Once upon a time, deep under the gentle waves, lived a little mermaid. Her home was a cozy cave made of smooth grey stones and soft, colourful coral. She loved her cozy cave very much because it felt safe and warm.
The little mermaid had a swishy tail that sparkled green and blue, and long, flowing hair the colour of sunshine after a rain. During the day, she loved to play games among the waving sea plants with her very best friend, Flicker, the smallest seahorse in the whole wide reef.
One evening, as the sunbeams turned the water golden and soft, the little mermaid looked out from the entrance of her cozy cave. "Oh, Flicker," she whispered, her eyes wide with wonder, "I wonder what is just around that bend in the sparkly coral? I'm so curious to see!"
Flicker nodded his little head, his tail gently curling. "Let's go see, just a little way!" he chirped, his voice like tiny bubbles popping. He was always happy to go on a little adventure with his friend. So, the little mermaid and Flicker the seahorse held fins and gently swam out from the cozy cave, their tails swishing softly through the quiet water.
They swam past colourful anemones that looked like underwater flowers and greeted a friendly, slow-moving sea turtle with a gentle wave. Around the bend, just like the little mermaid had wondered, they saw something truly wonderful!
Tiny, sparkling lights twinkled in the water all around them, like scattered underwater stars. It was glowing plankton, making the water look like a magical, shimmering cloud. "Oh, how beautiful!" gasped the little mermaid, her eyes shining as brightly as the tiny lights. Flicker zipped happily through the sparkles, giggling with delight.
They watched the magical lights for a little while, feeling happy and amazed by the simple wonders of the deep sea, just a little way from their home. But soon, a gentle tiredness started to tickle the little mermaid's eyelids. The golden sunbeams were fading, and the water was growing dimmer.
"It's getting dark, Flicker," she said softly, giving his fin a gentle squeeze. "I want to go back to our cozy cave now." Flicker agreed. Exploring was exciting and fun, but the thought of their safe, warm home felt even better as bedtime neared.
They swam back the way they came, past the quiet sea creatures and the familiar waving plants, until they saw the comforting entrance to their cozy cave. Slipping inside, the little mermaid curled up on her soft coral bed. She was so glad she had been curious and explored with Flicker, but she was even happier to be home, safe and sound, ready for sweet dreams of sparkling water, friendly seahorses, and her own wonderful, cozy place to rest.