Old Salty and the Mermaid's Map
Old Salty was the oldest pirate on the sea.
He was so old that his beard had gone silver. He was so old that his ship had barnacles on the barnacles. He was so old that his parrot, Biscuit, could recite every pirate song ever written, because Old Salty had sung them all.
One morning, Old Salty was sitting at the back of the ship, dangling his toes in the water, when a hand appeared.
"Morning," said the mermaid.
"Morning," said Old Salty.
He was not surprised. After seventy years at sea, almost nothing surprised him.
"I found your boot," said the mermaid, holding it up. "It must have fallen overboard."
"Thank you," said Old Salty. It had happened before.
The mermaid looked at him. "You've sailed everywhere," she said.
"Most places," said Old Salty.
"Have you ever seen the Glow-Rock? It shines at night like a lantern. Fish come from all over the ocean just to swim around it."
Old Salty shook his head. "Never found it."
The mermaid reached into her hair and produced a map. It was drawn on something smooth and waterproof — not paper. Old Salty did not ask what it was made of.
"It's there," she said, pointing.
Old Salty looked at the map for a long time.
"Too far," he said.
"Not if you follow my current," said the mermaid. "I'll show you the way."
And that is how Old Salty found himself being pulled through the water very fast indeed, with Biscuit screaming "PIECES OF EIGHT! PIECES OF EIGHT!" from the ship's bow.
The Glow-Rock was there.
It was pink and gold and green, and it hummed very softly, and the fish swam around it in slow, dreaming circles.
Old Salty sat and watched it for a long time.
"Worth the trip," he said at last.
Biscuit settled on his shoulder and was quiet.
Old Salty watched the light from the rock ripple up through the water and dance on the dark surface above.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He sat there until he got sleepy, and then he fell asleep in his chair, with the soft glow lighting everything, gentle as moonlight.