Wish Upon a Starfish

by Debbie Dadey

  As the curtain opened and Pearl saw all the parents and students sitting in front of her, she got a little scared. And then the unthinkable happened: she forgot her most important line!

  Luckily, Wanda remembered.

  “You’ll never escape,” Wanda whispered.

  Pearl smiled. But it wasn’t a sweet smile. It was the smile of an evil villain!

  “You will never escape from me!” Pearl screamed at Wanda.

  Wanda fell into a pile of seaweed and cried while Pearl battled Rocky as King Neptune. When it was time for the witch to die, Pearl fell to the stage with a loud shriek. Everyone clapped as the curtains closed.

  Rocky grinned. “You were awesome, Pearl!” he said.

  Pearl couldn’t believe Rocky had said something nice to her. Usually, he just teased her. “Thanks,” she said. “You were pretty good too.”

  But what really made Pearl feel great was seeing Angelfish Molie backstage after the show.

  “I can’t believe you came to see us perform!” Pearl said. She had read that Angelfish had been performing Gone with the Tide in the nearby city of Poseidon.

  Angelfish gave Pearl a huge hug.

  “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. And you stole the show!” Angelfish said. “But more importantly, did you have a good time?”

  “The best,” Pearl admitted. Then she realized that, though she had loved when everyone clapped for her, she’d enjoyed pretending with her classmates most of all.

  Angelfish smiled. “I knew you’d adore it.” She swam off to congratulate the rest of the cast on their great performance.

  Wanda splashed over to Pearl. “I’m glad that’s over,” Wanda whispered.

  “Didn’t you like being the little human?” Pearl asked.

  “Are you kidding?” Wanda said. “I was scared to death of performing in front of all those merfolk. Weren’t you?”

  Pearl shook her head. It was the most fun she’d ever had.

  She did feel bad about one thing. “Wanda, I’m sorry I tried to get you to switch parts. It wasn’t very nice of me.”

  “That’s okay. Maybe I should have switched,” Wanda said. “You were the real star of the play.”

  “Me?” Pearl asked.

  “Yes, you,” Wanda said with a smile.

  Pearl gave her friend a hug. “I couldn’t have done it without you helping me with my line! We were both stars!”

  Wanda giggled. “Just like Angelfish Molie.”

  Pearl laughed. “Tails down!” she said. In her mind she could still hear the cheers of the crowd. She couldn’t wait to get onstage again!

  Class Compare-and-Contrast Projects

  H CHART

  By Shelly Siren

  The Mosaic Sea Star and the Goosefoot Sea Star

  ALIKE AND DIFFERENT CHART

  By Echo Reef

  The Icon Star and the Seven-Armed Sea Star

  VENN DIAGRAM

  By Rocky Ridge

  The Sunflower Sea Star and the Basket Star

  T CHART

  By Kiki Coral

  The Cushion Sea Star and the Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star

  Alike:

  Different:

  They both live on coral reefs. Both will eat live coral.

  The cushion sea star’s arms are so small they can hardly be seen, while the crown-of-thorns has up to twenty spiny arms. The crown-of-thorns can hurt you if you pick it up.

  COMPARE-AND-CONTRAST ESSAY

  By Pearl Swamp

  The Sun Star and the Biscuit Sea Star

  Both are kind of ugly if you ask me, but I do like their names. The sun star has fourteen arms, while the biscuit sea star is more normal and has five. The sun star is one of the larger sea stars, and the biscuit is one of the smaller. It’s about the size of a biscuit.

  They are both sea stars, but I’m not sure why. They look different, but they do both have arms and a middle section. They use seawater instead of blood, which is really weird.

  REFRAIN:

  Let the water roar

  Deep down we’re swimming along

  Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.

  VERSE 1:

  Shelly f lips her tail

  Racing, diving, chasing a whale

  Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.

  VERSE 2:

  Pearl likes to shine

  Oh my Neptune, she looks so fine

  Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.

  VERSE 3:

  Shining Echo f lips her tail

  Backward and forward without fail

  Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.

  VERSE 4:

  Amazing Kiki

  Far from home and f loating so free

  Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song

  Author’s Note

  I’M NOT SURE WHY, BUT my elementary school never put on a single play. I wish they had, because it would have been great fun. So when I got to high school, I never even dreamed of trying out. Maybe I was afraid, or maybe I thought that was for other people who were somehow better than me. Now I wish I’d been brave enough to try. My daughter was one of those courageous kids who tried out for her high school plays. She also helped out with the stage crew. She had great fun, and I loved watching her perform. She didn’t have the lead parts, but she was my star. She still is!

  I hope if you get the chance to be in a school play, you will give it a try. You might just have the time of your life.

  Your mermaid friend,

  Debbie Dadey

  Glossary

  ANGELFISH: The queen angelfish is one of the most colorful reef fish in the Caribbean. This thin blue-and-yellow fish nibbles on sponges, its main food source.

  BASKET STAR: This sea star can live to be thirty-five years old and looks like a funny baby octopus.

  BISCUIT SEA STAR: This sea star is bright orange-red and lives around Australia.

  BLACK-LIP OYSTER: The black-lip pearl oyster begins life as a male before changing into a female two or three years later. It is famous because it sometimes creates prized black pearls.

  COMB JELLY: The predatory comb jelly swims by moving eight rows of cilia combs that shimmer with iridescent colors. It has a slightly flattened pear shape.

  CONCH: The queen conch is a mollusk that has been used for food and bait by humans. This has caused a decrease in the conch population. It is illegal to take a queen conch from the water in Florida. It has a large spiral shell that is sold in gift shops in some countries.

  COPEPOD: This tiny creature makes up most of the total zooplankton population. Plankton is a food source for many marine animals.

  CROWN-OF-THORNS: This sea star has up to twenty arms and can give you a painful wound if you pick it up.

  CUSHION SEA STAR: This sea star looks like a blob. Its arms are so short, they can barely be seen. Tiny shrimp live on the cushion star.

  DAISY CORAL: The daisy coral looks very much like a daisy flower.

  GOOSE FOOT SEA STAR: This sea star’s body really does resemble a webbed foot.

  GREAT WHITE SHARK: The great white shark has a reputation for being the most dangerous shark in the ocean. Its natural food includes fish, seals, and even penguins.

  ICON STAR: Each of these sea stars has a unique pattern of plates that line the edge of its arms and body.

  JELLYFISH: Deep-sea jellyfish are shaped liked a ballet tutu. This jellyfish can actually squirt out a glowing substance to confuse its enemies.

  KELP: Giant kelp is the biggest of all seaweed.

  LAMPERN: The lampern is also known as the river lamprey. Adult lamperns never get very far from the coast.

  LICHEN: Sea ivory is a type of gray lichen that often grows on vertical rock faces.

  MOSAIC SEA STAR: This sea star is so bright that you might want to pick it up. But don’t touch it; it will cause your hands to go numb!

  OCTOPUS: The giant octopus is very smart. A mother will guard her eggs for eight mon
ths until they hatch.

  ORANGE SEA PEN: This creature looks surprisingly like an old-fashioned quill pen.

  PIDDOCK: The common piddock can squirt out a glowing blue liquid when it is afraid.

  PUPFISH: This very small fish is usually only one to two inches long—shorter than your finger!

  SABLEFISH: Sablefish breed slowly. It takes fourteen years to replace one that is caught.

  SAILFISH: The Atlantic sailfish has a long upper jaw like a swordfish. The sailfish has a huge sail-like dorsal fin, which it folds away for fast swimming.

  SANDWEED: This type of seaweed forms a spongy mat that often covers rocks near the shore.

  SEA HORSE: Sea horses do look a lot like horses, except that sea horses do not have legs and are tiny in comparison.

  SEA LAVENDER: Sea lavender grows along marshy shorelines. It blooms in the summer with purple or lavender blooms.

  SEA STAR: Commonly known as starfish, this star-shaped creature lives on the ocean floor. Its mouth is on its underside, and it has five or more arms.

  SEAWEED: There are over six thousand types of seaweed. One type of red seaweed that grows near shores is called Irish Moss.

  SEVEN-ARMED SEA STAR: This sea star’s seven arms are lined with small white spines that help it to hide in small rocks.

  STAR PUFFER FISH: This is a giant among puffer fish. It has black-spotted skin that is covered with prickles, and it grows to be about four feet long. If it is scared, it swallows water and puffs up to appear much larger.

  SUNFLOWER SEA STAR: This sea star looks like a mop!

  SUN STAR: This sea star has fourteen arms and will eat other sea stars.

  SWORDFISH: The swordfish uses its sharp, pointed bill for hunting and protection.

  VENUS COMB: This snail has a shell that looks like a two-sided comb.

  WATER FLEA: The tiny water flea has a large eye and feathery swimming appendages.

  WHITE SEA WHIP: Sea whips are similar to sea fans, but sea whips look like tiny fingers sticking up out of the sea floor.

  ZEBRA SHARK: The young zebra shark has stripes, but those change into spots as it grows older. At night it hunts for mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish to eat.

  Fit for a Princess

  OH MY NEPTUNE! QUEEN Edwina sent her own royal carriage for us!” Pearl squealed.

  Shelly Siren and her friends Pearl, Echo, and Kiki stood outside the Trident City People Museum as a large killer whale stopped beside them. The orca was pulling a sparkling shell carriage. Two tailmen wearing bright-blue coats with silver sashes lowered a glittering step from the carriage onto the ocean floor.

  Another tailman, also wearing a blue coat, but with a gold sash, said in a loud voice, “Princess Shelly, it would be my honor to escort you and your servants to Neptune’s Castle.”

  “Hey, we’re not her servants!” Pearl snapped.

  “It’s all right, Pearl,” Kiki said. “Let’s just bubble down and enjoy the ride.”

  Pearl stuck her nose up in the water and frowned at the tailman but didn’t complain anymore.

  Shelly hugged her grandfather good-bye before floating up the carriage’s diamond-covered stairs. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. Blue gems lined the ceiling and the seats. Shelly could see her reflection shining in the walls.

  “Ooh,” Pearl said, running her hand over the jeweled seats. “I’ve heard of this. It’s aquamarine and very rare in the ocean.” She turned to Shelly. “This is a carriage fit for a princess! Good thing you are one!”

  Shelly smiled, but inside she sure didn’t feel like a princess! Still, her great-aunt was Queen Edwina of the Western Oceans, and that made her royalty.

  As the carriage sped away, Shelly waved to Grandfather Siren until she couldn’t see him anymore. Then she sat back with a sigh. This was it! She was actually going to visit Neptune’s Castle—the palace named for the very first king of the sea. When the queen had suggested that Shelly bring her friends to the castle during a school vacation, it had seemed exciting. Now it just felt scary.

  Echo pushed back her dark, curly hair and turned to Shelly. “You’re so quiet! Are you feeling all right?”

  Shelly shrugged her blue tail. “I’m just nervous about visiting the castle. I’ll be meeting all my cousins for the first time.”

  Even though her mother had been a princess, Shelly had only recently found out she was royal. Her parents had died when she was just a small fry, so Shelly had been raised by her grandfather in a tiny apartment in Trident City. She had never met her royal family, except for Queen Edwina.

  “It’s natural to be a little afraid,” Kiki said. “But we’ll be with you the whole time.”

  Shelly smiled. She knew her friends would do anything to make the visit a success.

  Pearl shook her head, and her long blond hair swirled around her. “There’s nothing to be worried about. We’re going to a castle! There will be dinners and parties and everyone will want to meet us. They’re going to love me—and you, too.”

  Shelly nodded and tried to act happy. But inside, her stomach felt like it was full of butterflyfish. After all, she’d much rather play on a Shell Wars team than wear a frilly party dress. And she wasn’t sure if she could do the things a princess was supposed to do. What if she wasn’t royal enough for her relatives?

  Shelly’s thoughts were interrupted by a squeal from Pearl.

  “Sweet seaweed!” she gasped. “We’re being invaded!”

  Screech, Click, Squeal!

  THE MERGIRLS LOOKED OUT the carriage window. They were surrounded by huge black-and-white killer whales!

  “There are at least fifteen of them,” Echo said, her dark eyes wide.

  “They’re going to kill us!” Pearl screeched.

  Kiki shook her head. “Killer whales have never attacked merfolk before.”

  “Maybe they plan to start with us,” Pearl said nervously, pushing away from the window and closing her eyes.

  “I think they’re beautiful,” Shelly said, opening the carriage window and leaning out to watch the enormous creatures. Their fins were taller than her grandfather!

  “Did you know that killer whales actually aren’t whales at all?” Kiki told them. “They’re the biggest of the dolphins.”

  “Did you know that I don’t care?” Pearl snapped, her eyes still closed. “They’re scary no matter what they are called!”

  Suddenly, loud squealing noises filled the air.

  Pearl put her hands over her ears. “What is that horrible racket?”

  “The orcas are talking to each other,” Shelly explained before making the same whistling noise. “They came to say hello!”

  Kiki, Echo, and Pearl stared at Shelly in surprise.

  “You know how to speak killer whale?” Kiki asked.

  When Shelly nodded, Kiki said, “No wavy way! You have to teach me.”

  “Sure,” Shelly said. She made a screech, followed by a click. “This means hello, nice to meet you.” Kiki tried to do the same. Even Echo gave it a try, but Pearl frowned and sat with her ears covered, humming the newest song by the popular merboy band the Rays.

  A chorus of sounds answered Shelly. She waved at the crowd of orcas near the carriage.

  The killer whale pulling their carriage let out an especially loud whistle, and Shelly gulped. “We’re almost there,” she told her merfriends. “Our orca said to look to the right.”

  The mergirls leaned over to gaze out the window, and Shelly let out a cry.

  “Oh my Neptune!”

  “What’s wrong?” Echo asked, peering over Shelly’s shoulder. “It’s beautiful!”

  “It’s enormous,” Kiki said with a gulp.

  Shelly nodded. “I knew it would be big, but this is grander than I ever dreamed.”

  All four mergirls stared out the windows as their carriage glided past large stone posts with fire spouting from them. Rows of spectacular seaweed formed paths that were dotted with statues, bubbling fountains, and coral displays. The
gardens alone were overwhelming, but they led to a glistening castle that took Shelly’s breath away.

  Pearl gasped. “This is a mermillion times better than the drawings I’ve seen in MerStyle magazine. Check out that tower!”

  Shelly looked up and down and all around. The palace had so many round buildings and domed roofs it was hard to take them all in. This was Neptune’s famous castle! She couldn’t believe she was in the place where the first king of the sea had lived many mercenturies ago.

  “The windows really are made of blue sapphires—just like Mrs. Karp told us when we studied jewels,” Kiki said.

  A long line of merpeople stood in front of the large bronze castle door.

  “Do you think those are my relatives?” Shelly whispered as their carriage slowed, then came to a stop.

  Pearl shook her head. “No, those are probably the queen’s merservants welcoming you.” It was then that Shelly noticed the merpeople were wearing royal uniforms, some with aprons.

  “But there are hundreds of them!” Echo told Pearl.

  “Well, it is a big castle,” Kiki said with a giggle.

  Shelly looked at Kiki, and they both laughed. Echo chuckled too, but Pearl snapped her fingers. “This is no time for silliness. Inside the palace will be another line of people for you to meet—your royal family! Don’t forget to curtsy to them.”

  Shelly stopped laughing. This was it! She was about to meet her many cousins. Her mind swirled with thoughts. What if they didn’t like her? What if she wasn’t royal enough? Did they know she had grown up in a tiny apartment instead of a gigantic castle? Suddenly Shelly wished more than anything that she had stayed home with her grandfather.