Heriot Toun in summer

a story for summer


And then the Merman Laughed


Once upon a time, in a little village on the shores of Iceland,
there lived a fisherman with his wife.
He lived the same way his father had, and his father,
waking up early every day to row his boat to the place where his forfathers had fished.
There he lowered his line of baited hooks and waited.
This day was no different than all the ones behind him, the weather was beautiful and the sea was calm.
After a while on the glittering sea it was time to pull in his line and see the catch of the day.
In came the cods, one by one until it was time for the very last hooks on his line.
Then, down in the blue, something big began to emerge.
"A shark," the fisherman thought happy, for a shark he could sell for a small fortune and who knows,
maybe even buy something nice for his pretty young wife.
He drew this big shadow closer and closer until he realised that this was no shark...

 


Hjorleifur Stefannson's contribution to the 7 short sails project. To read the full story click here

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