The Sea Creature

The sea creature lurked silently at the bottom of the ocean. Mermaids played skipping games making bubbles outside their magic shell. Suddenly a splash sounds above them. Two Haenyo, skilled women divers who are known to be able to hold their breath for more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters start their day foraging the ocean floor for octopus, abalone, sea urchins, sea slugs, cucumber and seaweed.

The sea creature curiously approaches the divers. They panic fearing an attack & call for help. A passing fisherman hauls the divers onto his boat and spears the sea creature. Mortally wounded the creature falls to the bottom of the ocean.

The mermaids mourn the loss of their companion & protector. They dance over him calling on spirits to bring the creature back to life. Joyously they succeed. Swimming to the boat they summon the divers coaxing them to climb on the creatures back. Together they are carried to the shell kingdom where the mermaids gift the divers with the drum of the ocean.

The divers return to shore. The mermaids realizing the divers had forgotten the drum stick swim and toss the stick to shore but as they swim away they get tangled in the fisherman's net. The sea creature hearing their plight swims to their rescue cutting the net & freeing the mermaids.

At that moment the magic drum sounds and all dance in celebration for harmony on earth & in the waters.

- See: Creative Drama

:: note :: ... story developed by the creative drama team @ Cardinal Leger School during the second session of community classes ... that night eight students between the ages of 8 - 12 ...