Free Misty to the Rescue by Gillian Shields Page B

Mantora would not want the mermaids to get the new crystals home safely. Perhaps this storm had been part of her selfish plan to delay them in their task?

    Misty steadied herself in the water with her gleaming pink tail and looked around. A dim, early morning light made the water glow faintly. She saw that the storm had sent her to a very strange place, and she had no idea where the other mermaids were.
    As Misty swam down deeper, she began to see tall, dark fronds of thick seaweed growing up like trees from the seabed.
    "This doesn't look anything like Coral Kingdom," Misty whispered. She gazed at the peculiar plants all around her and sat on a rock to think. "This tall seaweed doesn't grow at home."
    Misty couldn't help feeling frightened as she started to wonder where the others could be. But just then, she noticed she was sitting on something hard and sharp.

    "Ouch!" she squealed. Something had pinched her. Misty flicked her tail out of the way and peered down. A huge, grumpy-looking king crab was glaring up at her.
    "What do you think you're doing, sitting on me like that?" the crab shouted. He snapped his big claws at Misty angrily.
    "Oh, er, I'm so sorry, er, Mr. Crab," she said quickly.
    "Grab?" he said. He was a bit deaf. "My name's not Grab! It's Cato. And it's not nice to be woken by a mermaid landing on my shell."
    "No, I can see that," said Misty. "I'm very sorry."
    The old crab grumbled on, but Misty was too upset to listen. She had to find her friends and the way back home to Coral Kingdom as quickly as possible. Queen Neptuna would be waiting.
    "And our parents will be anxious if we are late getting home," she thought. "I just hope we can get back before they are too worried. But I have no idea which direction is home! I wonder where I should look for the others? Perhaps this crab has seen them."
    The grumpy old crab was still fussing about his shell. "There doesn't seem to be any damage done," he was saying, "but you must learn to look before you leap!"
    "I didn't leap," said Misty indignantly. "I sat on you by accident."
    "Humph! I'm going back to sleep," he replied. "Do not disturb!" He crawled under a big frond of seaweed and disappeared.
    "Well, I don't think it will be any good asking him to help find my friends," thought Misty. "I'll just have to see what I can discover for myself."
    She set off through the gently moving forest. It seemed very peaceful as Misty glided in and out of the tall strands of seaweed. Brightly colored starfish shone like little jewels. Sea snails crawled over the waving fronds. But there were no mermaids anywhere.

    "I'll have to make the Mermaid Call," Misty said to herself.
    The Mermaid Call was very unusual and very special. It was hard to get right, but all the Sisters of the Sea had to learn how to make it. And if any mermaid heard a Call, she had to answer right away.

    Misty cupped her hands around her mouth and blew gently. A soft, echoing noise rippled through the water. She waited anxiously. Would any of her friends reply, she wondered, or was she alone in this strange place? Misty was beginning to get really worried when, at last, a sweet answering note floated back to her.
    "That's Ellie's call!" she said. Misty darted quickly toward the pretty sound, then caught a glimpse of Ellie's long brown curls and silky purple tail behind a large seaweed frond. Ellie didn't notice Misty, because she was checking that her crystal was still safely in her pouch.
    "Oh, Ellie, is it really you?" called Misty.
    Ellie looked up joyfully.
    "Thank goodness you're here, Misty!" she cried. "I've been so scared! Let's try to find the others."
    Soon, the water around them echoed with their beautiful calls. One by one, Holly, Lucy, and Sophie emerged from the strange seaweed and swam toward Misty and Ellie, looking confused but relieved. They all hugged one another and smiled thankfully. But then they had serious matters to talk about.

    "What do you think made the terrible storm that