Soon she resolved to master the art of swimming underwater. So she practised flipping and flexing her fishy body, and before too long, she praised herself, saying: "See, I can swim like a fish if I want to. In fact, I can swim better than any actual fish!"
She used her new swimming skills to explore the seabed, and soon she found a shipwreck where she met a shoal of curious fish, opening and closing their mouths. She thought they looked totally stupid, not realising that she was doing the same with her mouth.
"Who are you?" asked the largest of them. "You're a strange kind of fish!"
"Don't you dare call me a fish! Can't you see I'm a girl?" insisted the unwilling mermaid.
"Well, you look like a fish, and you swim like a fish, so I say you are a fish!" replied the big fish.
"How dare you say that! I'm a smart and pretty girl, not an ugly, stupid fish!"
"Oh, I see,'' said the big fish, "you probably were a girl until just recently, but you made the mistake of trying to eat a magic fish. So now you're a fish even if you don't want to be. Serve you right. Well, never mind, you can come and meet the Queen. She used to be a human girl just like you; now she's a posh fish."
The shoal of fish led the way. The unwilling mermaid felt lonely at the bottom of the deep sea, and so she followed on.
Up above them, a ship was setting out on a long journey. Some passengers gazed over the side and saw a splendid shoal of silvery shimmering fish. "Do you see that large, pretty fish!" said a woman passenger. "She has a face like a girl!" "Perhaps she's a mermaid," suggested her husband, putting his arm around his wife's waist. Little did he know how right he was!
The fish and the mermaid swam on through crystal clear waters.
"Here we are at last," cried the big fish, diving down into a deep valley, for the sea has its mountains and valleys just as much as the land. "This be the palace of the queen of the fishes! Isn't it the most amazing building you ever could imagine!"
"It's not too shabby!" gasped the unwilling mermaid, weary from trying to swim as fast as the rest. The palace was built like a cathedral, with high walls and sloping roofs covered in shells, coral, and pearls. The great gates and gothic windows were open so that visitors could swim in and out freely.
The troop of fish floated into a great hall where the Queen, who was half a woman, was seated on a throne made of a green and blue shell. The unwilling mermaid was shy - not a feeling that she was used to by any means. The other fish pushed her to the front.
"And who is this peculiar fish? I've not seen her before?" asked the Queen.
"You're majesty," said the big fish. "She was once a girl like you were."
"Oh really?" said the Queen. "Then she may be of service to me and help herself into the bargain."
"I won't let you down!" declared the unwilling mermaid. "I'm a self-starter and a quick learner! You'll soon see that I'm highly motivated to achieve my goal, which is to turn back into a girl and go back to live with my parents."
"In that case," said the Queen, "This is what I want you to do. Go and fetch my crown."
"I can do that, no problem!" declared the unwilling mermaid, for it sounded like an easy task. "Only tell me where your crown is, and I will fetch it right away."
"My crown," said the Queen, "is on top of a tall mountain."
"Fine! I will climb Mount Everest if I can have my legs back."
"And it is inside a strong castle."
"I do not lack for brains. I will find a way into the castle."
"And the castle belongs to a fierce giant."
"That's, er, interesting..." said the unwilling mermaid, not quite so sure of herself now.
"The fierce giant has stolen my crown for the head of his daughter and will kill anyone who tries to take it."
"Okay, I'll deal with him when the time comes," said the unwilling mermaid.
Secretly she thought that as soon as she had her legs back and was a girl again, she would run home to her house to live quietly with her parents. Then, for as long as she lived, she would listen to advice and not be a mouthy know-all. As for the idea of climbing a mountain and stealing a crown from a fierce giant and his daughter: well, she had no intention of doing anything so insane.
She looked up at the Queen and said:
"Your Majesty, only give me back my legs, and I will complete this task for you."
"Good," replied the Queen. "In that case, you must visit the Old Man of the Sea. He will help you with some of his magic."
The shoal of fish swam with the unwilling mermaid to the cave where the Old Man of the Sea lives. All along the way, they sang her praises, saying how brave, beautiful and clever she was. She rather enjoyed the journey.
They found the Old Man of the Sea sitting propped up against the side of his cave, snoring loudly.
"Wake up, Wake up Old Man!" said the girl, annoyed. "It's not bedtime yet. The Queen of the Fishes sent me. I need my legs back so I can fetch her crown."
"What, what what?" said the old man, waking up. The girl repeated her request.
"You can't do that. You're a fish. Fishes can't go on dry land."
"I know that! That's why I came to see you. I used to be a girl, and I'd like to be one again if you please."
"Well, well well, be sure to keep your promise and bring back the crown to the Queen. If you do that, you can live happily ever after as a girl. All you must do now is swim to the beach."
The girl thanked the Old Man of the Sea and swam with the fishes directly to the beach. As soon as she felt the sand on her belly, a change came over her. She was growing legs - and very soon, she had four of them - as well as a swishy tail. She staggered to her feet. Her new legs were wobbly, but soon she got the hang of standing, then walking, then running.
"Look, Mummy!" exclaimed a small boy. "There goes a sea-deer."