“But maybe someone at the party will know how to find her. Before she makes the deal with the sea witch.”
If she hasn’t made the deal already.
A s we hurry down the marble stairs, I glance at my watch, which says it’s twelve fifteen at night. Huh? It doesn’t feel like it’s twelve fifteen. Oh, right, that’s the time it is back home.
I look for a clock and see that it’s six P.M . here. I guess every hour at home is a day here. We have to be back home by seven A.M ., the time Mom and Dad wake us up. So we have six-and-three-quarter hours. Which means six-and-three-quarter days here. That’s tons of time to find the Little Mermaid a new happy ending and find our portal home.
As long as my watch is right. We did take a bit of a swim — I hope this watch is waterproof.
We hear the music from the ballroom and discover that the event is already in full swing. Since we’re both starving, we make a beeline for the buffet. Vivian introduces us to Carolyn, the chef, who’s setting up the plates of lobster sandwiches, mac and cheese, corn, and, of course, mustard. Lots and lots of mini bowls of mustard.
Carolyn is wearing a poofy yellow chef’s hat and a yellow apron. She’s about my nana’s age.
“Have you guys even tried ketchup?” Jonah asks Carolyn. “I think you’d like it.”
She makes a sour face. “Ketchup? Too tomato-y.”
Jonah sighs.
As we munch on the delicious food, we chat with the guests. Everyone wants to meet us, the children who saved the prince.
“It wasn’t just us!” I tell anyone who will listen. “A mermaid was the one to actually save him — we only helped with the last step.”
“A mermaid! What’s that, darlings?” asks the queen.
“A half fish, half human,” I explain.
“That’s impossible,” the queen laughs. “You two darlings have fantastic imaginations!”
“Have you ever heard of mermaids?” we ask Vivian as she folds yellow napkins. “Half fish, half human?”
“No such thing,” she snaps.
How are we going to get someone to tell us how to find the Little Mermaid if no one has ever heard of mermaids?
“Psst! Hey!”
Jonah and I turn around to see Carolyn the chef beckoning from a long hallway.
“Does she mean us?” I ask.
“I guess so,” Jonah says. “Let’s go!”
Before I can respond, Jonah has already taken off after her. And of course, I follow. I can’t let him chase kind-of strangers by himself.
“I heard your questions and I have something to show you,” Carolyn whispers.
“About mermaids?” I ask.
“Shhhh!” She opens a door that leads to a winding staircase. “Follow me.”
We take the stairs down a floor until we’re in the basement, and then we follow her into a small room.
“You should see this.” In the center of the room is a small bed covered with a yellow comforter. To the left is a dresser. Sheopens the bottom drawer and takes out a drawing that’s about the size of my hand.
“Look,” she says. “Careful.”
I take the drawing and realize that it’s of a woman — a woman with a fish tail.
“It’s a mermaid!” Jonah exclaims.
“It definitely is,” she says, squaring her shoulders.
“I thought no one here had ever heard of mermaids,” I say.
“They haven’t,” she says. “But I have. My mother gave this drawing to me. She used to tell me stories about the mermaids all the time.”
“Had she seen them?” I ask.
“No,” she says. “But my great-great-grandmother Edith did. She was lost at sea and a mermaid saved her. She told my great-grandmother about her mermaid friend, who told my grandmother, who told my mother, who told me. I know everything about them.”
“Tell us!” Jonah exclaims.
“They live under the water. In a beautiful kingdom. With streets and houses and restaurants and clothes and everything. The girls are called mermaids and the boys are mermen. And they all have silver tails. And —”
“That’s not true,” I interrupt. “We saw one. She didn’t
If she hasn’t made the deal already.
A s we hurry down the marble stairs, I glance at my watch, which says it’s twelve fifteen at night. Huh? It doesn’t feel like it’s twelve fifteen. Oh, right, that’s the time it is back home.
I look for a clock and see that it’s six P.M . here. I guess every hour at home is a day here. We have to be back home by seven A.M ., the time Mom and Dad wake us up. So we have six-and-three-quarter hours. Which means six-and-three-quarter days here. That’s tons of time to find the Little Mermaid a new happy ending and find our portal home.
As long as my watch is right. We did take a bit of a swim — I hope this watch is waterproof.
We hear the music from the ballroom and discover that the event is already in full swing. Since we’re both starving, we make a beeline for the buffet. Vivian introduces us to Carolyn, the chef, who’s setting up the plates of lobster sandwiches, mac and cheese, corn, and, of course, mustard. Lots and lots of mini bowls of mustard.
Carolyn is wearing a poofy yellow chef’s hat and a yellow apron. She’s about my nana’s age.
“Have you guys even tried ketchup?” Jonah asks Carolyn. “I think you’d like it.”
She makes a sour face. “Ketchup? Too tomato-y.”
Jonah sighs.
As we munch on the delicious food, we chat with the guests. Everyone wants to meet us, the children who saved the prince.
“It wasn’t just us!” I tell anyone who will listen. “A mermaid was the one to actually save him — we only helped with the last step.”
“A mermaid! What’s that, darlings?” asks the queen.
“A half fish, half human,” I explain.
“That’s impossible,” the queen laughs. “You two darlings have fantastic imaginations!”
“Have you ever heard of mermaids?” we ask Vivian as she folds yellow napkins. “Half fish, half human?”
“No such thing,” she snaps.
How are we going to get someone to tell us how to find the Little Mermaid if no one has ever heard of mermaids?
“Psst! Hey!”
Jonah and I turn around to see Carolyn the chef beckoning from a long hallway.
“Does she mean us?” I ask.
“I guess so,” Jonah says. “Let’s go!”
Before I can respond, Jonah has already taken off after her. And of course, I follow. I can’t let him chase kind-of strangers by himself.
“I heard your questions and I have something to show you,” Carolyn whispers.
“About mermaids?” I ask.
“Shhhh!” She opens a door that leads to a winding staircase. “Follow me.”
We take the stairs down a floor until we’re in the basement, and then we follow her into a small room.
“You should see this.” In the center of the room is a small bed covered with a yellow comforter. To the left is a dresser. Sheopens the bottom drawer and takes out a drawing that’s about the size of my hand.
“Look,” she says. “Careful.”
I take the drawing and realize that it’s of a woman — a woman with a fish tail.
“It’s a mermaid!” Jonah exclaims.
“It definitely is,” she says, squaring her shoulders.
“I thought no one here had ever heard of mermaids,” I say.
“They haven’t,” she says. “But I have. My mother gave this drawing to me. She used to tell me stories about the mermaids all the time.”
“Had she seen them?” I ask.
“No,” she says. “But my great-great-grandmother Edith did. She was lost at sea and a mermaid saved her. She told my great-grandmother about her mermaid friend, who told my grandmother, who told my mother, who told me. I know everything about them.”
“Tell us!” Jonah exclaims.
“They live under the water. In a beautiful kingdom. With streets and houses and restaurants and clothes and everything. The girls are called mermaids and the boys are mermen. And they all have silver tails. And —”
“That’s not true,” I interrupt. “We saw one. She didn’t
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