A few weeks after Momo had made her fateful decision, her father King Wayan would celebrate his 200th birthday. Of course, everyone was invited: mermaids and mermen, undines, melusines, river nymphs, Mokens, amas, and cetaceans. With the exception of the evil sea hag, every kind of mammal that lives in or on the sea was invited.
Mokens and amas were unable to come because they lived in another part of the world. It was too far for them to travel. Besides, Mokens and amas, being air breathers, could have attended for no more than a few minutes at a time. It was difficult even for river nymphs.
The undines displayed their synchronized swimming, and the mermaids sang their beautiful songs. The highlight of the evening came when Momo sang for the crowd. Momo had the most beautiful voice of any creature on, beneath, or beside the sea.
After the entertainment, representatives of all the invited creatures made their rounds of speeches in praise of King Wayan. Throughout the sea, on the sea, and near the sea, creatures enjoyed prosperity and happiness. None of the speakers could point to a thing King Wayan had done to make them prosperous or happy. In fact, most of the time, they had no reason to be aware that they even had a king. Nonetheless, they were happy, healthy, and well fed; and they—for whatever reason they may have had—wanted to give King Wayan some of the credit for their good fortune.
While all this speechifying was taking place, Momo quietly slipped into the night. She looked back at the festivities and set her face toward the house of the sea hag.
The area along the way to the house of the sea hag was alive with whirlpools that threatened to suck her beneath the ocean floor. Polyps grew from the ocean floor, reaching to grab her and pull Momo to her death.
Momo could not swim above them. Because the house of the sea hag was in a shallower part of the sea, the threatening plants—if, indeed, they were plants—grew almost to the surface of the sea.
Momo quickly tied up her hair so that the polyps would have less means of grabbing her. She also held her arms close to her breast so they couldn’t grab her arms.
As the vicious polyps swirled and snapped around her, she saw the bones of various sea creatures and seafarers they had killed and eaten in times past: dolphins, sharks, and seamen, to name a few.
Momo quickly tied up her hair so that the polyps would have less means of grabbing her. She also held her arms close to her breast so they couldn’t grab her arms.
As the vicious polyps swirled and snapped around her, she saw the bones of various sea creatures and seafarers they had killed and eaten in times past: dolphins, sharks, and seamen, to name a few.
Most frightening of all, she saw the skeleton of a little mermaid. Its bony fingers still clutched the tentacle-like growth that had strangled it to death. Momo wondered what had possessed the mermaid to have gone to such a dark and accursed place anyway. In the next moment, Momo began to wonder why she had gone there herself.
In the distance, Momo saw the house of the sea hag. It was a dreadful place made from the skeletons of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and even mermaids and mariners.
In the distance, Momo saw the house of the sea hag. It was a dreadful place made from the skeletons of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and even mermaids and mariners.
Not one living thing grew in the area within twenty yards of the sea hag’s house. It was a dark, gloomy, and foreboding. Near the house of the sea hag Momo bubbling fumoroles, pale yellow from toxic sulfur, rose from fissures in the sea bed.
Amid the swirling and bubbling mists, Momo saw the sea hag. It was as if the wretched monster had expected her and was waiting for her arrival. Momo had always heard that the sea hag always surrounded herself with snakes and toads and other slimy creatures. She was surprised—but not very surprised—to see that no creature dared venture close to the house of the sea hag.
Amid the swirling and bubbling mists, Momo saw the sea hag. It was as if the wretched monster had expected her and was waiting for her arrival. Momo had always heard that the sea hag always surrounded herself with snakes and toads and other slimy creatures. She was surprised—but not very surprised—to see that no creature dared venture close to the house of the sea hag.
When Momo came within speaking distance, the sea hag cackled a mirthless laugh and said, “I knew you would be here. I’ve known it all along. I know what you want, and you’re a fool for wanting it.”
Momo shuddered at the sound of evil in the sea hag’s voice. Presently, she stammered, “Will you help me?”
The sea hag cackled tauntingly, “Heh, heh, heh! Will I help you? I suppose you know what you want and you deserve to get it good and hard.” She cackled again at her wicked joke. “You’re in luck—if you can call it luck. If you had waited another day to come here, you would have waited another year.
Momo shuddered at the sound of evil in the sea hag’s voice. Presently, she stammered, “Will you help me?”
The sea hag cackled tauntingly, “Heh, heh, heh! Will I help you? I suppose you know what you want and you deserve to get it good and hard.” She cackled again at her wicked joke. “You’re in luck—if you can call it luck. If you had waited another day to come here, you would have waited another year.
"I’ll prepare a potion for you that will turn you into a human with legs. You must swim toward land until you make landfall and then drink the potion. Then you will get your wish, but I warn you: The morning after your prince marries another, you will die. You will dissolve into the foam of the sea and completely cease to exist.”
“Love always finds a way,” Momo said managing a brave smile.
The sea hag laughed uncontrollably. For what seemed like several minutes, her bitter laughter reverberated throughout the sea around them. She finally gained control of herself and sneered, “Love is the bitter pill that blinds the hearts of fools. Once you have drunk the potion, you can’t go home again.”
The sea hag laughed uncontrollably. For what seemed like several minutes, her bitter laughter reverberated throughout the sea around them. She finally gained control of herself and sneered, “Love is the bitter pill that blinds the hearts of fools. Once you have drunk the potion, you can’t go home again.”
“Home is where the heart is.”
“One more empty-headed cliché like that and I’ll send you away empty handed. Do you want it or not?”
“Yes, I do. Is it all prepared?
“No, child, I must prepare it in your presence; and I must also be paid first.”
“I brought nothing with me. How can I pay you?”
“I brought nothing with me. How can I pay you?”
“You brought your lovely voice with you. Your tongue and a few drops of my blood must go into the potion to—shall we say—seal the deal.”
“My tongue? If you take away my tongue, how can I hope to persuade him to marry me?”
The sea hag cackled, “The same way that human women have been persuading men for centuries. Your pretty face, your walk that’s as graceful as the sea waves, your shapely legs, your lithe figure, and your luxuriant hair blowing in the breeze—all that and more will be at your disposal. All things worth having require sacrifice. You can always go back to your palace and live out your life as a mermaid.”
Momo took a deep breath and said, “I’ll do it. I’m willing to sacrifice anything for the man I love.”
“That does it!” the sea hag exploded. “I warned you not to spout any more empty-headed clichés. Get out of her and don’t come back!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please don’t send me away. I’ll try to hold—“
“Your tongue?” the sea hag cackled again, “That’s the one thing you’ll not hold.
The sea hag swam over to a small, covered cauldron she had placed over a fumarole. She beckoned for Momo to come nearer. The sea hag picked up a razor-sharp knife and seized Momo’s tongue. With a single swipe of the knife, she cut off Momo’s tongue. As Momo grimaced in pain, the sea hag cackled, “No more empty-headed clichés about love from you, young lady,” and slipped Momo’s tongue under the cover of the cauldron.
With the same knife, the sea hag held one of her sagging, pendulous breasts and cut it. She placed it under the caldron lid and squeezed it a little. “There,” she said almost to herself. “That seals the deal between us.”
After the cauldron had bubbled a few more minutes, the sea hag picked up a vial, held it upside down, and breathed into it, filling it with air. Using a pair of tongs, she slipped it under the cover of the cauldron and gave the tongs a half twist so that the air would escape from the vial, replaced by the potion in the cauldron.
The sea hag swam over to a small, covered cauldron she had placed over a fumarole. She beckoned for Momo to come nearer. The sea hag picked up a razor-sharp knife and seized Momo’s tongue. With a single swipe of the knife, she cut off Momo’s tongue. As Momo grimaced in pain, the sea hag cackled, “No more empty-headed clichés about love from you, young lady,” and slipped Momo’s tongue under the cover of the cauldron.
With the same knife, the sea hag held one of her sagging, pendulous breasts and cut it. She placed it under the caldron lid and squeezed it a little. “There,” she said almost to herself. “That seals the deal between us.”
After the cauldron had bubbled a few more minutes, the sea hag picked up a vial, held it upside down, and breathed into it, filling it with air. Using a pair of tongs, she slipped it under the cover of the cauldron and gave the tongs a half twist so that the air would escape from the vial, replaced by the potion in the cauldron.
The sea hag quickly removed the vial from the cauldron and placed a stopper on the mouth of the vial. With a triumphant grin, she held it up for Momo to see.
“This is the potion you wanted, dearie,” she cackled again, “and it will be your ruin. Now you must somehow escape through the forest of polyps and swim to shore. If any of the polyps try to grab you—and they will—a single drop of this potion will destroy them.”
“This is the potion you wanted, dearie,” she cackled again, “and it will be your ruin. Now you must somehow escape through the forest of polyps and swim to shore. If any of the polyps try to grab you—and they will—a single drop of this potion will destroy them.”
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