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www.sadiethemermaid.com
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Copyright © 2016 Shrew Enterprises Ltd.
Text Copyright © Rosalind Paterson 2016
Illustrations Copyright © Rosalind Paterson 2016
The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work
ISBN 978-0-473-22314-4
Conditions of Sale
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the authors’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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Special thanks must go to my long suffering sister
Frances Manwaring for supporting me through this and
everything else.
I’d also like to mention in dispatches my stunning and
very firm editor Bronwyn Watkins who helped me turn
my wooly and random thoughts and illustrations into a
lovely cohesive book.
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Chapter 1 ~ Strange News 7
Chapter 2 ~ Sadie Finds a Treasure 13
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Chapter 1 ~ Strange News
Wave-weaving with dolphins was the best fun ever!
Sadie held tight to the dorsal fins of two of her friends as
they sped along. The dolphins were easily twice her
length and she couldn’t believe how fast they swam—it
was hard to keep her grip. Sadie loved the feeling of
water, bubbles and her long jade hair flowing freely
down her back.
“Ready for another leap?” the one on the right clicked.
Sadie braced herself. “Too right, let’s do it!"
“Hold on tight, Sadie, here we go,” the bigger dolphin
on the left chuckled.
Two strong bodies moved in close to support her. Sadie
was so excited her hands began to shake and she almost
lost her hold. Power surged through their massive tails
as they arced upwards, causing millions of shimmering
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water droplets to explode in the air like pieces of a
shattered mirror.
“Spectacular!” Sadie gasped. She let go of the fins, threw
her arms out front and soared above the water singing
for joy. The dolphins laughed and clicked as they sailed
along beside her. Then at exactly the same time everyone
summersaulted and plunged back into the sea.
“Wow, you guys! That was unbelievable fun!” Sadie told
them. And it was of course. It was wonderful mixed up
with crazy-wild, but not a pace she could keep up for
long. “Thanks SO much for the lift,” She added,
searching for an excuse so she wouldn’t be forced to
admit that she couldn’t keep up with them any longer.
“I wish I didn’t have to go home to all that work.”
“No worries, Sadie, see ya next time,” they flicked their
tails at her and frolicked away through the waves.
Rolling over onto her back Sadie bobbed along on the
swell swishing her tail gently. A large black back gull
circled several times then swooped towards her. Sadie
admired the crisp contrast of his black and white feathers
and his flying skill. Typical black back though, he looks
fiercer than a walrus with tooth ache! she thought.
“Morning Sadie, have you heard the news today?” the
gull croaked. Sadie shook her head. “Some rich business
man has bought a tower block and all the waterfront
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buildings in Deltahaven,” the bird told her as he hovered
skilfully on an updraft.
“Well that is interesting Jacob, any idea who? I thought
that no-one except the Queen could own those towers.”
“Mr. Maaaa . . .” Jacob croaked, but his words were lost
on the wind as he flew away. “What was that Jacob?
Maa-something, Marrion? Majhong?” she shouted
pointlessly after him.
“Whatever this news meant, if the black backs were
talking about it, it was important. Anyway, time to go!
I’ve already wasted most of the morning and The Wild
Western Bays won’t look after itself.”
In one smooth move, Sadie flipped over and dived under
the water. “What if this Mr. Ma—whatever his name
was—had greedy plans to plunder the sea? “Oh well,
we’ll know soon enough!” Sadie sighed so hard she blew
a small starfish off a kelp strand. “Oh sorry, REALLY
sorry,” she said and put him back.
It was naughty to let the dolphins distract her. She could
imagine her mother’s scolding voice; ‘you are so
irresponsible, Sadie, you must put duty first.’ Of course
her mother was right—she couldn’t have it both ways—
if she wanted to be taken seriously she would have to
stop playing about like a silly child. Sadie sighed again
(careful not to dislodge any small creatures).
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The shortest route home from Aunt Destriana’s cave
took her behind The Dark Island and out over Ragged
Reef. Normally Sadie enjoyed visiting Aunt D but this
trip had made her angry. Why wouldn’t Destriana let
her join in any classes? “What kind of stupid answer is,
‘All in good time little one?’” she growled to herself. All
Sadie wanted in the whole wild ocean was to learn Song
Power and be a healer like her Aunt. She was totally
ready. It felt like the entire family was against her.
“Mum thinks I’m a baby and Aunt D obviously thinks I
am useless. It isn’t fair!” Sadie smacked a tall weed with
her hand and snapped it in half.
Always on duty, Sadie constantly scanned for creatures
who might need her help. A large shoal of little, silver
fish shimmied in a hollow ahead and Sadie found her
best smile.
“Hello everyone, how are you all this morning? Have
you had any more trouble with that mean Nargh fish?”
she asked.
Lots of tiny voices replied in unison. “No, we’re fine,
Thanks, Sadie. No more trouble. Whatever you said
worked. What did you say? Tell us, tell us!” they cried.
“I told him I was good friends with a sea dragon and if
there was any more bullying she’d hear about it. You
should have seen his face!” Sadie laughed. The funny,
bubbly sound those little fish made when they laughed
made her realise how much she loved her job. If only her
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family could see she was up to it. I am NOT too small, or
too timid, or too ordinary or too . . . anything else, Sadie
swished her tail so angrily that a family of prawns
washed off the rock ledge they lived on.
“Oh sorry, REALLY sorry,” she said popping them all
back. I MUST get myself under control before I hurt someone!
A huge manta ray passed silently overhead and for a few
seconds his dark shadow cut off the sun. “Morning Miss
Sadie. Look, you fixed it,” he called and wriggled his
large black wings at her. A nasty jagged scar gleamed
newly white. “See, good as new,” he beamed.
“That’s great Sean, it’s healing nicely. Looks like my
blue weed lotion worked really well.”
The great fish came down lower, “It sure did! And that
healing chant—just magic—I felt better the minute you
started to sing.”
“That’s all very well Sean, but don’t you overdo it now.”
Sadie wagged a warning finger at him. “No leaping or
racing or any other stunts for AT LEAST six tides,
understand?” she said firmly.
The ray smiled and winked as he performed a perfect one
eighty degree barrel roll.
Sadie burst out laughing “Honestly Sean, what did I just
tell you?” A warm glow spread right through her, she
was good at this.
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She’d show her mother and Aunt D who had the healing
talent in the family! I WILL be the best.
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Chapter 2 ~ Sadie Finds a Treasure
On the homeward swim Sadie fondly observed all the
little creatures that lived on the sea floor. Hermit crabs
scurried about; tiny eels and octopi peeked out of
crevices; multi coloured sea slugs showed off their frills;
goose barnacles did what they do best—gossip—and
prawns of all shapes and sizes simply went about their
business. Many waved and called ‘hello’ as she swan
overhead. They all seemed happy enough and no-one
needed her help.
GREAT! Looks like it’s going to be a nice, quiet afternoon.
Perhaps I will finally get some time to tidy my cave, she
thought.
Uh oh, what was that? Sadie pulled up fast—she sensed
someone needed help. “So much for a quiet day,
mermaids never get a break!” Sadie grumbled. There it
was again a very puzzling feeling. There was no-one in
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sight and she heard no voice, but the strong sensation
someone was in trouble tugged at her. Sadie looked
everywhere, in crevices, in holes and under rocks. She
swam slowly, guided by the strength of the ‘feeling’.
Following her senses she swam round a tall pinnacle of
rock and through some kelp towards a deep chasm.
“Come here, come here,” actual words begin to form in
her mind. Sadie didn’t like this uncomfortable intrusion
and she didn’t know what to do. Her heart told her to
swim home as fast as possible, but her mind had other
ideas. Go on, have a look, don’t be such a wimp, she told
herself. Mum is always saying you are FAR TOO timid.
Sadie gave herself a big shake from the top of her head
right down to the tips of her fins to get rid of the
tension. Right! We’ll see who’s too timid! I’ll find out what
this is all about!
Feeling more confident, Sadie called out loudly, “Hello
there. Do you need help? Where are you?”
The enticing voice in her head grew stronger, “Come on,
find me . . . over here . . . this way . . .” it urged.
Sadie swam out over the edge of the cliff and peered
down into the gloom. Something glinted way below her
and she gulped nervously. “Hold on I’m coming down,”
she called. It took her two seconds to reach a narrow
ledge but instead of the hurt animal she expected to see,
a beautiful glass globe teetered on the edge. Sadie
grabbed it just as the strong current washed in the
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direction of vicious pointed crags beneath her. Surely no-
one could survive being smashed into that lot.
“Hello, hello, anyone down there?” she called. A quick
dive to the jagged sea bed put her mind at rest. She
called out a couple of times more but still there was no
answer. Whoever it was must be long gone. Back in
shallower water Sadie held up globe for a closer look.
“Wow, am I lucky or what—to save something as
beautiful as you? And you are so lucky I came along, or
you’d be smashed to bits by now,” Sadie told the glass
globe. She heard a tiny spiteful sounding giggle.
A very strong desire to shake the globe came over her.
She didn’t resist. As the pretty glitter settled she heard a
gleeful laugh? Sadie looked around—once again there
was no-one there—not even so much as a tiny hermit
crab was in view. Where were these feelings and voices
coming from? Completely creeped out, Sadie popped the
globe into her collecting bag and swam off to look for
somewhere more private to inspect her newest
possession, away from these voices and giggles.
It didn’t take her long to find a secluded cove full of long
bushy kelp where no one could spy on her. Sadie sat on a
rock almost hidden by weeds, wriggled her tail fins into
the cool sand and felt the Deep Green Energy pulse
through her—it was just the recharge she needed. With
great care, she opened her bag and lifted out the
fascinating object. It was big and took both hands to
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hold it. Sadie turned it round in the sunlight—the thing
was Air World for sure, but what was it for? Inside the
glass globe was a miniature village and she marvelled at
the tiny houses. They clustered around a much bigger
building with coloured glass windows and a tower. Tall
dark trees, stood behind the village and everything was
covered in a layer of white stuff.
Watching the bubble with fascination, she tipped the
globe gently this way and that. White and silver glitter
twirled and twinkled when she righted it making her feel
day-dreamy. Sadie half shut her eyes and imagined
herself living in that little village. Which house would
she pick? Hmmmm, perhaps the pink and lavender one? No,
she liked the mint and cream one best. As the glitter
drifted to the bottom she fantasised about playing in the
sparkly water. When all the sparkles had settled she
shook it again but this time a mean giggle cut through
her dream.
“Who’s there?” she said snapping out of her trance. “I
can hear you, you know? Are you following me?” There
was no reply, not a sound. Sadie put the globe back in
her bag. She must get away from this laughing spy and
back to her cave. Keeping low, Sadie wove a stealthy
path through the kelp so as not to be seen. Her
swimming was erratic and wobbly and she felt faint.
Was she getting a dose of green kelp lurgy? How long
she had been sitting dreaming? The direction of the light
told her it was afternoon already.
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The tattered weed curtain which disguised the entrance
to her cave flapped as she swam past. She still felt sick—
this day was going from bad to worse. “It’s a complete
tip!” she cried. If her mother saw her cave in this state,
Sadie would fail her independence trial and she’d be
stuck living at home forever! Oh shells! It’s only five days
till her visit, Sadie threw herself on her bed causing a
mass of small bubbles to erupt.
Why couldn’t her mother see that she was plenty old
enough to live and work on her own? I bet she managed
fine when she was my age. Sure I’m small, but that doesn’t
make me stupid or useless. Mum’s standards are impossible, she
thought. Tears began to well up but she choked them
back. One creamy droplet escaped and floated towards
the bed. She caught the tear gently on her finger and
watched as it turned into a tiny seed pearl. When she
saw that the jar she stored her tear pearls in was almost
full she realised how sad she’d been recently and she
wanted to cry again.
“Stop it at once stupid!” Sadie launched off her bed and
swam up and down giving herself a real talking to.
“Sniveling isn’t going to get this done. That’s exactly
what Mum expects—she thinks I’ll give up and come
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home. No way! That’s not going to happen.” Sadie
looked again at the jar full of tears and this time she
laughed. There is always an upside, she thought. This
season I will have plenty of seed pearls to give the oysters—it’ll
be a bumper crop.
The warm afternoon sun filtered into her cave through a
massive fissure in the ceiling which went all the way up
through the rock to the cliffs above. The light glinted on
shiny crystals in the rocks and danced all around
highlighting this and that. Sadie’s gaze followed the
beams. She felt discouraged. The whole place was jam-
packed with stuff: jewellery; cloth; china; glass;
ornaments; boxes; baskets; strange metal bits and bobs
and lots of colourful plastic. More than half of it would
have to go.
Collecting pretty and interesting things was a favourite
pass time. Unfortunately Sadie thought everything she
found was pretty or interesting. It was amazing the stuff
humans lost in the sea—tons of it! Her Grandmother
said that it was mostly plastic rubbish not like the ‘good
stuff’ they used to find in the days of sailing ships. The
old mers moaned a lot because everything exciting was
shipped in containers, many of which floated in the
ocean like rusty, impenetrable icebergs. Sadie dreamed of
finding a way to open them and discover the untold
treasures stowed in their steel bellies.
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Then she remembered about the globe . . . her beautiful
globe . . . she couldn’t imagine finding anything more
delightful than that in any old sailing ship.
Sadie cleared a space in the centre of a rock ledge. The
globe looked amazing as it sparkled in its very own sun
beam spotlight. She couldn’t pull her eyes away. What a
find—her special globe, how she loved it. Everyone
would be so jealous of it—even her mother.
Without warning Sadie heard words in her head again.
She was shocked, it was one thing to hear a voice way
out on the reef but quite another to hear it inside her
own cave. Sadie realised reluctantly that her globe could
be the culprit, it was the only new thing in here. Could
that voice be coming from inside? She inched closer to
check it out.
It can’t be! NO, I won’t even consider it, Sadie decided. But
what if it’s dangerous? she thought. There you go again being
a scaredy-fish—don’t be so pathetic, she scolded herself. A
hollow giggle made her skin prickle and once more she
felt compelled to shake the globe. The only explanation
she could think of was magic—but, was it good or bad?
The globe was so exquisite that she refused to believe it
was bad. Sadie was forbidden to ‘mess about’ with any
kind of magic. ‘It’s much too dangerous for untrained
young mers,’ her mother often said. But what if it’s the
good kind? Sadie thought. Maybe I could use it for something
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really great like opening containers or to stop pollution. That
would impress her!
Hovering in front of the globe for a few more minutes,
Sadie waited but although no-one spoke she felt like she
was being watched. Now I am imagining things, it’s
probably just the hermies, she thought. Sadie glanced
around hopefully but didn’t see even a feeler of the
hermit crabs who shared her cave.
“Right! It’s tidying time! Angry mum is way scarier
than a talking globe,” Sadie told herself.
Where was her favourite lucky charm? She needed to
wear it. She always felt safer with the little dolphin
hanging inside her shirt. After a few minutes digging
around in a coloured glass vase on a ledge behind her
bed, she found the trinket—solid gold with sapphire
eyes. It was so lifelike that she was sure one day it would
wink at her and woosh away. She threaded some twine
through the loop and popped it over her head.
Suddenly a commotion flared up outside. “Sadie, Sadie,
come quick. Sadie, please hurry, Uncle Dover is caught
on a fishing line,” a little fish cried in the pandemonium.
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“Blast it!” Sadie muttered. “My Tidying will have to
wait, AGAIN!” She grabbed her first aid bag and
followed the fish. Nasty giggles followed her out. She
knew for sure that wasn’t the hermies.
“Vents blast all fishing hooks!” Sadie cursed under her
breath—the dreadful things caught so many of her
friends. Unless she got to the poor fish early, surgery
could be very risky. After a long fight with a hook, the
ensnared fish had little strength left and all too often
died of exhaustion as she operated. It was such a nasty
way to die.
Behind the Wobbly Rock a group of anxious fish were
holding up their uncle. Many other creatures also helped
support the large flounder so his weight didn’t pull the
hook further into his jaw. Freeze-weed and a healing
song soon relaxed the patient (and everyone else.) It was
an intricate job to remove the vicious double barb, but
Dover was big and strong and Sadie thought he would
definitely make it.
By the time the flounder was bandaged up and taken
home it was late. All the creatures were heading for the
safety of their corals and crevices and Sadie went home,
very pleased with her work.
The interior of the cave was illuminated by thousands of
glo’ bugs shining soft blue and green. Sadie grew their
favourite food on her walls in carefully designed patterns
so their lights made a lovely display. Normally the
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gleaming welcome home show gladdened Sadie, but
tonight everything looked sinister.
Just as she feared, the minute she returned The Voice
began again, “Come here, come here,” it enticed her.
“Please, who are you? Have I made you angry? Are you
a ghost?” she asked in a shaky voice clutching her
dolphin charm.
Sadie didn’t believe in ghosts but this creepy voice made
her less sure. Perhaps she had disturbed one when she
was poking about the old pirate wreck last week. Which
was worse, bad magic or a ghost? She couldn’t decide
but she didn’t like either possibility. She wished her
mother was here, she always knew what to do. For a
start, she’d tell me straight up, ‘Don’t be so silly, Sadie, you
know there are no such things as ghosts.’ Or are there? Sadie
thought. A movement from behind a wicker hamper
made her jump. First a forest of feelers waggled then a
row of six tiny hermit crabs appeared.
“Oh shells! You gave me such a fright!” she said. Her
small tenants scuttled up the rock wall and onto her lap
chattering and waving in alarm.
“So you heard it too!” The little crabs nodded their
stalky eyes twitching.
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