The Little Mermaid (Part Two)

(The last we saw, the little mermaid had finally swam to the surface and rescued the prince but will she find him again?)

The Little Mermaid (Part Two)

A palace with stairs leading to the sea
Made of a pale and shimmering stone
It was the most magnificent place
A glorious and spectacular home

Now she knew where her beloved lived
She spent many days and evenings there
Watching her prince with love in her heart
Wishing she could touch his shining hair

There was so much that she wanted to know
About the world and the people above
She sought advice from her wise grandmother
Who asked what she wanted to know of

"I want to know that if men aren't drowned
Do they live on forever or die"
"Yes they die" her grandmother answered
"Except they have souls that travel high"

"We can live until three hundred years old
But then we perish into mere foam
While humans have an immortal soul
And rise up to a heavenly home"

"Can I not win an immortal soul?"
The little mermaid sadly inquired
"I want to share in that heavenly realm
Of the sea I'm getting ever so tired"

"The only way to secure your own soul
Is to win a human mortal heart
He must love you more than anyone
And desire never to be apart"

"But alas my child," the grandmother said
"Human men have such meager taste
They recoil at the thought of our tails
Which gives us all our beauty and grace"

The little mermaid felt her heart sink
As she sat down in her garden alone
What could she do to be with her prince?
How could she win an immortal soul?

Then an idea struck her so suddenly
A way to leave the sea behind her
She would seek help from the great sea witch
But first of all she had to find her

She swam through whirlpools as best she could
And then across the sea witched marsh
Straight toward a terrifying abode
Where lived a witch so dismal and harsh

She finally reached her, feeling so scared
And she opened her mouth to confess
But the sea witch stopped her with a grin
"I know what you want my dear princess"

"It's foolish of you for it will bring grief
But I'll make a drought for you to drink down
But it's irreversible I must stress
It is the strongest potion I've found"

"Before sunrise you must drink it on land
As your tail will divide in two and shrink
It will be painful like a stinging knife
Now do you still want to take this drink?"

"You will still keep your elegant form
No dancer will ever compare to you
But each step will feel like treading on blades
It's your decision, what will you do?"

"But remember once you take human form
You can never be a mermaid again
You must win his heart or become the sea
Are you keen to risk the heartbreak and pain?"

"You'll have to pay me," the sea witch said
"What I want is your melodic voice
You'll win his heart with your looks and grace
Now do you agree? It's all your choice"

"I agree," the little mermaid replied
But her face had turned so very pale
"I will take this risk and drink this drought
Anything for liberty from this tail"

The witch threw ingredients into a pot
And steam swirled up in a thick gray mist
It started to boil, hot and spitting
And the little mermaid clenched her fists

When the drought was ready, it shone so bright
And it glittered in the mermaid's hand
She grasped the bottle and swam up above
Coming to rest on a gold stretch of sand

When the first sun ray burst on the land
The little mermaid swallowed the drought
She felt a sharp unbearable pain
But then she looked down and tried to laugh

Her tail had gone and there in it's place
The loveliest legs seen on any maid
And there in front of her was her prince
But she felt her voice begin to fade

The prince asked who she was and where she lived
But the little mermaid could not speak
So he led her up into the palace
She stumbled, as her new legs were weak

Servants dressed her in rich silky clothes
She was the most fine-looking girl there
The beautiful slaves stepped forward to sing
Bur our mermaid couldn't, it wasn't fair

As the graceful slaves began to dance
The little mermaid smiled and rose
Each move showed off her beauty and poise
As she floated on the tips of her toes

She amazed everyone with her style
The prince said he'd keep her forever more
He took her with him wherever he went
And she slept on a pillow outside his door

But while everyone in the palace slept
She would creep out into the cool night
She would see her sister's arm in arm
Silhouetted so forlorn in the moonlight...

(To be continued..)

*Gem* ©