Little princess mermaid lived in the deep blue ocean. Her hair was long and billowing with crown made of the ocean’s pearls. Her tail was sparkly and glittery that whenever she swam, she created rainbow waves at the ocean. Pink, purple, orange and yellow, those were the colors of her rainbow waves. Sailors thought the rainbow waves are the sun beam. Little did they know that it was little princess mermaid swimming and playing with her yellow fish friend.

Little princess mermaid had a seashell she hold dearly. It sang the most beautiful melody she has ever heard. She liked to sing along with the seashell’s melody. When the little princess mermaid sang, her voice echoed throughout the ocean. Her yellow fish friend, other little fishes, jellyfishes and sea turtles liked to gather around her. They danced to her singing voice and the melody of the seashell.

There never a dull moment, there never a tired heart.

One day, a brooding sailor crossed the deep blue ocean. Following him was an array of grey clouds and cold wind. Even the weather could sense the sailor’s brooding mood. As his ship went further across the deep blue ocean, the sailor startled. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

The ocean was beautifully sparkling with rainbow colors and glitters. The sun shone very bright and he heard the most beautiful voice and melody… it was almost ethereal.

Little princess mermaid and her yellow fish friend swam toward the ocean’s surface.

“A brooding sailor!” she exclaimed.

“A mermaid!” the brooding sailor screamed in return. Both of them were shocked.

The brooding sailor had never seen a mermaid. He thought a mermaid was only a legend people passed on. In return, little princess mermaid were also confused. She had never seen such a brood on a man’s face.

“Why are you brooding? You bring all the grey clouds and cold wind and you scare my little yellow fish friend, the jellyfishes, the sea-turtles and every beings down in the sea!” shouted the little princess mermaid.

“I miss the shore! I have been sailing for months with no companion and all I see is this harrowing deep blue ocean that seems to have no end,” said the brooding sailor.

“Oh you petty sailor man,” said the little princess mermaid.

“Petty?” he asked.

“Yes, petty! You shall not think of yourself. Look around you. You bring all the clouds and wind and scares us all…”

Little princess mermaid took out her seashell and started to sing. As she sang, the grey clouds and the cold wind slowly drifted away. The sun shone even brighter than before.

“Can you see better now dear petty sailor? The ocean is vast and beautiful. Look at the sunshine beamed at the ocean’s surface. Little dolphins swim and jump happily. Look! There’s Mr. Seagull and his family flying and dancing in the sky. They were scared to fly before…because of your clouds and wind! Look around. Don’t you see the beauty of these?” said the little princess mermaid.

“Ahhh I see it all now…” answer the sailor, still in awe of the view he had not seen before. Or to be exact, the beautiful view that was there all along but he ceased to see.

“Well, my task here is done! Bye petty sailor!”

Before the brooding sailor who wasn’t brooding anymore said anything to little princess mermaid, she dived away into the depth of the ocean and disappeared.

The sailor realized his mistake. Back in the shore, he longed for the opportunity to sail the ocean and see the world. Now that his wishes was fulfilled, that he had a chance to sail the ocean and see the world, he grunted.

Oh the nature of human, he thought. I should not be in misery anymore. I prayed to God to sail the ocean and see the world. He granted my prayer, and I have seen the world, and I have sailed the ocean, and I have seen the earth’s beauty. I should have been grateful.

As he said his prayer to thank God and asked for his forgiveness, he felt his heart swelled. There was an inexplicable feelings of joy within him and he smiled.

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor].”- QS. Ibrahim (14:7)

A little princess mermaid Dza made from her bedroom keychain. A yellow fish origami the kids made with Abi as one of Dil’s art class assignments. A little tale from Mommy thrown in.

Life (and pandemic quarantine) is dull without imaginations.