Fore the Deer Childrun

© 2002 by Cinda Anderson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

ISBN: 1-4033-8198-4 (e-book)

ISBN: 1-4033-8199-2 (Paperback)

ISBN: 1-4033-8200-X (Hardcover)

This book is printed on acid free paper.\

1stBooks – rev. 12/11/02.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ERIN AND THE LITTLEST, LITTLER, LITTLE MERMAID

PURRCIOUS

THE SILENT GIRL

THE HOPELESS COW

THE GREAT FLOOD OF ’93

THE SPELL

THE GENERAL

THE GOAT PRINCES

SANDY, THE CETARIAN

ANDY AND THE GHOST

THE GOLDEN RULE

ELVIE, THE ELF

THAT MY LITTLE GIRLS…

LOOKING FOR LOVE

THE LUCKY PENNY

TOWSER

APRIL FOOLS

OLD JEB OF THE CONGAREE

THE RAINBOW ROOM

THE PROPHECY

THE CARELESS ANGEL

THE DRAGON’S WELL

VOCATION, TENNESSEE

MAGIC

CONQUEST OF THE GROUNCH

THE QUEEN’S PRIVATE SORROW

DEDICATION

To family and old friends

ERIN AND THE LITTLEST, LITTLER, LITTLE MERMAID

Help me, help me, Pl-ease. For I am dy-ing.

Erin awoke from a very sound sleep. The wind howled and growled outside. She could see through her bedroom curtains that the trees bent and swayed so low that they almost doubled over. Then, she heard the rain fall hard from the sky like someone had taken scissors and sliced upon all the sky.

However, the storm, the winds, and the rain were not what awakened Erin. Instead, it was a very puzzling and troubling dream. She had dreamt a little mermaid called to her and only to her. In this dream, she realized this mermaid was in big, big trouble and only she, Erin, could help her.

Why did Erin know that only she could help? Because the mermaid had told her so in a sad, whispered little song that only one special person in the whole wide world would hear her cry for help because her voice, the little mermaid’s voice, was so very, very, very small.

Erin got up from her bed and walked toward her parent’s bedroom door. Her Daddy and Mommy would know how to help her and this little mermaid who sang such a sweet, lovely, and sad little song.

Daddy. Mommy. Erin said with a soft whisper in the midst of the stormy night.

Her Daddy woke first. Yes, Erin what is it?

Daddy, I had the most strange and different and terrible dream.

It’s just the storm outside, Erin. Go back to your room and go to sleep.

But, Daddy, you don’t understand, Erin said a little bit more loudly. There is a mermaid who is in trouble, Daddy.

Erin, you were just dreaming. It is all this talk of the hurricane that has come in to the coast. Don’t worry, Erin, we are too far inland for the hurricane to hurt us here.

But Daddy

Look, if you’re worried and afraid, come to bed with us. You can snuggle in between us and before you know it you will be fast asleep again. Tomorrow the storm will be over, the sun will come out, and you will feel as if you just had a silly dream. Come to bed, Erin and be quiet. Your mama needs her sleep, her Daddy whispered as he rose from bed and placed Erin in the bed. She snuggled into the warm spot of the sheets where he had just been.

As she snuggled, she felt it was better to be with her mom and Dad on this terribly windy and ferocious night, but Erin was still upset, worried, and disturbed. There was a little voice that continued to sing ever so sweetly with words she could just barely make out. They were sad, little words filled with tears.

Erin looked in both directions at her parents. Now she became convinced that she was the only person who heard this sweet and wondrous voice because her mom and Dad were both fast asleep.

Erin laid in the bed with eyes closed tight and pretended to sleep, but all the while she lay there, the sweet melody and harmony of that wonderful voice kept singing to her. Sometimes, but not all the time, Erin felt she could make out most of the words, and they went something like this…

"Rescue me. I’m the Littlest, littler, little mermaid, you see.

My home has been destroyed by an angry, cruel, and horrible sea.

And I, the littlest, littler, little mermaid, you see,

Have been washed to the shore and am dy-ing."

*          *          *

The next morning was a school day for Erin, and she left home with a heavy heart. She had tried to explain how the mermaid was dying and how her home had been destroyed by the angry sea to her mother, but she was too busy getting ready for work and scolded Erin for dawdling and doodling and stalling and dragging her feet.

Erin and her classmates all watched television while at school. They saw videos of homes and boats that had been crumbled and tossed like little toys by the hurricane, dogs and cats alone trying the fend for themselves, and trees and sand dunes that had been torn and ripped apart. During all this time, Erin kept hearing the mermaid’s pretty, silky, wonderful voice saying, Rescue me. I’m the Littlest, Littler, little mermaid you see… .

The children discussed the things they had seen.

The people. The people who have lost their homes. They need help, said one little boy.

Yes. They need blankets and food and shelter. We should all help them in any little way we can, the teacher responded. Anything else, class?

Erin was a quiet thinker in class. She did not often say much to the teacher. She did not feel the need to talk much because the teacher already knew so much that whatever Erin said would be nothing new.

Erin herself felt little sometimes. Most of the time she felt everybody else was bigger or smarter and taller or older than she was, and she knew just exactly how the littlest, littler, little mermaid felt because Erin often felt the same way, as if nothing she ever did or said mattered or was important.

But, today. Today was different for Erin. Today she felt as if she had something important to say to everyone, and that they should listen because not only were people and dogs and cats in trouble not too far from her home, but the Littlest, littler, little mermaid was too.

Erin burst out and told them about her dream and what the little mermaid had said. She explained that the angry sea had destroyed the mermaid’s home and that they must build her a new one. Hurry. We must do something quick, she sobbed. The mermaid is dying.

All her classmates and friends laughed at her. Even the teacher tried to hide her smiles when Erin told her story.

When they laughed, Erin just felt little and littler and littlest. Her friends and classmates teased her. Erin felt she had a serious problem. No one believed her when she told them about the littlest, littler, little mermaid. She knew the mermaid was dying, but she did not know how to save her because Erin was little, too. She also felt she was too little to save even an ant from being squashed and killed. How was she going to save a mermaid if no one believed her?

Help me, Help me, Please. For I am dy-ing.

Erin looked up from her school books. She had once again heard the voice that cry out for help. It was a sweet, little voice. It was a voice that sobbed for someone to hear them. Erin was the kind of girl who would always be there to help out a friend who was in need. This mermaid sounded as if they needed someone badly.

When she looked around, she saw that everyone else’s heads were faced down and all looked at their workbooks hard. No one spoke or had their heads up trying to catch Erin’s attention.

Erin was puzzled. She wondered how she could help someone that she could not see. Since nobody, not even the teacher, seemed to be speak out loud, Erin decided the voice was just her imagination playing tricks.

Erin had a good imagination. She often entertained her many friends at school with the tall tales she told. Her friends loved to hear her tell stories about elves and fairies, dragons and knights, and make-believe kingdoms. This little voice was different though. It puzzled her and no one seemed to believe her.

The school bells rang, and it was time for all of the children to go home. Erin picked up her books and walked out the door. It was a nice fall day. Her mother allowed her to walk back and forth to school on nice, clear days like today.

The sun was out. The sky was blue, and the wind gusted, whipped, and played with her hair.

While she walked, she thought about the terrible storm that had only happened. Even though Erin and her family lived many miles from the shore, they too had experienced the anger of the last minutes of the hurricane. It had rushed inland before it stopped and just became another storm.

Help me, Help me, Pl-ease. Help me, Help me, Pl-ease for I am dy-ing.

Erin stopped. There was that strange voice again. She was sure now this was not just her imagination playing tricks on her. She was positive someone was out there who needed her help. She turned around and around to see if anyone was there. As she turned around, she saw only a dog that cross the street behind her.

Erin became worried. She wondered why this voice just simply seemed to appear in the air and she could not see who spoke.

Help me, Help Me, Pl-ease. I am dying. Help me, Help me, Please.

Erin began to whisper to herself in a small, very wee, very quiet voice. Littlest, littler, little mermaid, I see, but how can I, little Erin, save thee? I am just a small, little girl and no one, not even my Daddy, believes your story or me.

Erin? Erin? Is that the name you are called? Help Me, Erin, for I am very cold.

Erin turned around quickly again to see if someone was behind her. There was not a soul in sight. All she saw and heard were leaves being rustled by a wind in the trees.

Erin got mad now. She yelled out loud, Whoever you are, stop playing tricks on me. Come out. Come out now.

Then, Erin heard someone cry. It made her sad. Do not cry, she said. I cannot see you. Come out, and I will try to help you.

All Erin heard were more sobs filled with great, big tears.

Someone help me, please. Someone help me, please. Then, the cries stopped. With a little bit of hope, the voice said, Erin? Erin? Is that the name you are called? Help Me, Erin, for I am very cold.

Erin looked around again. There still was no one in sight.

Erin? Is that the name you are called? Help Me, Erin, for I am the Littlest, Littler, little mermaid and I am icy cold.

Go away, Littlest, littler, little mermaid. No one believes me. I am too small to help you. Go away, Erin cried out to only herself.

Erin? Erin? Do not send me away. You see it is because you are small that you hear the words I say.

But, no one believes me. They all laugh at me.

Find someone who will not laugh and help me, Erin, for I am dying.

Erin thought for a long time to herself. How could she convince everyone or at least one someone that she heard the Littlest, Littler, little mermaid at all? How was she going to get this special musical little voice from making everybody think that she was mad or crazy or just plain stupid? She decided the best thing to do was to ask the Littlest, littler, little mermaid what she should do.

Okay. Littlest, littler, little mermaid, What can I do?

Tell your Daddy that you are the only one who hears me.

I did. He said it was only the storm, Erin replied with a sigh.

The mermaid paused and then said, Tell your schoolmates then.

I did. They all laughed at me.

We do have a problem then. To me that is clear. Tell me, Erin. Tell me about you, my dear.

Well, I am the littlest girl in a family of girls.

How many girls?

There are seven of us.

Oh, I see. I see. I see why you hear me! the Littlest, littler, little mermaid cried.

What do you see Littlest, littler, little mermaid? Erin asked.

I too am one of seven, and we are all girls, too. Erin, listen to me carefully for now I know for sure you are the only one who can save me. My name is Melodie, The Mermaid.

Oh, so that is why you sing so pretty.

Sss-sh, Erin. I am getting very weak. You must allow me to speak.

Okay. Okay, Erin said.

My sisters are all very much older and wiser than me. Each time I sang a new tune out loud, they would laugh and cry, ‘Oh, Melodie, we know that tune and we know that song and we know everything about everything that you could ever think of.’ Each time they said that do you know what happened?

No, Erin said.

I became smaller because everything I ever said or did was unimportant and insignificant. Not one of my sisters or my mother or my father ever really appreciated me. I became so small that even if I were close to you now you would not be able to see me. I am but a mere speck of sand or a little bit of dust compared to the size of you, Erin. You must help me. You must help me get back to the sea.

Tell me, Melodie, The Littlest, littler, little mermaid. Tell me where I can find you. Erin said urgently. She understood just how the Littlest, littler, little mermaid felt. Her sisters often did the very, very same thing to her and it hurt Erin very much. Not all of the time, but many times. There were times when Erin fought back and told her sisters they were stupid and silly, too.

I was blown in by the big storm of the sea. I am hidden amongst some very tall trees in the sands and the dunes. I am so far inland though that I myself cannot make it back to the sea. Oh, Erin, Erin, please help me, pl-ease!

Okay. Okay. I’ll see what I can do, Erin replied. But, Melodie how will I find you if you are so small?

My voice will be stronger the closer you come. You alone will hear me sing my lonely little songs. Don’t worry, Erin, dear. You’ll find me of that I am most clear, sweet little Erin, my dear.

Erin got worried and hurried home. She needed to talk to her mother and her father. They would know of a way to help her find this little mermaid who cried sang and spoke of dying in such a soft, sweet little voice. If her parents did not listen, she decided to be very firm with them both. She was going to get her father to take her to the beach or else she would just walk there all by herself.

*          *          *

Daddy, Erin said in her most pleasant voice. I have something important to tell you. Somebody needs our help. It’s about a mermaid.

Erin, he said. We talked about it last night already. Erin’s Daddy said as he looked at her. Erin was his youngest child and she held a special place in his heart. She was also his smartest child, but Erin dreamed a lot and sometimes she told stories that were not true.

No, Daddy. The mermaid, is the Littlest, littler, little mermaid in the whole wide world. The storm washed her onto the shore last night and she is dying, Daddy. If we don’t help her, she will die.

Okay, Erin. I’ll call the Coast Guard and they will return her to the sea.

No, Daddy, you don’t understand. I am the only person in the whole wide world who can hear and see Melodie. I am the only person who can save her. Won’t you help me, please?

Al right, where is she then?

I don’t know exactly.

E-rin, her Daddy said impatiently. This is just a wild story you have come up with and I’m not going to go for it. Do you understand?

Daddy, it’s true. I don’t know exactly, but she promised me that I was the only one who could find her.

Why is that, young lady?

Well, because she has become so small that hardly no one can see or hear her. She told me that her sisters made her so small because they laughed at her all the time.

I see. Just like your older sisters sometimes do to you?

"Yes, but Daddy… Don’t you see I am the only person who can find her and we must go to the ocean soon or else she will