The Octopus Queen (A Little Mermaid Retelling)

3 - The Lessons

There's a knock on my door and Papa enters. "Sina? Time for breakfast— Where did those come from?"

Yawning, I stretch and sit up. "What?" I ask, blearily peering around my room. Bright morning sunshine streams through the window and the breeze from the sea gently tugs at my threadbare curtains. In the distance, gulls are already crying as the ships begin to move out to open water.

"These— Was your window open all night?" Papa asks, abruptly changing the subject. He walks over to the window and closes it firmly. "Sina. Can you explain this?" He bends down and picks up a large net resting at the bottom of my window. Heavy, rectangular objects sway back and forth.

Curling my legs beneath me, I reach for the net, drawing it into my lap. With wondering fingers, I pick at the net, trying to find its opening. The net itself doesn't appear to be constructed from rope, but rather from tightly-braided seaweed. The fiber is still green and slightly damp as I tug at a knot. Everything smells like a combination of the sea and old books.

Delightful.

"Sina?" Papa prompts, folding his arms.

"One moment," I say, finally succeeding with a cry of joy. The net opens, spilling its wonderful contents all over my lap and onto the bed.

Books—so many books!

Eagerly, I pick up one. A History of the Askeborg Empire, states one cover. Lessons from the Stars, states another. History, geography, philosophy, essays ... they're all here, twenty books in all. My heart swells and I gather them all to my chest, holding on tight as if they are a favorite stuffed toy.

"A Beginner's Guide to Magic," Papa picks up one book and reads the title with a frown. "Sina, where did these come from?"

"The black octopus gave them to me," I tell him absently, fanning the pages of a history tome. Oh, this one is going to be so much fun to read, I can already tell!

"A ... black octopus?"

"Yes, the one I saved from Fabien, Hans, and Mikal yesterday. He came to me last night and granted me a wish."

"A ... wish-granting black octopus came to you last night," Papa repeated slowly. Dropping his hands to his sides, he slowly looks around my small bedroom and at the bounty of books spilling like a waterfall from my lap.

"Yes, I told him that I wanted to learn, and look what he brought me!" I exclaim, jumping to the floor and throwing my arms around Papa's waist. "Now you don't have to worry about getting me any new books, Papa!" So much money saved!

A small sound, somewhere between a cry and a laugh, escapes Papa's lips. I look up and see Papa shaking his head. "A magical talking octopus ..." he mutters, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Suddenly, I realize that he isn't as enthusiastic about this as I thought he'd be. "Did I do something wrong, Papa?"

Papa looks at me, eyes wide. "No, no!" he exclaims. "This is amazing, darling. But ..." He turns the book on magic over in his worn hands. "You must be careful, Sina. Your mother ..."

My chin comes up at the mention of my mother. "What about Mama?" I ask in a quiet voice. Mama died years ago when I was very little and we lived in another village.

Papa blinks. "Your mother would want you to be careful," he finishes with a cough. "Be very careful." He hands the book of magic to me. "Keep these here. Don't take them to school."

I take it and run a hand over the dull green cover with its faded gold embossing. No one talks about magic in Farbarrow, especially not in school. Miss Templeton stripped all fantastical books from the two classrooms and burned them in the furnace last winter. I was sent to stand in a corner for protesting.