Once on a time there lived at the bottom end of Cornah gill a family
of the name of Sayle, and the Mermaid who had her haunt up Bulgham way
was a friend to them. They were always in luck's way and never seemed
to be short of anything. Sure enough they were full of thrift, and to
fill in odds of spare time they made lobster pots from the osier that
grew around in plenty, and they always found a ready market. They
kept a cow and a few sheep, just to give work to the women in the
long winter nights, but their living was mostly got by the sea.
It was well known that Sayle had a strong liking for apples, and that
he would often bring some with him out in the boat, but when he got
well up in years he would be leaving a lot of the boat-work for the
boys, and then the luck began to get less, and many a time one of them
had to take a gun to keep something in the pot. Then the bigger ones
took to the herrings. One, Evan, however, had to stay about to keep
things going, and it happened that one day, after he had the creels
set, just at Bulgham, that he pulled the boat in and went up the brow
after eggs. On coming back to the boat he heard some one calling to
him, and, looking round, he saw a fine-looking woman sitting on the
edge of a rock.
'And how's your father?' said she. 'It's seldom he's coming this
way now.'
Young Sayle was a bit frightened at first, but seeing a pleasant
look on her face, he took courage and told her how things were at
home. Then, saying she hoped to see him again, she slipped into the
water and disappeared.
On getting home he told what had taken place, and the father, his
face lighting up, declared:
'There will be luck on the house yet.'
And he said:
'Take some apples with you the next time you go up that way, an'
we'll see.'
The very next time the young chap went, he took some apples with him,
and when he got to the place where he had seen the beautiful woman,
he went, as usual, on the hunt among the rocks. Then he heard sweet
singing, and when he turned round what should he see but the Mermaid
leaning over the boat and smiling pleasantly. She took an apple and
began to eat and chant:
The luck o' the sea be with you, but don't forgetful be
Of bringing some sweet lan' eggs for the children of the sea.
From that time he was nearly living on the water until, at last,
he was taken to task for being idle. Then he made up his mind to go
sailing in foreign parts. The Mermaid was in great distress, so to
please her, he went and planted an apple tree on the brow above her
haunt, telling her that when he would be far away this tree would
grow land-eggs which, when they would be sweet and ready for eating,
would come of themselves to the water for her. And, sure enough,
the luck of the family remained, though the boy was gone.
She seemed to bear up well for a long time and would often be seen
sitting on the rocks in the evening, singing sad songs, and casting
longing glances up to the apple tree above. She kept very shy of
everyone coming her way, and at last, finding the apples slow in
coming, made up her mind to go in search of young Sayle, hoping the
apples would be ready for taking when they would come back.
But neither of them ever came back, though for many a long year the
apple tree bore fruit and marked the little creek where the Mermaid
used to live.