It was the night before the Ocean Derby and the little mermaid lay in her shell sobbing quietly. The tears ran down her face and into the sea (nobody realises that the sea tastes salty because of the tears of Merpeoples over thousands and thousands of years.
She was upset because tomorrow was going to be the Ocean Derby and she was entering for her second time and she had been drawn in the dreaded Shore Lane. Last year she became the first mermaid to ever take part in the race and all the Mermen had laughed at her for even trying.
But she had come third and probably would have won if one of the other riders hadn’t barged in front of her to stop her. But this year they had made sure she stood no chance by putting her in the Shore Lane where everyone knew the seahorses could hardly ride at all for fear of being washed up upon the sand.
As she lay crying she heard a strange tinkling sound and looked up to see the fairy princess or water nymph as some of you will know them.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.
The fairy nymph looked at the little mermaid and said ‘I know why you’re upset and I’m here to help’
‘But,’ said the little mermaid, ‘ no one has ever won the Ocean Derby from the Shore Lane.
‘I know,’ said the little water nymph, ‘but I think I know of a way that might just let you win.’
The next morning as the riders gathered for the race to start, the little mermaid looked around to see where the water nymph was but there was no sign of her. Then she heard the strangest sound. She heard the sound of hoofs and looked up above the water to see a little pony being led to the sea by the nymph and it was wearing a snorkel.
Maybe this is the answer thought the little mermaid as the little pony trotted into the water right down to the Shore Lane.
‘This could be my chance,’ thought the little mermaid.
The little mermaid sat sidesaddle upon the pony and looked at all the Mermen on their seahorses, this was going to be some race. The flag went up and off they set. The little pony was keeping up really well with all of the seahorses as the waves went backwards and forwards and it ran on both the land and the shallow sea.
As they entered the final stretch the little mermaid gave a shout to the pony to hurry up and the pony started to run even faster into first place. But it was then that a giant wave swept over them covering the snorkel completely.
The little mermaid held on tight as the pony struggled to breathe. Suddenly it reared up with a last gasp and fell dead onto the sand crushing the little mermaid to a bloody fishy pulp underneath.
