^{urrounded by gleaming clouds, the sun descended towards the watery horizon. Where the ocean met the land, rumbling, tumbling waves surged up the shore leaving lacy patterns of foam, seaweed and tiny shells decorating the sand. The volatile water was powerful and beautiful to look upon, yet the beach was deserted.}

A long-legged girl appeared on the top of a partly over-grown sand dune and whisked along the crest. Two thin plaits bounced behind her as she leapt over a clump of daisies then flew down the steep dune leading onto the beach.

Sitting on a rock that was half-buried in sand, she watched and waited. Half-hidden behind her fringe, her blue eyes had a dreamy expression as if part of her was somewhere the ordinary world couldn't reach. She was imagining the glorious face of a mermaid inside the golden globe of the setting sun. Her billowing hair became the clouds of gold and crimson floating around her face. The mermaid leaned forward from the sun and then plunged into the ocean. In the last ray of titian light shimmering across the water, the mermaid's hair streamed towards the shore. Then the sun and the mermaid faded into the night.

As the beach was far from the nearest town, and the few locals were afraid of the dangerous surf, people rarely visited. The young teenager, however, thought this beach the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Although all trace of sunlight had disappeared, the beach was resplendent with a magical glow. Moonbeams glittered across the water while stars blossomed in the sky like luminous fairy flowers. Silver and indigo surrounded her in this enchanted place where anything could happen--and sometimes did--as ocean fairies lived in nests hidden on the foreshore. And she didn't imagine that. If local Real Estates Agents knew about the fairies, property values would surely skyrocket.

She impatiently drummed her feet against the sand. Her friends were late tonight, which was unusual. Another huge wave surged towards her; as it receded, a little face appeared--then it was gone. Two more faces popped out of the water and disappeared, too.

The girl smiled and strained to glimpse another sign her friends had arrived. They were very shy and every evening they went through the ritual of making sure it was safe to leave the water. Then, as if by magic, several small black and white bodies emerged from the bubbling, shallow water near the shore.

Jumping up, the girl waved her arms and yelled, "Welcome home!"

They scooted back into the water, clunking into one another as they retreated. Still watching from the shore, she giggled and hugged herself with anticipation.

Two more of the creatures emerged from the frothy surf, waddled a short distance up the shore and looked around. Then they dashed back into the safety of the water. Finally, one braver than the rest began waddling up the beach. The others were encouraged to leave the water and follow behind him in little groups.

The leader headed straight for the girl on the rock.

She held out her arms and gave him a hug. His feathers were wet and sandy, but she didn't care.

"Did you catch many fish, Roger?" she asked.

The fairy penguins flocked around her all talking at once.

"Jes-eeeeeeeeeeeee!" Coral sang out as she approached and then clambered into her lap.

With Coral, the laptop penguin, snuggled into her lap and several others leaning against her, Jesse wore an animated expression as she listened to the adventures they'd had that day.

They made for strange companions. While Jesse was lean and lovely as a swan, the fairy penguins were roly-poly and cute as ducks.

"Did you bring tuna sandwiches, Jesse?" Vegemite wanted to know. His black eyes had an impish sparkle, and sometimes he could be the most lovable of the penguins. He was also the plumpest.

She looked at him with a contrite expression. "Sorry, Vege. We'd run out of tuna at home."

"Dash it!" he said and hung his head.

"I'll bring you some tomorrow," she promised.

He lifted his head and gave her a cheesy grin.

"We can't expect Jesse to bring tuna sandwiches every day," said Coral in her squeaky voice. With large round eyes and a tiny body, she was the cutest of the penguins; and with her kind heart and quick mind she was also the most thoughtful.

"Jesse, we found a sunken treasure ship not far offshore," Roger said, pointing his sleek black flipper towards the ocean. Nothing ever perturbed Roger or ruffled his feathers. He was a penguin who had an air of confidence and authority. It was not surprising he was their leader.

Jesse's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Rea-lly? Any treasure lying about?"

"Well, of course not," Roger replied.

She grinned at him fondly. "Then how do you know it's a treasure ship?" she teased.

"I've heard some of the merfolk are living in the ship now," Coral told her.

"Wha-at?" Jesse exclaimed.

"And they've been wearing a lot of jewellery, lately," she added.

"Which could only have come from the ship," Roger declared triumphantly.

"Come with us and see, Jesse," Coral urged.

"It'd be awesome to go out there! But. . .how?" she asked, wrinkling her pert, freckled nose. Like most people with red hair, Jesse was plagued with freckles. However, her long auburn hair was her most eye-catching feature. "I can't breathe underwater like you guys," she added.

Vegemite chuckled. "I wish we could," he announced. "Think of all the pilchards we could catch then."

"We don't breathe underwater," Roger explained. "In fact, we hold our breath like you do. But you don't need to swim. If you have a small, light floater, Penguin Power can take you anywhere."

Jesse nibbled the end of her plait and then asked to hear more about this Penguin Power.

"With Penguin Power, we can surround your floater and nudge it out to the ship and bring you back the same way," Roger explained, illustrating his words with in-out movements of his flippers.

"I don't think that would work," Timothy said, looking worried. "There are some big waves we'd have to float her over." Timothy was the youngest and smallest penguin. His beak was still a yellow colour, not black like the others.

"With Penguin Power we can do anything, Tim," Roger replied confidently.

Jesse flicked the plait over her shoulder. "But how would I see the ship from the surface?"

"Goggles," Vegemite responded, grinning.

"Hmmm, that isn't as silly as it sounds," said Roger.

"Thank you," Vegemite replied good-naturedly and took a bow.

Roger continued, "The ship lies on a shallow sea bed where the water is remarkably clear."

Jesse stared at him, her eyes popping with excitement. " If the water's that clear, I might see the merfolk, too!"

Roger cleared his throat as if about to make an important announcement. Jesse always had a hard time stopping herself from laughing whenever he made the funny sing-song noise in his throat.

"Yes, well, I was talking to Raindown, leader of the seals, and I be-lieve the Selkie is back in our ocean as well," he said.

"Oh-h-h-h," said Timothy, looking wide-eyed with awe.

"Isn't the Selkie the mightiest of all the merfolk?" Jesse asked. "The one who can call up the wind and the storm and send them away again?

"Aye," Roger replied. "With just his lyre. Oh, he's powerful, alright. Even the ocean obeys him."

"Oh-h-h-h," said Jesse and Timothy together.

Jesse sighed wistfully. "I'd love to see the merfolk. They're so magical and beautiful."

"They're too beautiful, " Coral said. "Humans can become enchanted just from a glance."

Vegemite looked mournful. "Merfolk are too magical for humans like you, Jesse. You'd fall in love and forget all about me and my tuna sandwiches."

She patted his plump tummy comfortingly.

"Is it true they can shape-shift into anything they like?" Jesse asked the penguins.

"They're metamorphical!" cried Vegemite.

Jesse giggled.

"And animorphical!" added Coral.

"Let's not forget. . .changeable," put in Timothy.

"And-"

"And let's not forget magical and unpredictable and that we have an early start tomorrow," Roger said in a rush. "A conga line, everyone!"

The penguins scrambled to form a line behind Roger--except for Vegemite. "Jesse hasn't told us a fairy tale, yet!" he protested.

Roger shook his head. "It's too late, Vegemite. Nesting time, now."

"Come home with me and watch the telly," Jesse suggested with another giggle.

Vegemite's expression showed he was considering this option. "Would you feed me tuna sandwiches and read me fairy stories"? he asked.

"Vegemite!" Roger exclaimed.

He was all wide-eyed innocence. "Yes, Roger?"

Coral reached over and yanked him into the line.

"We leave at dawn, and don't be late, Jesse," Roger told her.

Accompanied by rhythmic flipper clapping and singing, "da-da-da-da-da dah !" Roger led the fairy penguins towards their nests on the foreshore.

Jesse watched the conga line snake towards the sand dune then up and over the other side. Just before he disappeared, Vegemite turned and waved then scampered away after the others.