‘I’m tired of working,’ said Andy. ‘I want to sail my boat again.’
So off went Andy to launch ‘The Mermaid’ once more, and this time he ran with her far, far up the beach.
The waves came rolling in, and Andy laughed and dodged the spray. The white sails of ‘The Mermaid’ sparkled in the sunlight and the gay red-and-white hull twinkled in and out among the tumbling waves. It was all so pleasant. The sand was smooth and hard. It felt cool to Andy’s bare pink toes. He ran faster and faster and behind him on her string danced ‘The Mermaid.’
Faster, faster, faster ran Andy, and then suddenly, bump! went his toe against a great round pebble, out of his hand jerked the string, and down went Andy on his hands and knees.
He was up in a minute. Of course he didn’t cry. But, oh! oh! out on the waves sailed the beautiful ‘Mermaid,’ her long string streaming behind her in the wind.
‘My boat! My boat!’ shouted Andy, and started into the water after his ship.
But the waves rolled in so high and so fast that he ran back on the beach.
‘Come back! Come back!’ he called, dancing up and down and waving his arms about. ‘Come back, “Mermaid,” come back!’
It seemed for a moment as if ‘The Mermaid’ had heard Andy’s frantic call. A great wave bore her nearer and nearer the shore. But just as Andy ran forward, his hand outstretched to grasp the string, back rolled the great wave carrying ‘The Mermaid’ with it out of reach.
Poor Andy! His eyes grew large with dismay as ‘The Mermaid’ slowly drifted farther and farther from the shore. She looked so tiny, a gay little red-and-white dot bobbing about on the sunny sea.