They tell a story down in Meneage, as the southernmost corner of
England--the Lizard peninsula--is called, of an old man from the little
village of Cury, near Mullion, who once rescued a mermaid who was
stranded by the receding tide, and could not get back to her husband and
family, who were awaiting her in a cave by Kynance Cove.
The old man was walking along the shore one summer evening, thinking of
nothing in particular, when he saw, in a deep pool left by the falling
tide, a beautiful lady with long golden hair who appeared to be in the
greatest distress.
When he drew nearer to her and discovered that she was a mermaid he was
filled with alarm, for he had heard many tales of these sea sirens from
the fishermen of Gunwalloe. He was for running off home as hard as he
could, but the piteous cries of the lovely creature were too much for
his kind heart, and he went forward to enquire what her trouble might
be.
At first, she was too terrified to reply, but the old man managed to
pacify her and she sobbed out her story. While her husband and children
were asleep in the cave, she said, she had been attracted by the scent
of the glorious flowers, which grow all about the Lizard, and to get
as close to them as possible she had drifted in on the waves, and,
revelling in the sweet perfume, had not noticed the falling tide until
she discovered herself cut off in the rock pool.
Now, she explained, if her husband awoke and found her missing he would
grow terribly angry, for she was supposed to be hunting food for his
dinner, and if none arrived he would as likely as not eat the children.
The old man, horrified at this terrible possibility, asked what he could
do to help. The mermaid replied that if he would only carry her back to
the sea, she would give him any three things he cared to ask. He at once
offered to undertake the task, and asked, not for wealth, but that he
might be able to charm away sickness, to break the spells of witchcraft,
and to discover thieves and restore stolen property. The mermaid readily
agreed to give him these powers, but she said he must come to a certain
rock on another day in order to be instructed as to how to obtain them.
So the old man bent down and, the mermaid clasping him round the neck
with her beautiful arms, he managed to carry her on his back to the
open sea.
A few days later he went to the rock agreed upon and was met by the
mermaid, who thanked him heartily for his aid, and fulfilled her promise
by telling him how he could secure the powers he desired. Then, taking
her comb from her golden hair, she gave it to him, saying that so
long as he preserved it she would come to him whenever he wanted her;
and with that, and a languishing smile, she slid off the rock and
disappeared.
They say that the old man and she met several times afterwards, and that
once she persuaded him to carry her to a quiet place where she could
watch human beings walking about with their "split tails," as she
described legs. And if you doubt this story, the old people along the
coast will still point out to you the "Mermaid's Rock" to prove you
wrong.
All around the Lizard the wild coast is indented with beautiful
little coves whose pure sandy beaches are washed twice each day by the
incoming tide. In the deep sheltered valleys of Meneage flowers grow in
profusion, while on the bold high moorland of the interior that rare
British plant the Cornish heath flourishes in great bush-like clumps.
You reach this wonderful country by the Great Western road-coach service
from Helston. Mullion, Kynance, Cadgwith, St. Keverne, all in this
district, are places of amazing beauty and charm. There are big modern
hotels to be found at Mullion, and there are golf and sea fishing,
bathing, and entrancing walks by sea or moor to amuse the visitor in
this warm, sea-girt land of heath and flowers.
[Illustration: _The Lizard_]
[Illustration]