A Children’s Tale: Choices

On a long hot summer day, Nadia and her fellow young sea nymphs swam and played in the ocean. Then they decided to go into the cove and tease the human children from the village. This is something they did regularly. See the sea nymphs were magickal creatures that had been around long before humans and felt superior to them.

As they approached the cove, they heard the familiar laughing and splashing of the same children that were usually in the cove. They pulled the same tricks they pulled most days. They tugged on their legs under the water. They pulled their hair. They took turns doing the various things that came to their mind to annoy or harass the children. The children were annoyed and finally gave up trying to have fun at the beach and got out of the water and went home. The sea nymphs swam off laughing to themselves at the fun they had had.

One of the little boys that had been at the cove was named Jack, he was five. When he got home, he was pretty mad about the sea nymphs always ruining his trips to the beach with his friends. After he took off his wet clothes and changed for dinner, he went into the kitchen. His mom was in their finishing up dinner and getting it on the table.

She smiled at him when she saw him come in and said “Hi, Jack. How was your day?”

He looked up at her still annoyed and shrugged. “Okay, I guess” he said.

“What’s wrong Jack?” she asked. “Were the sea nymphs bothering you and your friends?

He looked at her in wide eyed surprise. He had no idea any of the adults knew of the sea nymphs.

“Yes, Jack” she said. “I know about the sea nymphs.”

“You see when I was a young child they played tricks on me and my friends as well.” She said in explanation.

“Really, mom?” Jack asked

“Yes son. You see they have been doing this to each generation of humans since humans first began to venture to the seas.” She continued. “They are older and more magickal than us and feel we are inferior and therefore they toy with us.”

“But mom it isn’t fair.” Jack said.

“I agree it isn’t but it is a part of life.” Then she explained. “You see Jack in life there are people and nymphs that will do mean things to you and you cannot control their actions only your own actions and reactions.”

“I don’t understand” Jack said

“Well, Jack, you have to decide what kind of person you will be.” She continued. “You can either be rude and petty like the sea nymphs or you can be kind and generous and be able to look at yourself in the mirror each morning.”

“I think I understand, mom. But I still don’t think it is fair.” Jack said.

Smiling, Jack’s mom said “I know, Jack. Life often isn’t fair.”

So the next day after school, Jack and his friends were back at the cove playing. Jack had thought about what his mom said but still hoped that the sea nymphs wouldn’t show up today; he didn’t want to deal with them.

Just as the kids were starting to relax and have fun, thinking they had lucked out and the sea nymphs would not come today; they began to feel the familiar pulls on their legs. They groaned out loud and moved to get out of the water. They weren’t in the mood to deal with them today. As they went to get out of the water, they heard a screaming sound. They looked back and noticed that today, unlike most days, that it was only one sea nymph instead of a group, and she seemed to be having some trouble.

At first the kids were going to walk away and leave the sea nymph to her problems, after all what did they care after all the mean things she had done to them. As they started to leave, Jack thought about what his mom said and realized that this was what she was talking about. He had to make a choice as to whether he was going to be mean and petty like the sea nymphs or be kind and generous.

Making up his mind, he called to his friends to come back.

“Come on guys. We can’t leave her like that. We are not mean and petty like they are.” He said.

His friends looked at him in doubt at first and hesitated.

Jack had made up his mind though and he jumped in the water and swam out to help the sea nymph. As he got there he realized her tail was caught by a giant clam. Hard as he tried he couldn’t get it free. He was getting exhausted; when suddenly his friends were all around him helping him. With a mighty pull, they got the sea nymphs tail loose.

The sea nymph was so relieved and shocked.

“I don’t know how to thank you.’ She said

“Why did you help me after all the mean things we did to you?” She asked

“Because.” Jack explained. “Even though you and your friends were mean and petty, we decided we didn’t have to be as well.”

“I will make sure all the other sea nymphs know of your kindness and bravery and that humans should never be treated unkindly again. I want to apologize for everything we did to you and thank you for saving me.” She said with tears in her eyes.

As she swam away she waved goodbye and Jack and his friends waved goodbye to her as well.

From that day forward the sea nymphs and humans were wonderful friends.

***

author bio:

Mundane Name: Debra Clapp

Magickal Name: Lexxa MoonCat

[email protected]

http://groups.msn.com/MollysMagickalCorner/

I am 36 years old share my life in the country in Georgia with my husband of almost ten years, my cat, my dog and my two parakeets. I am an Eclectic Solitary Wiccan. I have been on my path for about four years and still learning so much every day. Telling my nephews bedtimes stories has been the inspiration for my current short story and the beginning of several more still in development. So I am dedicating my first published story to Edward and Alex. They help me see the magick in everything.