The Merrow

                The fog closed in faster than Mallory had thought. She had been wandering on the Irish moor when she realized that a fog was approaching. Before she could get far towards where she and her mother were staying, she was completely enveloped in a thick, soupy mist. Bewildered, Mallory tried to continue on her way home, but was soon completely lost, without any sense of direction at all. The fog completely closed out any sign of the sky, and it was impossible to see any landmarks.

                Fearfully looking around, Mallory shivered. The wind whipped her dress about her ankles and tore at her shawl. Grabbing her cap to keep it from blowing away, she desperately peered through the mist, trying to find a way out. Despondently sitting on the ground, she pulled her shawl about her.

                “Oh, why did I have to go exploring today?” she lamented aloud. “Now I’m lost, cold, and oh, so afraid!” Wrapping her shawl around her, she shivered. Her fear had worn her out, and she was soon nodding. Slowly she fell asleep, exhausted.

           

                Mallory woke with a start. It was still day, but the mist had gotten darker, it seemed. The wind was no longer blowing, giving Mallory the feeling that she would be able to find her way out of the fog soon. Gathering her courage, she decided that it was better to be walking and trying to find a way back , rather than just sitting and waiting for night. Choosing a direction, she walked steadily onward.

                After what seemed like hours, she was almost to the point of tears. Where was she? Would she ever find her way out? Narrowing her eyes and clenching her teeth, she marched resolutely on, determined not to give in to despair.

                Suddenly she heard something. Stopping and listening intently, Mallory realized that it was the sound of a pipe! Someone was playing “Londonderry Air” on a pipe! With new resolution and energy, Mallory joyfully followed the sound.

           

                Danny O’Keefe, an Irish lad of nineteen, sat playing his pipe not far from his cottage, when the form of a girl suddenly materialized out of the mist in front of him. Startled, he dropped his pipe and jumped to his feet, staring at the girl. His keen black eyes took in her windblown hair, the way she clutched her shawl about her, the cap with a red feather held in her hand. A cap with a red feather! Slowly, Danny spoke. “Who be ye?” 

                Looking somewhat bewildered, the girl took a breath. “I-I’m Mallory,” she stammered. “I got lost in the fog, and I can’t find my way back. Please help me.”

                Picking up his pipe, Danny motioned through the mist. “Sure, ye gave me a start just now. But there’s the house, an’ we’ll take ye in fer now. I’ll go get me gran’mither.”

                Turning, he tore into the cottage, leaving the girl in the mist. Startled, his grandmother turned from the pot she was stirring, as she burst in the door.

                “Sure an’ ye’ll be the death of me yit, lad! What’s the fuss aboot now, Danny?” she scolded.

“Gran’mither,” Danny burst out excitedly, “There’s a girl who has a cap with a read feather in it out there! She says she’s lost.”

                The old woman opened her eyes wide. “Well, lad, why didn’t ye bring her in? We don’t want her dissapearin’, now! Ah, Erin O’Keefe will not give up her chance to see a merrow before she dies!” She shooed Danny out the door. “Go! Invite her in, before she runs away!”

As Danny vanished into the mist, Erin murmured to herself. “Aye, it’s meself would be the last one to turn a merrow from the door. A merrow! A true mermaid! Ah, ‘tis a lucky day for sure.”

Little Pat, a boy of nine, who was sitting and playing with sticks by the fireplace, heard every word, and his eyes got big and round with wonder.

“Grandmither, is she a merrow, like your stories?”

Erin whirled around to face the little boy. “Now Pat, perhaps she is, but if ye want to find out, ye’ll not go askin’ her.”

The boy nodded and returned to his play.

           

Mallory was feeling better now that she had had supper and was with some friendly people. The two boys kept staring at her though, which unsettled her a little bit. Still, she decided to ask help to find her way back home.

“I thank you for your kindness to me, a stranger. But I am still lost. Do you think you  could help me find my way home?” She looked pleadingly at Erin.

The old woman nodded and smiled knowingly. “Ah, but sure, where is yer home?”

Mallory bit her lip and her mind raced. She could not remember the name of the village she and her mother were staying at, and she certainly didn’t know which direction it was in. Wait! She had been exploring on some hills that overlooked the sea.

“The—the sea,” she stammered. “If you could take me somewhere where I could see the ocean, I am sure I could find my way home.”

A knowing look passed between Danny and Erin, but Mallory didn’t notice it. She looked at them again. “Could you take me there?”

Danny spoke up, for the first time since supper. “Ah, tis too late now. Bide the night, and we’ll take ye in the mornin’.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mallory smiled gratefully. “Oh, I’m indebted to you. Thank you, all of you.”

Erin showed Mallory a place to sleep, and Mallory was very soon asleep, since she was weary from her fright. She left her cap and shawl in the main room of the cottage.

After Pat, also, had fallen asleep, Erin and Danny discussed Mallory in excited, yet hushed, tones.

“I’m sure she’s a merrow, Grandmither,” Danny eagerly declared. “Did ye ever see a fairer colleen? An’ she said the sea when ye asked her where her home was.”

Erin shrugged. “It seems to me ye have your mind made up. We shall see when we take her to the sea.”

Danny jumped to his feet, forgetting caution. “Take her to the sea, Gran’mither! Sure, that’s just askin’ her to leave! I want her to stay!”

Erin smiled. “Well, since you’re so set on it, there’s only one way to make a merrow stay with ye. Take her cap.”

Looking down, Danny placed his hand in his chin. “Ah, but I don’t want to be her master. She’s so beautiful and free.”

Erin Looked off into the distance. “Sure, then leave her her cap.”

Frustrated, Danny thoughtfully stroked his chin, which was beginning to show evidence of a beard. “I just don’t know.”

           

The next morning Mallory was up with the sun. The fog was gone, and she realized that she had wandered so far she could see no familiar landmarks. Returning back to the cottage, she ate breakfast quickly and declared to Erin that she was ready to leave.

“Ah, sure, an’ just gather your things. We’ll be off after that,” the old woman smiled.

Mallory went over to where she had left her belongings. Soon she let out a small cry. “My cap! It’s gone!” She rushed over to Erin. “My favorite cap is gone! Can you help me find it?”

Erin looked at her critically. “Sure, an’ why do you want this cap? Is it important?”

Why is she asking that question, Mallory thought annoyedly. But instead of saying that, she just repeated, “It’s my favorite cap. I can’t go home without it.”

Little Pat ran up to Mallory, eyes wide. “You’re missing your cap?” When Mallory nodded her head, his eyes opened even wider. “Then you have to stay here until you find it!” He ran off again. Wondering what on earth he was talking about, Mallory started at him bewilderedly.

           

Danny sat on the ground, looking out over the potato field. He scratched his head gloomily. Beside him on the ground was a small black cap with a red feather in it. He sat that way for a long time. Finally he got up, buried the cap next to a big stone, and slowly walked back to the cottage, which was just over the hill.

When he opened the door, a scene of chaos confronted him. His brother and grandmother were looking in cupboards and under the bed and table. Mallory was with them, nervously biting her lip. When she saw Danny standing in the doorway, she rushed over to him.

“Have you seen my cap? It’s missing.” She looked up at him with wide blue eyes. “Have you?”

Danny swallowed. He hadn’t expected to be directly confronted by a merrow. Instead of answering, he averted his eyes and avoided the question. “You’re missing your cap? Then just stay until ye find it. Sure, we’ll find it soon; how can it hide, with all of us looking for it?” Halfheartedly he joined in the search, avoiding his grandmother’s enquiring looks.

           

Mallory was near despair. How could her cap just disappear like that? And it was her favorite one, too. She and her mother had picked it out in New York, before they got on the ship to Ireland. Mallory couldn’t bear to lose that cap. But her mother would be so worried about her! She bit her lip, mournfully looking at everyone fruitlessly searching.

Now she saw Erin coming over to her. The elderly lady gave her a concerned glance. “Would ye like to stay here until we find it?”

Mallory looked at Erin’s grandmotherly face, and decided. She spoke up quietly but firmly. “I will stay here one more day. Then, if we haven’t found it, I’ll go home anyway.”

“Ye’ll go home without it?” There was such an incredulous note in Erin’s voice that Mallory narrowed her eyes in surprise.

“Why, yes I will. Is there a problem with that?” There was a suspicious tone in Mallory’s voice.

Erin shook her head hastily, “No, no, there’s no problem, no,” and turned back to her searching. Mallory closed her eyes in frustration. Everyone was so bewildering here!

           

The next morning Mallory got ready to go. She was disappointed that she hadn’t found her cap, but she was sure that she needed to go back. Her mother would be worried sick about her. Erin and Pat watched her solemnly. Danny had gone off somewhere by himself. Finally Mallory put her shawl on the bed. She turned to Erin and smiled.

“Thank you for letting me stay here, Mrs. O’Keefe. You’ve been very kind, and I won’t forget you.” She hugged and kissed the old woman.

Danny came in the door just as Mallory turned to little Pat. Pat looked at her with wide, solemn eyes.

“You’re leaving?” he asked. Mallory nodded.

“Yes, I am leaving now.”

“Without your cap?”

“Without my cap.”

The little boy looked at Mallory wistfully. “You’re not a merrow, then, are you?”

Mallory’s hand flew to her mouth and she gave a small gasp. A smile started at the corners of her mouth and she gave an incredulous laugh. “You thought I was a merrow?” Then another thought came into her mind, and she blushed, looking at Danny. Her voice was now more subdued. “Is…that…why my cap went missing?”

Now it was Danny’s turn to blush. Stammering, he looked down and shuffled his feet. Then he turned and went out again.

Dumbfounded, Mallory watched him go. Then she whirled on Erin. “Did you know about this?”

The old woman shrugged sheepishly. “Sure, an’ we all thought ye were a merrow. The lad thought ye were pretty.”

Mallory blushed again. “Well…that’s nice…” She sighed and looked at Erin. “Please can we just go now?’

Erin agreed and soon they were on their way to a hill from which you could see the ocean. After they had been walking for a while, Danny came running up behind them. They reached the top of the hill, and Mallory’s eyes lit up.

“Oh! I know where I am now! Thank you for… everything.” She turned to go.

“Wait!” The call stopped her in her tracks and she turned back to look at Danny, who had uttered the call.

“What?” she asked.

Danny bit his lip and looked down. Then he held out Mallory’s cap to her, a little more battered and dusty than it had been.

“Here’s your cap. Sure, an’ I’m sorry I took it.” His face was a mixture of nervousness and regret.

Mallory took a deep breath. Then she handed the cap back to Danny. “Thank you, Danny. It was noble of you to give it back. But you can keep it.”

Wonder grew in his eyes. “Truly?”

“Truly. So you don’t forget me.” Mallory sighed sadly. “Goodbye.” And she turned and went down the hill toward the seaside town you could see in the distance.

And Erin, Danny, and Pat went back down to their cottage, without looking back.

“Is that all, Grandma?” I asked anxiously. Grandma had never told me this story before, and I couldn’t believe that the tale would end there. “What happened next? Did Danny and Mallory ever see each other again? You can’t just end it there!”

Grandma smiled. “No, Erin, that isn’t the end. Three years later, a young woman of nineteen, who was dressed in black, walked slowly through the streets of Dublin, Ireland. Suddenly she saw a young farmer pushing a wheelbarrow full of potatoes. She ran over to him…

“Danny! It’s good to see you again!” the woman cried. The farmer looked up, amid the bustle, wonder in his eyes.

“Mallory? You’re…here?” He glanced at her black clothes. “Did someone die?”

She nodded slowly, a tear welling in her eye. “My mother. She died two months ago. I had to come here for business concerning her will. I had no idea I would see you here.” She smiled sadly. Although she didn’t tell Danny, Mallory was the heir to a small fortune in America.

Danny nodded sympathetically. “Sure, I am sorry. My grandmother died two years ago. Pat and I get along all right. I came here to see what the price of potatoes was in Dublin. Unfortunately, not much! Faith, I had no idea I would see you here either, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Everyone knows merrows can show up in the strangest places sometimes.”

Mallory blushed. “Danny! You didn’t really think I was… a merrow. Anyway sir,” she went on demurely, “You had my cap. I couldn’t return to the sea.”

Danny smiled mischievously. “Ah, but ye’re still as fair as colleen as ever I saw.”

Mallory laughed. “You certainly have the gift of blarney!” The two of them started reminiscing, and later, when they went their separate ways, both of them felt a little happier. Mallory had told Danny about her estate in America, and he had paid close attention, although Mallory hadn’t realized.

Mallory went back to America the next week. Danny had visited her a few times, but it seemed they were to be parted again for a long time. To her surprise, two Irish visitors showed up on her doorstep after a few months.

“Were they Danny and Pat, Grandma?” I asked. She nodded slowly.

“Yes, Erin, they were. Danny had come to ask Mallory to marry him.”

“Really?” I squealed. “Did she say yes?”

Grandma smiled. “What do you think she said, little colleen? Of course she said yes! She and Danny got married the next year. And when their first child, a daughter, was born, they named her Erin.”

“Erin like me?” I asked.

“No, Erin. Erin like your great great grandmother.”

My mouth dropped open as I realized what she was saying. “You mean Danny and Mallory were your mom and dad? Really?     “

“Yes, child. I am Erin, and your mother is Erin, and you are Erin. Erin has been a family name for five generations.”

“Oh, grandma,” I murmured as I snuggled into the blankets on my bed, “that was the best story ever!”