Samira had become one of Isabelle's very best friends on the island. She would entertain Isabelle all day long with adventures of her mermaid friends. One friend she told Isabelle about was a particularly special mermaid. She was golden...literally! The golden mermaid had been one of the most coveted sea creatures for decades, but no one had ever caught her until the prince...
 
It all started when the prince left his kingdom to try and find the thief who had been stealing from his father's money tree. Although the circumstances were not the best, the prince had never traveled from home before and he was excited to explore the surrounding land. One of the first creatures he came across in the forest was a wolf. The wolf surprised him and said, "Why, hello there, friend! I am so hungry and could really use a snack. Is there anything that you might be able to give me?"
 
The prince was traveling on a very weak horse and thought that the wolf might need the horse more than he did himself. He answered, "You may have my horse, friend. Please enjoy."
 
The wolf was so grateful. He finished off the horse and said, "Ride on my back through the forest. I owe you."
 
With this, the prince gladly hopped on the wolf's back and they continued through the forest. The prince began to tell the wolf the reason he was traveling. The wolf had heard of this sneaky thief and said, "It is the Emperor's giant frog. He is ten times bigger than a normal frog and has the longest tongue of them all. He sits outside of your gates, launches his tongue out, and collects all of the money on the tree with one lick."
 
The prince exclaimed, "You must help me find this devious creature!"
 
The wolf took the prince directly to the Emperor's palace to capture the frog. He was unsure how to steal the giant frog so the wolf entered first and cast a spell on the guards. He instructed the prince not to touch the walls after he had grabbed the frog, and that way the prince would escape with ease. The prince entered the chamber and grabbed the frog. He was so excited that he had almost succeeded and began to dance on his way out. During his dance, he tripped and caught his fall by placing his hand on the wall. Immediately, this awoke the guards and he was captured. The next thing he remembered was waking up in a jail cell.
 
Soon after he awoke, he was led to the Emperor. The Emperor was very angry, but he grew calm when a strange Nobleman entered the room. The Nobleman explained that he should not kill the thief, but make him steal something that the Emperor coveted. This sounded like a much better idea to the Emperor so he told the prince that he must catch the golden mermaid, or else he would be killed.
 
The prince left the chamber with the Nobleman and expressed his gratefulness. All of a sudden, the Nobleman transformed into the wolf. The prince was astonished. The wolf noticed his disbelief and said, "Do not worry, friend. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I will help you to catch the golden mermaid."
 
They started to travel towards the Blue Sea where the golden mermaid resided. When they arrived, the wolf transformed once more before the prince's eyes into a lily pad. He told the prince to remain completely still and the golden mermaid would climb on top of the lily pad to lie in the sun. When she did this, the prince was supposed to grab her and she would be caught! They floated out onto the water and just waited. Not long after, the golden mermaid approached the lily pad and climbed on top just as the wolf had predicted. The prince grabbed the mermaid and she could not escape. When he reached the shore, he explained his predicament and the mermaid was understanding. She traveled with the prince back to the Emperor's palace and his life was saved. The Emperor had planned on keeping the mermaid, but the wolf had other plans. Right after the Emperor had forgiven the prince, the wolf put a spell on the Emperor and his men while the prince and the mermaid escaped. They ran away together and were together ever since!

Isabelle was amazed by the tale of the golden mermaid and could not wait to hear more about the mermaids!
 
 
Author's Note: I really liked how the story was originally told in third person so I kept that the same. I did, however, change a few details of the story. I did not mention the prince's two older brothers at all, nor how he was the outcast of the family. It seemed unnecessary to include them since the story is all about the prince and his journey. I also changed what the item that was being stolen from the king. Originally, the king's golden apples were being stolen and I made this a money tree instead. Also, In the original story the thief was the Emperor's golden bird, but I change this to a giant frog. Also in the original story, the prince was supposed to catch a golden horse as well, but I left this part out. The mermaid and the prince end up staying together after the adventure was over in the original story so I kept that portion of the story the same. I always like stories that have a happy ending!

The Golden Mermaid. Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, The Green Fairy Book. 1892.