ed that he had been
captured by the dreadful Men-folk, who, so her people said, were ever
seeking to snare the sea-creatures in their wicked nets. Day after day
the unhappy Mermaid swam along the shore trying to see the places where
the Men-folk dwelt, hoping that she might catch a glimpse of her lost
darling. But that good hap never befell her. Indeed, even if she had
seen Jan, she would not have known her baby in the sturdy boy dressed
all in blue, like the other fisher-lads. Nor would Jan have known his
mother in this beautiful creature of the sea. For he had quite forgotten
the Mermaid who had neglected him, and if he thought of the Mer-folk at
all it was as humans do, with wonder and with longing, and yet with
fear.

Now the good old Stork who had first meddled in these matters kept one
eye upon the doings in that neighborhood, and he had seen the sorrowful
Mermaid wandering lonely up and down the shore. He knew it must be the
Sea-child's mother, sorry at last for her long carelessness. As the
years passed he began to pity the poor creature; but when he found
himself growing too soft-hearted he would shake his head firmly and say
to himself,--

"It will not do. She is not yet punished enough, for she was very cruel.
If now she could have her baby again she would soon be as thoughtless as
ever. Besides, there is my promise to Gil. So long as he keeps the
secret so must I."

But one day, several years later, when the Stork was flying over the
harbor, he spied the Mermaid lying upon a rock over which the waves
dashed merrily, and she was weeping bitterly, tearing her lovely green
hair. She looked so pretty and so forlorn that the bird's kind heart was
touched, and he could not help stopping to comfort her a bit. Flying
close to her head he said gently,--

"Poor Mermaid! What is the matter?"

"Oh, oh!" wailed the Mermaid. "Long, long ago I lost my pretty little
Sea-child, and he is not to be found anywhere, anywhere in the whole
sea, for I have looked. I have been from ocean to ocean, from pole to
pole. Oh, what shall I do? He is on the land, I know he is, and the
wicked humans are ill-treating him."

The Stork spoke slowly and gravely. "Was he so happy, then, in his
sea-home? Did you love him and care for him very dearly?"

"No, no!" sobbed the Mermaid. "I did not love him enough. I did not make
him happy. I neglected him and found him in the way, till one day he
disappeared, and I shall never see him again.