“We will have to swim all night to make up for lost time,” added Sophie. “We’ve spent a whole day here!”
“I’m glad we stayed to help,” said Scarlett firmly, “even if it does mean a tiring journey for us now.”
But at that moment a wonderful sight filled the evening sky.
Great seabirds flew over the rocks in teams of four, all holding strong ropes of seaweed in their beaks. Each set of four ropes was attached to a giant clam shell, lined with mother-of-pearl.
“You may ride in these shell carriages tonight, brave Sisters of the Sea,” called the albatross. “It is our way of saying thank you. We will carry you until dawn, so that you can sleep. Then we must return to these rocky islands of ours, to make sure that Mantora does not come here again. By then you will be rested and farther on your way.”
The mermaids thanked him over and over again. They each climbed gratefully into a smooth shell, which made a perfect mermaid bed. Then the albatross teams slowly flapped their strong wings. The seaweed ropes that they held in their beaks lifted the shells into the air. The mermaids skimmed quickly over the waves, as the moon rose high in the sky. Ellie’s wish had come true. Now she really knew what it was like to fly!
Kai and his sisters flew next to the mermaids, calling out in their silvery voices:
Now you’ll fly free,
Under the stars with me,
Yes, you’ll fly free,
Over the land and sea.
Ellie, Misty, Holly, Lucy, Sophie, and Scarlett softly joined in the song.
We are Sisters of the Sea,
Flying like birds so free …
The mermaids would never forget helping the terns, though they were relieved to be on their way again. They were more determined than ever to get the crystals home safely to Coral Kingdom.
But as the brave young mermaids were lulled to sleep by the seabirds’ song, they didn’t know that Mantora was lurking below the waves, plotting against them once more. They couldn’t guess what adventures the new day would bring to the Sisters of the Sea …
Mermaid Sisters of the Sea
Misty has flowing blonde hair and a shimmering pink tail. Misty is a really determined and brave mermaid.
Ellie is very caring and loves seabirds. She has long, wavy dark hair and a glittering purple tail.
Sophie has funky fair hair and a blazing, bright orange tail, which helps her to swim super fast.
Holly has sweet, short black hair and a dazzling yellow tail. Holly is very thoughtful and clever.
Scarlett has fabulous, thick dark hair and a gleaming red tail. She can be a little bit bossy and headstrong sometimes.
Lucy has fiery red hair and an emerald green tail, but don’t let that fool you—she is really very shy.
The Mermaid S.O.S. series
Misty to the Rescue
Ellie and the Secret Potion
Sophie Makes a Splash
Holly Takes a Risk
Scarlett’s New Friend
Lucy and the Magic Crystal
Text copyright © 2006 by Gillian Shields
Illustrations copyright © 2006 by Helen Turner
All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
First published in Great Britain in 2006 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Published in the United States in 2008 by Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
Electronic edition published in September 2012
www.bloomsburykids.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shields, Gillian.
Ellie and the secret potion / by Gillian Shields ; illustrations by Helen Turner.
—1st U.S. ed.
p. cm. — (Mermaid S.O.S.)
Summary: The six young mermaids are delayed on their vital mission to bring magic crystals back to the Coral Kingdom by an oil spill created by the evil Mantora, as Ellie seeks the special ingredient for a potion that will help save birds caught in the oil.
[1. Mermaids—Fiction. 2. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 3. Terns—Fiction. 4. Oil spills—Fiction. 5. Magic—Fiction. 6. Ecology—Fiction.]
I. Turner, Helen, ill. II. Title.
PZ7.S55478Ell 2008 [Fic]—dc22 2007030170
ISBN: 978-1-61963-024-6 (e-book)
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