Not Quite a Mermaid Read Online Free Page A

on?’

    Sam and Sasha looked at the floor. Splash didn’t say anything. Electra felt awful. ‘We…er…we just wanted to have a surprise party for Gran,’ she stammered. ‘We were going to tidy up. We’ll do it now.’
    â€˜Yes, you will,’ Ronan said crossly as Gran swam past him into the cave. ‘This is…’
    â€˜Beautiful,’ Gran interrupted him. She clasped her hands and looked around the cave at the wonky streamers and the painted banner. ‘Happy Birthday, Gran,’ she read out. ‘Oh, my dears,’ she said, swimmingover and gathering Sam and Sasha into a huge hug. ‘I love it!’ She smiled at Electra. ‘And I think I know whose idea it was.’
    â€˜It was mine,’ Electra admitted.
    Gran smiled at her. ‘Thank you.’
    â€˜We’ve also got a present for you,’ Electra said, swimming over to her. ‘I hope you like it.’ She took the sea mouse out of her bag.
    â€˜A sea mouse!’ Gran exclaimed.
    The mouse sat up on Electra’s hand and looked around, his whiskers twitching and his eyes bright.
    â€˜It’s for you,’ Electra said.
    â€˜Oh.’ Gran looked lost for words. The sea mouse swam on to her hand and nuzzled her with his little fluffy, pointed nose. Gran’s eyes filled with happy tears. ‘Oh,’ she whispered, stroking him. ‘He’s perfect.’
    The mouse squeaked happily.
    Gran looked so delighted that Electra felt a warm glow spread through her.
    â€˜We’re sorry about the mess, Dad,’ Sasha said.
    â€˜Yes, and we really will tidy everything up,’ said Sam.
    â€˜Don’t be cross with them, Ronan,’

    Gran said. ‘They were only trying to make me happy. This is the most wonderful birthday surprise I have ever had!’
    Ronan looked around helplessly. ‘All right. I won’t be cross so long as you all help clear up.’
    â€˜I’ll fetch some cleaning things,’ Gran said. She swam into the kitchen with Ronan.
    Remembering the mess there,Electra hastily swam after them. ‘It’s a bit untidy in here too,’ she said apologetically.
    Gran stopped with an exclamation as she saw the cake on the table. ‘You made me a cake too!’
    â€˜It got a bit burnt,’ Electra said, looking at the wonky cake – the icing had dripped and the letters had run together. It didn’t really look very good. ‘And it was going to be bigger.’
    â€˜Well, burnt or not, I think it looks wonderful!’ Gran said loyally. ‘I can’t wait to try some!’
    Electra remembered the sea snakes’reactions to the cake. ‘I think it might be more of a cake to look at than to eat,’ she said, a bit unhappily.
    Ronan squeezed her shoulder. ‘In which case I think we should get everywhere cleared up and then go out for tea and cake at the mermaid cafe – what do you think, Electra?’
    Electra’s unhappiness melted away. ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea!’ she said.
    With all of them working together, it didn’t take long to get the cave back to its normal tidy state. Ronan rehung

    the banner and the streamers and they all helped clear up the paint and glitter and the mess in the kitchen. They had just finished when the shell curtain tinkled and Maris came in.
    â€˜Goodness, this place looks tidy!’ she exclaimed.
    Electra and the others grinned at each other.
    â€˜We were just going out to tea,’ Ronan said. ‘Would you like to come too, Maris?’
    â€˜Yes, please,’ replied Maris.
    They swam to the cafe and sat down to an amazing tea with sea-cucumber sandwiches, iced biscuits shaped like sea horses, jam tarts in the shape of starfish, and sea-strawberry jellies. Ronan bought a huge cake that was put into the middle of the table. It had three layers. The white icing was scattered with tiny multicoloured sugar stars and at the top