shell-horns. When they had finished, Rani joined in Morva’s clapping.
“I taught them that melody myself,” Morva said. “Now, Rani . . . Let’s see what I can teach you today.”
Neither Morva or Rani had been born in Tingle Reef. Rani had been found as a baby and adopted by Miriam and Murdoch. They had found her inside a Giant Clam-Shell on the edge of the reef and
nobody knew how she had got there. Morva had come to Tingle Reef long before Rani’s parents – or even her grandparents – had been born. She came from a community of magic mermaids
who lived in a secret place far away and Morva had promised that one day she would take Rani there – but first Rani had to learn a lot more magic.
Before Rani had time to tell her about the party, Morva was swimming about the cave looking for something. “We need something to mend. Aah! This will do.” She lifted up a delicate
shell-dish and banged it against the cave wall so that it broke into several pieces. “Right,” said Morva briskly. “What have I told you about starting up magic?”
“You have to think it up inside your head,” said Rani, as she desperately tried to stop thinking about glitter-sand and shell-combs.
“Exactly. Which means you have to concentrate very hard indeed, so close your eyes . . .”
Rani closed her eyes and tried to focus on the mending spell but all she could think about was her grandmother’s party.
Morva peered at her more closely. “You’re very excited about something. What is it?”
And at last Rani was able to tell her about the dolphin’s visit that morning.
“Well, that is exciting,” replied Morva. “Now let me think . . .” She looked thoughtful. “I know! I will give you a special sea-spell to take with you on
your journey.”
“What sort of spell?” asked Rani eagerly. “What does it do?”
“Before I tell you that,” Morva said, “I need to be sure that you can concentrate hard enough to make the spell work.”
“Of course I can!” Rani burst out. To prove it, she closed her eyes and started to concentrate again on the mending spell, picturing the broken pieces of shell-dish coming back
together again. She could feel a tingling sensation starting up in her belly button and spreading upwards. Soon her fingertips felt warm. She opened her eyes and saw that they were glowing. Slowly,
she spread out her fingers above the broken pieces of shell.
“Well done!” Morva smiled.
The shell-dish was all in one piece again, surrounded by a golden glow.
Rani grinned. “I did it!”
Morva nodded, still smiling. “Now, let me tell you about my special sea-spell . . .”
Chapter Two
On the morning they were due to set off for the shipwreck, Rani and her family got up very early indeed. The shipwreck was a long way away and it would take them most of the
day to get there.
As they got ready, there was a knock at the door of their cave.
“That will be Morva,” their mother said. Morva had offered to look after Pearl while they were gone.
“Come in!” everyone shouted, and Morva swam inside the cave, her red hair streaming out behind her.
“Octavius is here too,” Morva said.
Octavius, the octopus, followed her into the cave. He had tied two of his long wriggly arms together to make a loop and hanging from the loop were lots of shell-containers and bulky seaweed
bags.
“Pat told me about the party and I’m coming too. My sister, Flora, lives on the shipwreck,” Octavius explained. “I can’t think why she didn’t send me an
invitation!”
“Why are you taking so much stuff?” asked Kai.
“Ah, well . . . That’s the trouble with having a huge brain like mine – one thinks of so many things to pack.” He sighed as he readjusted some of his bags.
“I didn’t know your sister lived on the wreck,” Rani said.
“Oh, yes. Flora works there as a hairdresser,” Octavius told her.
“Maybe we’ll ask her to do our hair for the party,” Rani’s mother
“I taught them that melody myself,” Morva said. “Now, Rani . . . Let’s see what I can teach you today.”
Neither Morva or Rani had been born in Tingle Reef. Rani had been found as a baby and adopted by Miriam and Murdoch. They had found her inside a Giant Clam-Shell on the edge of the reef and
nobody knew how she had got there. Morva had come to Tingle Reef long before Rani’s parents – or even her grandparents – had been born. She came from a community of magic mermaids
who lived in a secret place far away and Morva had promised that one day she would take Rani there – but first Rani had to learn a lot more magic.
Before Rani had time to tell her about the party, Morva was swimming about the cave looking for something. “We need something to mend. Aah! This will do.” She lifted up a delicate
shell-dish and banged it against the cave wall so that it broke into several pieces. “Right,” said Morva briskly. “What have I told you about starting up magic?”
“You have to think it up inside your head,” said Rani, as she desperately tried to stop thinking about glitter-sand and shell-combs.
“Exactly. Which means you have to concentrate very hard indeed, so close your eyes . . .”
Rani closed her eyes and tried to focus on the mending spell but all she could think about was her grandmother’s party.
Morva peered at her more closely. “You’re very excited about something. What is it?”
And at last Rani was able to tell her about the dolphin’s visit that morning.
“Well, that is exciting,” replied Morva. “Now let me think . . .” She looked thoughtful. “I know! I will give you a special sea-spell to take with you on
your journey.”
“What sort of spell?” asked Rani eagerly. “What does it do?”
“Before I tell you that,” Morva said, “I need to be sure that you can concentrate hard enough to make the spell work.”
“Of course I can!” Rani burst out. To prove it, she closed her eyes and started to concentrate again on the mending spell, picturing the broken pieces of shell-dish coming back
together again. She could feel a tingling sensation starting up in her belly button and spreading upwards. Soon her fingertips felt warm. She opened her eyes and saw that they were glowing. Slowly,
she spread out her fingers above the broken pieces of shell.
“Well done!” Morva smiled.
The shell-dish was all in one piece again, surrounded by a golden glow.
Rani grinned. “I did it!”
Morva nodded, still smiling. “Now, let me tell you about my special sea-spell . . .”
Chapter Two
On the morning they were due to set off for the shipwreck, Rani and her family got up very early indeed. The shipwreck was a long way away and it would take them most of the
day to get there.
As they got ready, there was a knock at the door of their cave.
“That will be Morva,” their mother said. Morva had offered to look after Pearl while they were gone.
“Come in!” everyone shouted, and Morva swam inside the cave, her red hair streaming out behind her.
“Octavius is here too,” Morva said.
Octavius, the octopus, followed her into the cave. He had tied two of his long wriggly arms together to make a loop and hanging from the loop were lots of shell-containers and bulky seaweed
bags.
“Pat told me about the party and I’m coming too. My sister, Flora, lives on the shipwreck,” Octavius explained. “I can’t think why she didn’t send me an
invitation!”
“Why are you taking so much stuff?” asked Kai.
“Ah, well . . . That’s the trouble with having a huge brain like mine – one thinks of so many things to pack.” He sighed as he readjusted some of his bags.
“I didn’t know your sister lived on the wreck,” Rani said.
“Oh, yes. Flora works there as a hairdresser,” Octavius told her.
“Maybe we’ll ask her to do our hair for the party,” Rani’s mother
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