Lutey and The Mermaid: Traditional Mermaid Folk Stories Collection

Once upon a time in Cornwall, England, on a lovely part of the Cornish coast called, The Lizard, there lived an old man named Lutey.

Lutey and his wife had a small farm on the clifftop, but since it was difficult to make ends meet, he was also a fisherman, and, we must admit, that sometimes he was also a smuggler, whenever when he got the chance.

One lovely summer's evening, Lutey had finished his work early and was waiting as his wife cooked his supper, so he strolled along the beach looking to see if there was any wreckage washed up on the shore that he could sell, as this was another way that he could sometimes make money.

He culdn't find anything good and he was just giving up his search, when suddenly from out towards the sea, there came a long, sad wailing cry. At first he thought it must just be a gull, but it really sounded more like a child or a woman in distress, so he stopped and listened more carefully and looked around.

He could see no one, but the wailing sound came low and long again, and Lutey felt sure this time, that it was someone in distress, crying out for help. The tide was further out than usual, so there was a wide bar of sand between the rocks and the sea. Far out on the sands there was a group of rocks, and the sound seemed to be coming from there.

Lutey strode quickly towards the rocks to see if he could help. As he went round to the side that was facing the sea, he was amazed to find the most beautiful woman, that he had ever set eyes upon, lying on a ledge at the base, partially covered by seaweed and her own magnificent long hair.

Her skin was a delicate pink and white, like the exquisite little shells we find on the seashore, and her clear green eyes sparkled and flashed like waves in the sunlight, while her hair was the golden color of sunshine itself.

Against the sound of the roaring waves, the wonderful creature had not heard his footsteps or noticed him at all and was gazing mournfully out to sea, obviously in distress, uttering from time to time that same pitiful cry.

Lutey did not know how to help or how to announce himself without frightening her, so he coughed and cleared his throat but she was dazed and had still not heard him. So he went up close to her. "What's the matter, missie?" he said "What be you doing out here all by yourself?" Although he tried to say it as gently as possible, she was startled and shrieked with fright and dived straight into the water, disappearing competely.

At first Lutey thought she had slipped in with fright and had drowned! But when he leaned over and looked into the pool, he could see her swimming underwater; her cloud of hair, floating up like seaweed on the surface, underneath, the head and shoulders of a woman, and looking closer, he swore he could see a great big fish's tail! Now Lutey realised at once, that this strange lady was a beautiful, real life mermaid!

She seemed to be as much afraid, as he was, so he summoned up his courage to speak to her again, and because Lutey thought to himself, that it is wise to be kind to mermaids, because there are so many fearsome stories about them that there is no telling what they might do to those who are not.

"Don't be frightened lady," he said, "I wouldn't hurt 'ee for the world, I wouldn't harm a living creature. I only wants to know what your trouble is."

She had raised her head out of the water and was looking at him sadly with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

"I 'opes she understands Carnish," he thought to himself, "for 'tis the only language I'm fluent in."

To his surprise the mermaid answered his thoughts. Through her tears she said very unhappily, "Beautiful sir, we sea-folk can understand all languages, for we visit the coast of every land, and all the tribes of the world sail through our kingdom. The greatest kindness you can do for me is to go away. You are acustomed to human women who walk on the land and wear silks and laces. I am not like you and you cannot understand us and our free and unrestrained existence."