In the middle of the vast sea sailed a ship. Her sails were outstretched, and her flag flew in the wind. On that ship lived Victor the pirate. He had long hair, a black eye patch, and a grey beard on his face. He paddled his way across the sea. He didn’t talk to other sailors. He was a loner. He didn’t want any friends or any mates. He was such a sullen pirate. He liked to be alone on his ship and ride all the waves the sea had in store for him. That’s all he needed. But one day, something unexpected happened that changed Victor the pirate.
It was early in the morning when the pirate was awakened by a huge crash. A large wave crashed into the ship and nearly capsized it. When Pirate Victor went up on deck, he found that a huge storm had come up. The wind was blowing and tossing the ship to and fro. There was thunder and lightning all around. Immediately the pirate began to furl the sails and try to steer. But the storm was stronger.
He thought the ship was about to capsize when the ship stopped listing. Victor didn’t understand what was happening. Thunder and lightning were raging all around him, the wind and rain were leaning on the boat, but it didn’t move. He started running around the deck, looking around. Then he saw mermaids on each side of the ship. There were four of them. Each one was holding the boat from one side. They were gripping it so tightly that the boat hardly moved, even though there was a storm around. The mermaids saved the pirate. And his ship, too.
When the storm was over, the fairies slowly prepared to sail away. But the pirate was still calling after them: “Thank you, mermaids! I’m grateful, but I don’t understand. Why did you save me?” The fairies looked at him and replied, “Why not? We help everyone if we can. We don’t want anyone to get hurt on our beloved sea. Every life is worth saving.” And then they swam away.
The pirate must have thought about what they had said for a long time afterwards. A long time passed. Victor the pirate forgot about some storm and how the fairies had saved him. He was happy with himself again. He was a loner again, and he didn’t want to see anyone.
One day he sailed his ship around the rocks. He stood at the helm, sails out, enjoying the peace and quiet the sea gave him. Suddenly he heard a soft voice: “Victor, please help me!” He looked around and saw a mermaid lying by the rock. She was tangled in a fishing net. The pirate wanted to sail on unnoticed. He wasn’t talking to anyone, and he wasn’t going to help anyone. It’s her business. But when he was almost over the rocks, he remembered how brave the mermaids had been and how they had saved his life even though he hadn’t asked them to.
Something stirred in him. A strange feeling. He didn’t get it. He couldn’t leave. After all, there was something good in him, so he returned, anchored the boat, jumped onto the rock, and used his dagger to cut the net in which the fairy was trapped. She happily flopped into the water and thanked the pirate very much for saving her. From a distance she called to him across the wide sea: “I knew you were a good man. We fairies can see to the heart, and I saw the good in yours. I trusted you and I did the right thing.” Victor the pirate, remembering that he had wanted to sail away and leave the fairy trapped, felt ashamed. But he knew he had done the right thing in the end, and he was determined to do it any other time.
