Read Online Not Quite a Mermaid by Linda Chapman - Free Book Online Page A

looks because she didn’t have a tail, but the twins’ gran was always really nice to her. If she ever brought Sam and Sasha any sweets she always made sure she brought a big bag for Electra and Splash too.
    â€˜It’s Gran’s birthday today,’ Sasha told Electra as they swam throughthe shell curtain that hung in the cave doorway. Inside was a round table made of mother-of-pearl, a big sofa and three comfy chairs made from large blue basket sponges, and squashy cushions made out of smaller lilac sponges. A purple seaweed rug covered the floor. Everywhere was very neat and tidy – but then it always was. Ronan hated mess.
    The twins’ gran was sitting on one of the comfy chairs. She was an old mermaid with long grey hair, a lined face and green eyes that twinkled. ‘Hello, dear,’ she said, smiling atElectra. ‘The twins told me you were coming round and luckily…’ she paused to rummage in the mermaid bag she had beside her, ‘…I had brought these for you and Splash.’

    She handed Electra a bag crammed full of tiny rainbow-coloured sugar starfish.
    â€˜Thank you,’ Electra said in delight – sugar starfish were her favourite sweets. She put the sweets into herbag and gave Gran a hug. ‘I should be giving you a present, though. Sasha says it’s your birthday.’
    â€˜Don’t worry about that, dear,’ Gran said kindly. ‘When you get to my age you don’t mind about birthdays.’
    Electra was shocked. ‘I’ll
always
mind about birthdays! Aren’t you having a cake and a party?’
    â€˜Oh, no, no,’ Gran said, shaking her head. ‘That sort of thing is for young people. My party days are over.’ She looked sad for a moment. ‘I did have some good times when I was just a young mermaid – and some lovelypresents. Do you know what the best present I ever had was?’ she said to Electra and the others.
    â€˜A new bikini?’ Sasha suggested.
    â€˜A horn made out of a conch shell?’ asked Sam.
    â€˜A trip somewhere really exciting?’ said Electra.
    â€˜No.’ Gran smiled. ‘It was a sea mouse.’
    â€˜A sea mouse!’ Electra echoed. Sea mice were small furry fish with tails and little round ears that lived in the deeper waters of the reef.
    â€˜Yes.’ Gran’s eyes hazed over as

    she remembered. ‘My grandmother bought him for me. I called him Sandy because he had a sandy-coloured coat. He was so sweet. He used to swim up and sit on my shoulder and nuzzle my face with his little nose. He was my pet – and my best friend. I cried so much when he got old and died.’ She lookedwistful. ‘He really was the best present I ever had.’
    Just then, Ronan came in from the kitchen. ‘Hello, Electra,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Hi, Splash!’
    â€˜Hi, Ronan!’ Electra and Splash chorused.
    Ronan swam over to Gran. ‘Are you ready to go out?’
    Gran nodded and with a flick of her tail she swam up from the chair.
    â€˜See you later,’ Ronan said to Electra and the others. ‘Gran and I are going to see some of her friends. We’ll be back by tea time. Have fun until then butdon’t make a mess.’ He watched as Gran swam to the cave entrance and then lowered his voice. ‘Remember the cards,’ he whispered to Sam and Sasha.
    They nodded. ‘We will!’ Sam said with a grin.
    â€˜See you later!’ Gran called and she and Ronan swam out through the shell curtain.
    â€˜The cards?’ Electra said to Sam and Sasha.
    â€˜We’re going to make some birthday cards for Gran,’ explained Sam.
    â€˜Can I do one too?’ Electra asked eagerly.

    â€˜Of course. And Splash can help,’ Sasha said, giving Splash a stroke.
    Sam and Sasha fetched some pens and they all started to draw out somecards. Electra drew a picture of a sea mouse on hers and wrote ‘Happy Birthday!’