“You see,” Sophie explained, “dolphins aren’t like us. They can’t just swim underwater for as long as they like.”
“They have to keep going up to the surface to breathe in air through their blowhole,” added Holly.
“My mommy can’t breathe!” cried Smudge. He nuzzled against her unhappily.
“But we’re going to help her to breathe,” said Sophie in a clear, calm voice. “We’re going to think of something, Smudge. And we’re going to think of it quickly!”
Lucy cuddled Smudge, and Ellie soothed Silver by stroking her smooth gray sides, while the others gathered around.
“Let’s try to solve this step-by-step,” said Holly. “We have to take Silver up to the surface to get some air. But we can’t do that, because she’s stuck in the net. So, instead of Silver going up to the air …”
“… the air must come down to Silver,” shouted Sophie. “Holly, you’re a genius!”
“But what do you mean?” asked Scarlett. “We can’t bring air down under the water. It’s not something we can carry in our pouches.”
“No,” said Sophie, “but we can carry it in our mouths, don’t you see?”
“Oh!” said Misty. “I understand it now. We mermaids can breathe in the water, and up above in the air. So we’ll go up to the surface, take in a nice big breath …”
“… hold it in our mouths …,” said Holly.
“… and breathe it into Silver’s blowhole!” finished Sophie triumphantly. She looked around, flushed and eager.
“It sounds very clever,” said Lucy. “Do you really think it will work?”
“We won’t know until we try,” Holly replied. “Smudge, we’re going to see if we can breathe for your mommy.”
Sophie and Holly sped away up to the surface. They made sure that there were no boats nearby, then bobbed up through the waves to the overwater world. They took in huge gulps of air, closed their mouths, and dived back down to Silver. Then the mermaids took turns to breathe the air gently into her blowhole.
“That’s better, Sisters of the Sea,” Silver sighed gratefully. “I feel a little stronger now.”
“Kind mermaids!” cried Smudge. “Smart mermaids!”
“It seems to be working,” said Sophie. “But we have to continue doing it. Scarlett and Misty, why don’t you go to the surface next? Bring down some big breaths of air for Silver.”
Soon all the mermaids had gotten the hang of it. They went up to the surface and dived back down over and over again, so that Silver could be given the air she needed.
“Thank you,” said the patient mother. “But you can’t do this forever. How am I going to get out of here? Smudge and I must rejoin our dolphin family before they swim away to the Wild Waves.”
“We don’t want to be left behind,” said little Smudge.
The mermaids’ task was only half done. They could help Silver to breathe, but she still couldn’t move. What would Sophie and her friends be able to think of next?
Chapter Four
“Where do you think the rest of the dolphins will be now, Silver?” asked Sophie.
All the mermaids knew that it was very important for Silver and Smudge to be reunited with their family. These friendly sea creatures stayed safe by traveling in groups.
“They could be far away,” said Silver unhappily. “If you can release me from these ropes we must try to join them soon. We won’t be able to manage the journey to the Wild Waves on our own.”
Both she and Smudge looked very worried. The mermaids thought about how much they missed their own families far away in Coral Kingdom. And now Mantora’s selfish cruelty had not only trapped Silver, but delayed their journey home with the crystals once more. Yet the kind young friends knew they couldn’t leave the helpless mother alone.
“We’ll help you to find your family somehow, Silver,” exclaimed Sophie. Her friends nodded in agreement.
“What’s the best thing to do?” asked Lucy.
“Perhaps now that Silver is feeling stronger, she can send a message to her sisters,” replied Holly, who was already working out an idea in her head. She knew that dolphins were very good at calling to each other under the water. “Do you think you could do that, Silver?”
“I can try,” Silver replied slowly. “But even if they hear me and turn back, they won’t be able to undo these ropes.”
“No, but we’ve got lots of friends in the sea who might be able to help,” smiled Sophie. “The important thing is to find the other dolphins before they swim too far away.”
“And don’t forget,” said Holly wisely, “that some of us must stay here to keep bringing air to Silver. I’d be happy to do that.”
“So would I,” said Lucy.
“That’s settled then,” Holly continued. “So who is going to swim as fast as they can after Silver’s family?”
Misty, Ellie, and Lucy looked at each other. They knew who was the strongest swimmer! But would Scarlett agree?
“Er … perhaps …,” Misty began. But Scarlett interrupted her. “Sophie should go to find the dolphins,” she said firmly. “She’s definitely the fastest swimmer.”
Sophie was pleased and surprised. She had never expected Scarlett to say that. But their adventures with the crystals seemed to be bringing out the best in all the mermaids.
“Thank you,” she said. “But I don’t think I should go alone. What if I get injured or lost? You’re a great swimmer too, Scarlett. Will you come with me?”
Now it was Scarlett’s turn to look pleased.
“Of course I will,” she said happily.
“So that leaves Misty and Ellie,” said Holly.
“We’ll go and find something sharp to cut these horrible ropes,” said Misty. “Then Silver and Smudge will be able to leave with the other dolphins when Sophie and Scarlett find them.”
“Excellent,” said Holly. “Now everyone’s got a job to do. Let’s get to work as a team!”
Misty and Ellie quickly said good-bye to their friends, then kissed the little dolphin.
“We’ll be back soon, Smudge,” they said, “with something to free your mommy.”
“But hurry!” warned Holly. “We must be quick.”
“We will,” replied Misty and Ellie. With a twirl of their pink and purple tails they turned and sped away. Then Holly and Lucy dashed to the surface to bring down more gulps of air for Silver. The mother dolphin explained weakly where the mermaids might find her family.
“Thank you, Silver,” said Sophie, “we’ll do our very best to catch up with your sisters.”
“Good luck,” said Holly.
“And don’t be too long!” added Lucy.
Sophie and Scarlett flicked their bright tails and cried, “Mermaid S.O.S.!”
They streamed away in the direction that Silver had described, darting around the far edge of the net. This was a race that the mermaids couldn’t lose.
The two young friends were perfectly matched as they surged along. Sparkling bubbles swirled around them. Families of surprised fish looked up in wonder as they flashed past. On and on they went, farther and farther, until their arms and tails began to ache.
“Wait!” called Sophie. “Let’s just rest for a moment. We’ve done well so far.”
The mermaids could sense that they were moving into deeper waters, and that the dangerous gill net was now far behind them. The light was dim, and ghostly shapes seemed to sway in the depths below them. Sophie, who wasn’t usually afraid of anything, felt a little nervous. She wondered what unknown dangers lay all around them. Mantora could even be lurking nearby, hoping to catch an unwary mermaid in a trap of her own.
“Maybe we should get our crystals out,” she whispered to Scarlett.
“Listen!” Scarlett replied, suddenly clutching Sophie’s hand. “What’s that?”
An eerie, beautiful sound echoed through the sea behind them. It came from where they had left their friends by the sinister gill net.
“It’s Silver callin
g to her family!” cried Sophie in relief. The mermaids strained to hear any reply coming from the deep water ahead, but everything was silent.
“I hope they hear her soon,” said Scarlett. “If the other dolphin mothers do send messages back to Silver, we will hear their calls, too. That will make it easier for us to find them.”
“We have to find them,” said Sophie. “We can’t let Silver down—or her poor little Smudge. Come on!”
Sophie and Scarlett leaped through the sea again, their orange and red tails shimmering like flames as they raced along. Faster and faster they went, swimming in powerful harmony. Never before had they swum so swiftly and surely.
At last, the tireless young mermaids were rewarded with a wonderful sound. Unmistakable echoing calls reached them from the surface overhead.
“It’s the other dolphins,” said Sophie. “Oh, Scarlett, we’ve found them at last!”
Chapter Five
Sophie and Scarlett sped up to the surface through a haze of shimmering bubbles.
“Wait!” said Sophie. “I’ll look above the waves first. If we’re near any human boats or harbors, I’ll dive back down right away to warn you.”
Slowly and carefully, she peeped above the surface of the water. A splendid sight met her eyes. A group of dolphins was leaping through the waves. They were mothers with their young, just like Silver and Smudge. As the dolphins dived into the sea, the spray glittered gold in the sunlight.
Sophie flicked her tail and plunged down toward Scarlett.
“It’s all right!” she said excitedly. “It’s safe to come up.”
Scarlett gasped in admiration when she saw the sleek, silvery dolphins.
“Oh, they’re wonderful,” she cried. “But we must speak to them as fast as we can.”
“Hi, there!” Sophie called, waving her hands frantically over her head, as she tried to catch their attention.
“Hello, Dolphins,” shouted Scarlett. “We’ve found your friends!”
But the wind and spray seemed to blow the mermaids’ voices away. The busy creatures didn’t see or hear them.
“They aren’t listening,” Scarlett groaned. “What can we do? We’ll never catch up with them again if they swim too far from us.”
“Don’t worry,” replied Sophie. “I’ve got an idea.”
She quickly opened her glistening orange pouch and took out a small conch shell from her S.O.S. Kit. The shell was marked all over with colored speckles. Sophie held it to her lips, took a deep breath, and blew.
A powerful note sounded across the waves like a warning cry. It was a Mermaid Call for times of emergency. Every sea creature who heard it had to stop and listen. The dolphins stayed still for a moment. They lifted their sleek, friendly faces above the water, looking to see who had made the urgent noise.
“Now take out your crystal, Scarlett!” exclaimed Sophie. “That’s right. Hold it up to the sun like this.”
Sophie held her pure, sparkling crystal high over her head. The sun’s rays struck it and were reflected back over the sea like white flames. Scarlett did the same. The blazing light caught the attention of the dolphins. Slowly, they began to swim in a circle around the mermaids. The babies kept close to their mothers’ sides. Then, one of the mothers spoke. She looked a lot like Silver.
“Greetings, Mermaids!” she said, in a clear voice. “My name is Serena. You have summoned us with your Mermaid Music and the light of the great sun. Tell us what you have to say. We cannot stay long.”
“We think we might be able to help you,” said Scarlett eagerly.
“We have found Silver and Smudge,” added Sophie.
A ripple of astonishment went through the circle of dolphins.
“You have found our sister and her little one!” said Serena. “We have been searching and calling for them. We thought we heard Silver’s call just now, but it was very faint.”
“It really was her,” replied Sophie. “And we know where she is. She is trapped in a massive gill net. The humans are using it for fishing.”
Serena shivered. “So many of us have been harmed by these fearful nets. There is no hope for Silver if she is caught in one.” She bowed her head.
“But there is hope!” said Sophie. “Our friends are helping her to breathe. They are going to untie her somehow. But even when Silver is free she can’t be left behind. She will be weak after her ordeal. What will happen to Smudge without the whole dolphin family to protect him? It is much safer for them to travel with the rest of you.”
The dolphins called softly to each other in their own language. Then Serena turned again to Sophie and Scarlett.
“If what you say is true,” she said, “then you bring happy news. But we are all swimming to meet the father dolphins at our summer home in the Wild Waves. We cannot delay too long, or the winds and tides will turn against us.”
“We do understand that,” said Sophie. “We’re in the middle of an important journey too. Queen Neptuna is anxiously expecting us to return to Coral Kingdom any day now. But sometimes, even an important task has to wait. We have interrupted our journey to help Silver. Will you do the same?”
“You have spoken well,” said Serena. “We will trust you and halt our journey for a little while. By coming with you we risk being stranded far from our dear husbands. But Silver is very precious to us. We will take this risk. Lead us to her—and to little Smudge!”
Chapter Six
The journey back to the gill net took nearly all Sophie’s and Scarlett’s strength. They were already tired from the race to catch up with Silver’s family, but somehow they had to find enough energy to return. The dolphins, even the young ones, streaked through the water like silver arrows, and the weary mermaids had to work hard to keep up.
“I don’t think I can do it,” gasped Scarlett. “I’m so tired!”
“Yes, you can, Scarlett,” urged Sophie. “Hold my hand! I’ll help you.”
So the friends traveled hand in hand and gave each other strength.
At last they arrived at the place where they had left Silver. The other dolphins followed close behind them.
“We’re back!” called Sophie breathlessly. “Have you managed to free her?”
But she was very disappointed to see that Silver was still lying helplessly in the tangled ropes. Lucy was taking care of Smudge while Holly breathed gently into Silver’s blowhole.
“Misty and Ellie aren’t here yet,” said Holly quickly. “We’re still waiting for them. But you’ve found Silver’s family!”
Silver looked up, her eyes glowing with delight.
“Serena!” she cried. “You came back for us.”
“We could not leave you here, my sister,” replied Serena. “But how are these mermaids going to free you, as they promised?”
Just at that moment, Misty darted into view. She was followed by a comical-looking parade of purply-blue lobsters.
“Misty!” said Sophie. “Have you found a way of cutting the net?”
“I hope so,” she replied, with a flourish of her pink tail. “Do you remember the lobsters we passed on our way? They’ve come to help. Their armor-plated claws might be strong enough to snap the ropes in two.”
The friendly lobsters set to work right away, pinching and pulling the tight ropes with their sharp pincers. Little by little they began to split and fray. Silver managed to ease herself around slightly in the tangled net.
“Keep going,” the mermaids shouted in encouragement. “You’ve almost got it!”
Then Ellie dived down from the surface, rippling her purple tail as she sped off to speak to Silver.
“More help is coming,” she told the gentle mother eagerly. “I went up to the surface to call the seabird cry that the albatross taught me. It summoned some passing shearwaters. They will dive into the water and peck the ropes for you with their long beaks.”
The lobsters moved out of the way and watched with the astonished dolphins. Eight, nine, ten shearwaters plummeted into the water,
pecked at the fraying ropes, then shot back to the surface for air. They were strong, clever birds. Again and again they dived, until Sophie cried, “The ropes have broken. Silver is free!”
“Mommy, mommy,” cried Smudge. “You can swim again!”
The mermaids helped to pull away the last bits of net from Silver’s gleaming sides. Their team effort had worked—with the help of the other sea creatures. Sophie and her friends thanked the lobsters gratefully.
“Happy to help,” they replied cheerfully. Then they waddled clumsily back to their homes for a rest after their splendid efforts.
Silver’s dolphin family filled the sea with their happy, echoing songs, as she swam slowly toward the surface. Little Smudge followed very close behind.
“Oh, it is wonderful to breathe in the air again,” Silver sighed weakly. She had reached the sunlit waves at last. “It is so good to be free.”
The shearwaters hovered gracefully above the water.
“Thank you,” called Ellie. “Fly free and safely!”
“We will,” they cried.
The mermaids waved and watched the seabirds flap their wings and whirl away.
“How lucky we are to have you back with us,” said Serena, as the dolphins nuzzled their beaks against Silver and Smudge. “Now we will travel safely as a family all the way to the Wild Waves. How can we thank you, Sisters of the Sea?”
“We don’t need thanks,” said Lucy shyly. “We’re just glad that you are all together again.”
“And now we must be traveling on, too, as fast as we can,” said Holly.
The young friends knew that Holly was right. If they didn’t get home in time with the crystals, then Coral Kingdom would be destroyed. They couldn’t bear to think of Mantora setting up her evil Storm Kingdom and ruling the seas in Queen Neptuna’s place, with fear instead of love.