Enchanting Reviews

The Mermaid and the Unicorns

by L.T. Getty

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GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure

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BLURB:

Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.

Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.

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NOTE: The book is only $0.99.

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"What's Pass the Lumberjack's Hat Around?" she asked Esperanza once the other girl got called to go work the front.

EXCERPT:

"Possibly the worst song in existence," Esperanza said. "You know how sometimes songs don't make sense? At all?"

"Yeah," Daphne said. "But sometimes, people don't understand the hidden meaning..."

Esperanza arched an eyebrow, cleared her throat, then began to tap her foot before singing,

"Throw the mouses in the skittle

Round and Round a hey diddle-diddle!

Rubes be dark and ducks do quack,

Shall My Lady Love turn back?"

Daphne tried not to laugh. "You just made that up."

"It gets better," Esperanza said, still tapping.

"Round the goose to my captain's ball,

The goat's favourite clover is a free-for-all!

Dirty socks all about the town,

Pass the lumberjack's hat around!"

Esperanza stopped tapping and made a face. "Fortunately, you need a half-gallon jug filled a third to blow, three people playing the spoons, and two violins to get an idea what it's supposed to sound like. It's also supposed to have a cowbell and a really loud drum, but most people just clang on whatever they find."

Daphne said, "Can you teach me a song that would be appropriate for the contest?"

"Sure. I know what a bunch of the others said they were doing, so that way you won't have anyone singing the same thing. I can teach you Maid in Mourning or Velvet Tears in less than an hour. Is there a specific song you'd like to learn?"

"Maybe something a little less weepy," Daphne suggested.

"Okay—how about The Forlorn Rose or Indigo Woods? You're allowed a single person for accompaniment..."Esperanza kept talking, but Daphne overheard one of the girls whistling, and then, someone sang,

"Shoo bee doo my feet turned blue”

"Dancing round and around my nose achoo!" sang the girl, sweeping nearby.

"The Duke's in the henhouse and the earl's a clown,”

"PASS THE LUMBERJACK'S HAT AROOOOUND!" sang the artist, horribly, from the main room.

"I don't pay you lot to sing!" Irene shouted from where she worked near the ovens, but like all bad songs, the little diddy had caught on like wildfire.

"Pass the Lumberjack's hat around, hat around, hat around,

"Pass the Lumberjack's hat around,

"Until we get some GRAVY!"

Almost everyone in the bakery was stomping and clapping. One of the girls was dancing a jig on a table because she knew Irene couldn't see her.