she asks, eyes wide.
“She was, but she gave it up,” I explain.
“I wish she could talk! I have so many questions!”
The prince clears his throat. “Back to the menu,” he says. “Chef Carolyn, I’d like you to prepare sole, tilapia, and yellowfin tuna. Fish, in honor of my little mermaid!”
Lana’s eyes widen to the size of her teacup.
“What’s wrong, my pet?” Prince Mortimer asks, patting her knee. “You don’t like tuna?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“What about sole?”
More head shaking.
“Then what would you like to serve?” he asks.
She shakes her head no, and then makes a weird squiggly motion with her hands.
“She doesn’t want fish. She must want lobster. Perfect!” He kisses her on the forehead, gets up, and leaves the room.
Lana’s eyes fill with tears.
“Did you not want lobster?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Wait, I’m confused,” Jonah says. “You did want lobster or you didn’t?”
She shakes her head again.
“Which one?”
Lana drops her head down on the table and sighs.
What can I say? It’s tough to talk without a voice.
Since they got engaged, the prince and Lana don’t seem to understand each other at all. Lana does a lot of nodding andshaking her head, but it’s tough to answer questions like: What do you want to serve for dinner? You can’t answer that with a nod or a head shake.
Vivian hurries into the living room clutching a paper card. “Look,” she calls out. “The calligrapher just finished the wedding invitations. Don’t they look nice?” She places one in Lana’s hands. “I’ll send one to your family.”
Lana shakes her head. I notice that her eyes fill with tears but that she blinks them away.
“You’re not inviting your dad?” I ask, shocked.
She shakes her head again.
Communicating would be so much easier if mermaids knew how to read and write.
“What about your sisters?” I ask. “Aren’t they going to be your bridesmaids?”
She points to me.
“Me?” I ask. “You want me to be your bridesmaid?”
She nods.
Wow! I’ve never been a bridesmaid before. But I’ve always, always, ALWAYS wanted to! The dress! The bouquet! I don’t know what else bridesmaids do, but I’m sure it’s fun.
“I accept!” I cheer. “I’m going to be an amazing bridesmaid. The best bridesmaid ever. But wait — if I’m the only bridesmaid, does that make me the maid of honor?”
Lana nods.
This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Besides falling into fairy tales through my magical mirror, obviously.
I am going to be the Little Mermaid’s maid of honor! Who else can say that? No one! Only me! “But are you sure you don’t want to ask your sisters?”
She shakes her head and looks down at the invitation.
“Read it out loud!” Jonah says.
I shoot him a look across the table.
He blushes. “Oh, right. I keep forgetting you can’t talk.”
“She can’t read, either,” I say. A lightbulb goes off in my head. “I have an idea! An idea that’s going to fix everything. Okay, not everything, but definitely your communication problems.”
Lana looks up at me eagerly.
I wait for Jonah to make a drum roll or something, but when none comes I turn to Lana and announce, “I’m going to teach you to write! If you can write, then you’ll be able to communicatewith Prince Mortimer. And with everyone. Then you won’t be so frustrated. When anyone asks you a question you can just write the answer down!”
“Great idea, Abby,” Jonah says. “I think I’ll go play tennis while you do that. Russell is having his tutoring lessons now, but maybe I can get him to sneak away.”
I sigh.
Lana points to the invitation.
I don’t understand what she wants. “You want me to read it to you?”
She shakes her head no. She nods. She shakes her head no again. She points to herself and then her eyes and then the invitation.
“I think she wants you to teach her to read , too,” Jonah says.
“Of
“She was, but she gave it up,” I explain.
“I wish she could talk! I have so many questions!”
The prince clears his throat. “Back to the menu,” he says. “Chef Carolyn, I’d like you to prepare sole, tilapia, and yellowfin tuna. Fish, in honor of my little mermaid!”
Lana’s eyes widen to the size of her teacup.
“What’s wrong, my pet?” Prince Mortimer asks, patting her knee. “You don’t like tuna?”
She shakes her head frantically.
“What about sole?”
More head shaking.
“Then what would you like to serve?” he asks.
She shakes her head no, and then makes a weird squiggly motion with her hands.
“She doesn’t want fish. She must want lobster. Perfect!” He kisses her on the forehead, gets up, and leaves the room.
Lana’s eyes fill with tears.
“Did you not want lobster?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Wait, I’m confused,” Jonah says. “You did want lobster or you didn’t?”
She shakes her head again.
“Which one?”
Lana drops her head down on the table and sighs.
What can I say? It’s tough to talk without a voice.
Since they got engaged, the prince and Lana don’t seem to understand each other at all. Lana does a lot of nodding andshaking her head, but it’s tough to answer questions like: What do you want to serve for dinner? You can’t answer that with a nod or a head shake.
Vivian hurries into the living room clutching a paper card. “Look,” she calls out. “The calligrapher just finished the wedding invitations. Don’t they look nice?” She places one in Lana’s hands. “I’ll send one to your family.”
Lana shakes her head. I notice that her eyes fill with tears but that she blinks them away.
“You’re not inviting your dad?” I ask, shocked.
She shakes her head again.
Communicating would be so much easier if mermaids knew how to read and write.
“What about your sisters?” I ask. “Aren’t they going to be your bridesmaids?”
She points to me.
“Me?” I ask. “You want me to be your bridesmaid?”
She nods.
Wow! I’ve never been a bridesmaid before. But I’ve always, always, ALWAYS wanted to! The dress! The bouquet! I don’t know what else bridesmaids do, but I’m sure it’s fun.
“I accept!” I cheer. “I’m going to be an amazing bridesmaid. The best bridesmaid ever. But wait — if I’m the only bridesmaid, does that make me the maid of honor?”
Lana nods.
This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Besides falling into fairy tales through my magical mirror, obviously.
I am going to be the Little Mermaid’s maid of honor! Who else can say that? No one! Only me! “But are you sure you don’t want to ask your sisters?”
She shakes her head and looks down at the invitation.
“Read it out loud!” Jonah says.
I shoot him a look across the table.
He blushes. “Oh, right. I keep forgetting you can’t talk.”
“She can’t read, either,” I say. A lightbulb goes off in my head. “I have an idea! An idea that’s going to fix everything. Okay, not everything, but definitely your communication problems.”
Lana looks up at me eagerly.
I wait for Jonah to make a drum roll or something, but when none comes I turn to Lana and announce, “I’m going to teach you to write! If you can write, then you’ll be able to communicatewith Prince Mortimer. And with everyone. Then you won’t be so frustrated. When anyone asks you a question you can just write the answer down!”
“Great idea, Abby,” Jonah says. “I think I’ll go play tennis while you do that. Russell is having his tutoring lessons now, but maybe I can get him to sneak away.”
I sigh.
Lana points to the invitation.
I don’t understand what she wants. “You want me to read it to you?”
She shakes her head no. She nods. She shakes her head no again. She points to herself and then her eyes and then the invitation.
“I think she wants you to teach her to read , too,” Jonah says.
“Of
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