SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW by Jenn Webster

(Canva design by Jenn Webster)

It is not every day that one sees a mermaid swimming for something that would find her curious; for a mermaid named Jana, her only interest is finding pearls. And that is what she had been doing throughout the summer afternoon as she was searching for pearls beneath the ocean floor. Jana had been searching all around for pearls of all kinds that would spark her interest, and so far, she had only found three pearls; Jana looked at them carefully and figured that maybe she might have a better chance if she looked for pearls above the surface. So with that, Jana went up from above the ocean and searched for pearls that might be hidden on the sands of the island somewhere. It would really make Jana truly happy if she found more pearls like the ones that she had seen in the ocean earlier. As she continued swimming, Jana overheard voices from the window of a mansion on the island; she swam up and sat on the sand to listen as a woman put on a bridal gown and got ready for her wedding! Jana thought, Wow, that woman must be excited to be getting married….But I wonder what could be troubling her?

As Jana decided to take a closer listen from the window of the mansion, she hears a bridesmaid helping the bride get ready for her walk down the aisle; the bride told the bridesmaid that she already has items that go with being a bride-Something old, something borrowed, which is her brother’s old brooch, and something blue, which happens to be a jeweled blue bracelet. But then the bride told the bridesmaid she didn't have something new and insisted she would have to go along with the wedding without it! After hearing this, Jana had the idea, thinking to herself, Well, if that bride does not have something new, then I shall provide something new for her! And with that, Jana went back into the ocean and searched for more pearls just like the ones that she had found earlier. Jana went deeper into the sea to look for such pearls, and then, with such luck and as if by magic, Jana had finally found those pearls just like them! Jana then scooped up those pearls, went home to her ocean grotto, took some string, and used her magic to string them together; she then put the stringed pearls in a box and tied it up with ribbon…

A couple of hours later, the wedding was taking place at the mansion on the island; the bride’s father gave her his arm, and then, as they were about to walk down the aisle together, a small package appeared in front of them! The bride picked up the package, opened it, and there they were: The string of pearls, made from the pearls that Jana the mermaid had made for a special bride who was trying to wear something new to her wedding, and that was when the bride knew that she had been wanting all along! So, the bride took those strings of pearls and put them on her wrist, and then she and her father walked down the aisle together as the bride’s father was going to give her away. Meanwhile, Jana blew a kiss goodbye to the mansion, and then she went back to the ocean to swim for home. ©2026 Jenn Webster