Wow! Look at all these sparkly scales in the backyard! Sophia wagged her tail excitedly. "Do you think a mermaid lost them, Scarlett?"
Two-year-old Scarlett giggled. "Mermaid! Swim!" she exclaimed, flapping her arms like fins.
Scarlett loved mermaids! They were so pretty and sparkly, just like her favorite ballet costume. She loved reading about them in her books in her secret library hideout. But mermaids in the backyard? That was a brand new adventure!
The backyard was Scarlett's favorite place. It had so many green plants and colorful flowers. Sometimes, she even helped Mommy water them! But today, the backyard felt different. It felt kind of spooky, even with the sun shining.
"We need to solve this mystery, Sophia!" Scarlett declared. She was super smart for her age, just like a detective on her favorite TV show. She picked up a bright blue scale and held it up to the light.
Sophia barked happily, wagging her tail so hard her whole body wiggled. "What should we do first, Scarlett?"
Scarlett thought for a moment. "We need clues! Mermaids love water, right?"
Sophia barked again. "The sprinkler! Mermaids love sprinklers!"
Scarlett giggled. Sophia was so silly! But she was also really good at helping. They ran over to the sprinkler, but there weren't any more sparkly scales.
"Hmm," Scarlett said, tapping her finger on her chin. Then she remembered! "Homework! My teacher said mermaids love to learn!"
Scarlett's homework was all about the ocean. Maybe there was a clue in there! She ran inside, Sophia trailing behind, and grabbed her big book of ocean animals. She flipped through the pages, looking at all the colorful fish and scary sharks.
"There you are!" Scarlett shouted, pointing at a picture of a beautiful mermaid with a long, shimmery tail. Underneath the picture were the words "Mermaids love to sing!"
"Sing?" Sophia tilted her head, her tongue lolling out. "Do you think they like my squeaky toys? I can sing with those!"
Scarlett giggled. "Maybe later, Sophia. We need to find a song mermaids would like!" She thought back to her books. What kind of songs did mermaids sing?
Suddenly, she knew! "Sophia, come on!" she yelled, grabbing Sophia's leash.
They raced back outside to the backyard. It was almost time for Daddy to come home, and the sun was starting to set, making the backyard feel even spookier.
Scarlett took a deep breath and began to sing. It wasn't just any song, though. It was a special lullaby that Mommy sang to her every night – a lullaby about the ocean!
As she sang, a magical thing happened. The wind chimes on the porch started to chime, even though there wasn't any wind. The leaves on the trees rustled, and the flowers seemed to sway to the music.
And then, Scarlett saw it! A tiny flash of something sparkly near the old oak tree in the corner of the backyard. It was so fast she almost missed it.
"Sophia, come on!" she whispered, creeping towards the tree.
As they got closer, Scarlett heard something amazing. It was a beautiful song, soft and sweet, like the tinkling of bells. It was coming from behind the oak tree!
Holding her breath, Scarlett peeked around the tree, Sophia right beside her. And there, sitting by the fence, was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen!
It was a mermaid!
