Scarlett woke up suddenly, as though she had been summoned by a distant bell. It was the strange, silent moment before the dawn. Somehow, she would prove that the Queen had been right to trust her!
Without disturbing the others, Scarlett slipped into the cool, gleaming waves. Then, with a flick of her shimmering tail, she swam down to the seabed where Buster and his friends would just be waking up. She glided around the bottom of the shadowy rocks, past the waving sea anemones. Soon, she saw a group of little crabs starting to stir on the pale, sandy floor.
“Excuse me, please,” she said politely. “I just came to say thank you for helping to clean the beach yesterday. And another thing …” She took a deep breath and added, “I’m very, very sorry I was so bossy. I know that it was wrong.”
The crabs all looked up at her in surprise.
“Wait until Buster hears this,” they squeaked. Just then, a little pair of eyes peeped out from a crack in the rock, followed by some scuttling claws. It was Buster himself.
“I’ve done something wrong too,” he said firmly. He dived back into the dark crack and then came out again, dragging Scarlett’s missing red pouch behind him. “I was angry, so I took your pouch to tease you. But I know you just wanted to make the beach nice. Here you are.”
He handed over the pouch. Scarlett quickly opened it with a beating heart. The irreplaceable crystal glittered safely inside, like an underwater star! She took it out and held it thankfully.
“So next time you want help cleaning up a beach, you only have to say ‘please,’” said Buster with a mischievous grin. “After all, friends are there to help.”
“I will,” laughed Scarlett. “And we really are friends now—promise?”
“We promise,” cried the pebble crabs, waving their curving claws, as Scarlett sped up through the clear morning sea. She swam joyfully back to the rocks, where the other mermaids were starting to open their eyes and stretch their arms.
“I’ve got my crystal,” Scarlett cried, holding it up for them to see its sparkling rays. “We can begin our journey home.”
“That was fast,” said Scout, who had just arrived at the rocks with Lori.
“It was easy in the end,” smiled Scarlett. “Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’—and ‘sorry’—isn’t so hard when you’re with friends.”
Scarlett turned to the baby seal. “We’ll always be friends too,” she said. Then she gently touched Lori’s injured flipper with the gleaming crystal. Lori shook off the kelp bandage and looked in amazement at where the cut had been.
“It’s gone,” she squeaked gratefully. “You’ve healed it.”
“So now there’s nothing to stop us swimming straight to Coral Kingdom,” said Misty.
“Nothing at all—except maybe Mantora,” said Scarlett with a shiver. It was a scary thought. The mermaids had gotten so close to Coral Kingdom, but they knew that Mantora would still be plotting viciously against them, desperate to spoil their plans. Now, every single moment was precious. After a quick hug with the adorable baby seal, the brave young friends got ready to set off on the final stage of their great journey.
“Good-bye, Scout. Good-bye, little Lori,” Scarlett cried, as she put away her crystal carefully.
“Come on, mermaids,” said Sophie. “Let’s race for home!”
The Sisters of the Sea plunged into the waves and surged swiftly away from Cauldron Cliff, as the sun rose higher in the sky like a bright, golden jewel. It was the very last day of the mermaids’ adventures with the crystals, and there was only one question in their minds and hearts.
Would they get to Coral Kingdom in time—or would Mantora finally destroy all their hopes and dreams before sunset that night? The brave young mermaids would soon find out …
Mermaid Sisters of the Sea
Misty has flowing blonde hair and a shimmering pink tail. Misty is a really determined and brave mermaid.
Ellie is very caring and loves seabirds. She has long, wavy dark hair and a glittering purple tail.
Sophie has funky fair hair and a blazing, bright orange tail, which helps her to swim super fast.
Holly has sweet, short black hair and a dazzling yellow tail. Holly is very thoughtful and clever.
Scarlett has fabulous, thick dark hair and a gleaming red tail. She can be a little bit bossy and headstrong sometimes.
Lucy has fiery red hair and an emerald green tail, but don’t let that fool you—she is really quite shy.
The Mermaid S.O.S. series
Misty to the Rescue
Ellie and the Secret Potion
Sophie Makes a Splash
Holly Takes a Risk
Scarlett’s New Friend
Lucy and the Magic Crystal
Text copyright © 2006 by Gillian Shields
Illustrations copyright © 2006 by Helen Turner
Electronic edition published in October 2011
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First published in Great Britain in 2006 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Published in the United States in 2008 by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010 Distributed to the trade by Macmillan
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request
eISBN: 978-1-59990-867-0 (ebook)
Gillian Shields, Scarlett's New Friend
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