Pearl the Mermaid Gives a Gift

Pearl Gives a Gift

One warm sunny day, Pearl was getting ready to go and visit her best friend Coral. Pearl had planned an adventurous day out. First they would swim over to shipwreck cove, a small cave where lots of lost objects lay fallen from the big ships that sailed high above the ocean. Pearl had a small shiny collection of lots of shipwrecked treasures laid out prettily on her dressing table. There was a rose pink hand mirror, a couple of china tea cups, cutlery, and a large golden bowl. Pearl and Coral loved to go out exploring, but they'd always have to be extra careful near the cove, as Steve the shark like to lurk at the bottom. You would never hear a swish of his tail or a bubble swirl, but before you knew it he’d be right behind you gnashing his razor sharp teeth, trying to bite and tear at their tails. Then they'd find the perfect spot at star park to sit and eat their favourite cherry crystal cakes, whilst they looked at the pretty objects that they'd collected.
Pearl finished combing her long wavy silver hair and clipped the front of her hair up with a pretty pearl flower clip. Singing happily to herself Pearl swam over to Coral’s house. Colourful fish swam around flashing their bright colours making the sea glitter and glimmer in the sunlight.
KNOCK KNOCK!
Pearl tapped on Coral's front door. There was no answer. Pearl tapped the door again this time a little louder. There was a strange squeaking noise that came from inside. Pearl opened the door and let herself in.
“Coral!” She called out. Again she could hear that strange squeezing noise. Pearl followed where the noise was coming from.
“Coral, it's me Pearl. Are you ready to go out exploring?” Pearl asked aloud.
Coral wasn’t in the sitting room, nor in the kitchen. Pearl swam up to Coral's bedroom and found her friend looking very pale and wrapped up in blankets in bed.
Coral squeaked whilst giving a meek smile seeing that Pearl had arrived.
“What's the matter Coral? Are you ill?” Pearl asked concerned for her friend.
Coral nodded sadly and pointed to her throat and head, she tried to speak but all that came out of her lips was yet another squeak.
“ My poor friend, can I do anything for you?” Pearl asked sadly swimming to her side.
Coral just shook her head, her red glittery hair flowing around her. Coral had a sore throat and a very bad headache.
“ I'm so sorry Pearl, I won't be able to come out with you today.” Coral said in a very small whisper.
“ That’s ok Coral, we can go another day don't you worry. You need to sleep now and rest to help you feel better. I'll come over to check you later.” Pearl said as she stroked her best friends forehead checking for a temperature. Coral smiled meekly and closed her eyes to sleep.
As Pearl swam home she tried to think of a way that she could help make Coral feel better. Once she got home she rang her friends on the shell-phone. Pearl told her three friends about Coral being poorly and asked if they'd like to do something to help cheer her up.
“ I’ll paint a pretty picture.” Said Marnie.
“ I’ll make a pot of seaweed tea.” Said Nexie.
“ I shall bake some sugar-salt buns.” Said Jewel.
“ Thank you everyone I shall meet you at Coral’s later.” Pearl replied closing the shell-phone.
She smiled happily knowing that her friends gifts would help Coral to feel better.
It was so kind of her friends to make these gifts for Coral, Pearl thought. But then Pearl stopped, a streak of panic filled within her. What was Pearl going to make for Coral? Her friends already had brilliant ideas. Thinking hard she swam up and down in her bedroom trying to come up with an idea for a gift to make. Pearl suddenly smiled and swam over to her chest of drawers. She pulled out a glittery pink box with large letters glued on the lid that spelt friendship. Taking off the lid, Pearl look through the contents. There was lots of photographs of all her friends. She smiled remembering the fun time that they'd all had at the seahorse fun fair. There was one where Coral was laughing happily as she was eating an ice cream. Pearl took out a photograph where Coral, Marnie, Nexie, Jewel and herself all posed in dressing up clothes at a slumber party that they went to last year. Pearl placed this photo on her bed. Next she took out a beautiful purple braided bracelet with small pearl beads. Coral and Pearl had made these friendship bracelets when they first met at Mini Maids kindergarten. Pearl placed the bracelet next to the photograph, she then continued to place other small trinkets and papers and cards. For a good while Pearl worked hard cutting, sticking and glueing. Finally Pearl placed her arms on her hips and with a wide smile she twirled around in happiness. She had made Coral a beautiful friendship scrap book filled with friendship fun and memories of their laughs and adventures. Pearl hoped that Coral would like it. Wrapping her present in a pretty ribbon Pearl got ready to meet the rest of her friends.

Marnie, Nexie and Jewel were waiting for Pearl outside of Coral’s front gate. They all swam over to greet one another.
“ Ooh that looks like a pretty present Pearl, what did you bring to cheer Coral up?” Jewel asked interestingly.
“ You’ll have to wait and see.” Pearl grinned linking her friends arms as they all went into Coral’s house.
“Coral, it's us we've come to visit you.” Nexie called as they swam up to Coral’s bedroom.
As the mermaid friends entered Coral’s room they saw Coral smiling their way. Pearl noticed that Coral had a bit of colour to her cheeks than she did this morning.
“ How are you feeling now?” Marnie asked holding Coral's hand.
“ A lot better now that I've rested.” Coral replied quietly.
“ We’ve brought you some gifts.” Said Nexie as she poured some seaweed tea.
“ Drink this and it'll make you feel much better.” Nexie said as she handed Coral a steaming cup.
“ Thank you so much Nexie that was really thoughtful of you to bring me this tea” Coral smiled meekly. Nexie grinned and waved her hand to say it was nothing.
“ I painted you this.” Said Marnie as she produced a beautiful painting of Coral's favourite animal. The frame was a sparkly red that matched Coral's hair, and inside there was a painting of some aqua blue and pastel lilac shelled baby sea turtles on a white sandy beach.
“ Oh Marnie it's beautiful!” Coral couldn't believe her eyes.
“ I baked you some yummy sugary-salt buns to make you feel better too.” Said Jewel as she gave everyone a plate with a yummy bun on.
Coral took a bite of her bun and sucked her lips in delight.
“ These taste so amazingly good Jewel!” Coral exclaimed taking more bites of her bun. All the mermaids drank their tea and ate their buns happily chatting away. Slowly it seemed that Coral's voice was getting louder and louder rather than the small squeaked it was.
“ Looks like my tea has helped your throat.” Nexie mentioned to Coral.
Coral nodded her head in agreement.
“ Yes it seems to have taken away the dryness and soreness of my throat.” Coral agreed.
“ Thank you all so much for your kindness.” Coral said happily looking at all of her friends.
“ I still have my gift to give you.” Pearl said as she handed Coral her ribbon wrapped gift.
Coral's eyes widened in surprise, and carefully unwrapped her present. She opened it up carefully to see a beautiful pink book with a picture of all her friends on the front cover. Coral smiled happily. She turned the book open and looked at each page. Coral's eyes started to fill with tears as she looked through such happy memories with her friends.
“ Oh Pearl what a beautiful friendship book! I can't believe that you kept all of these things. And now here they are in this book so that I can look back on them whenever I want to.” Coral said as she hugged Pearl tightly.
“ Your welcome Coral, you've been an amazing friend to us all. With the gifts that we've brought you I hope that we have been able to return some of your kindness that you've given us.” Pearl smiled.
“ Yes it's true, do you remember the time you helped me comb out all of my sea-tails in my hair! It took forever but you combed my hair until it shimmered and shined.” Reminded Marnie.
“ And the time you held my hand the whole time that I had my teeth looked at by the mer-dentist! I was so worried and scared just like a silly baby but you held my hand all the same. Thank you Coral.” Nexie joined in.
“ Oh and not forgetting the time that you wiped away my tears when I was upset when my sea-horse Shelly got lost. You gave me a big hug and sat next to me whilst I cried.” Jewel said a little shyly.
“ You’re my best friend Coral and we all love you so much. I hope we've made you feel better today.” Pearl said.
“ Oh my friends what would I do without you! Best friends forever!” Coral declared happily her voice back to normal.
“ Group hug! Let's promise to always be best friends and to always be kind to one another.” Pearl said as they all enjoined in a big best friend hug.

L.J.B