming!" they called. "She's been practising long!" Pearl's grandma gave Poppy a shell, pink and bright. "Hold it close," she said. "It remembers this night." Inside was the sea, with its soft, rolling sound, and Pearl's bubbly laughter, all swirled around. "Whenever you worry," said Pearl with a smile, "remember how trying can take you a mile."

At lessons next week, Poppy stood by the side. The water looked sparkly, not quite so wide. The teacher was close. The duck float was near. Poppy took a slow breath, remembering Pearl. Then let go a little. A kick and a glide. A face in the water. A splash of delight! Far out in the ocean, a mermaid spun free, one loop-the-loop, just as proud as could be. And tucked in Poppy's bag, the shell seemed to say: "Little steps count, too. You're finding your way."