Clytie

: Nature Myths And Stories For Little Children

Clytie was a beautiful little water nymph who lived in a cave at the

bottom of the sea. The walls of the cave were covered with pearls and

shells. The floor was made of sand as white as snow.



There were many chairs of amber with soft mossy cushions. On each side

of the cave-opening was a great forest of coral. Back of the cave were

Clytie's gardens.



Here were the sea anemones, starfish and a l kinds of seaweed.



In the garden grotto were her horses. These were the gentlest goldfish

and turtles.



The ocean fairies loved Clytie and wove her dresses of softest green sea

lace.



With all these treasures Clytie should have been happy, but she was not.

She had once heard a mermaid sing of a glorious light which shone on the

top of the water.



She could think of nothing else, but longed day and night to know more

of the wonderful light.



No ocean fairy dared take her to it, and she was afraid to go alone.



One day she was taking her usual ride in her shell carriage. The water

was warm and the turtles went so slowly that Clytie soon fell asleep. On

and on they went, straight towards the light, until they came to an

island.






As the waves dashed the carriage against the shore Clytie awoke. She

climbed out of the shell and sat down upon a large rock. She had never

seen the trees and flowers.



She had never heard the birds chirping or the forest winds sighing.



She had never known the perfume of the flowers or seen the dew on the

grass.



In wonder, she saw a little boy and girl near her and heard them say,

"Here it comes! Here it comes!"



As she looked away in the east she saw the glorious light that she had

so longed for. In its midst, in a golden chariot, sat a wonderful king.



The king smiled and instantly the birds began to sing, the plants

unfolded their buds, and even the old sea looked happy.



Clytie sat on the rock all day long and wished that she might be like

the great kind king.



She wept when he entered the land of the sunset and she could see him no

longer. She went home, but she could scarcely wait until the morning.

Very early the next day her swiftest goldfish carried her to the rock.



After this, she came every day, wishing more and more to be like the

great kind king. One evening as she was ready to go home, she found that

she could not move her feet. She leaned out over the sea and knew that

she had her wish. Instead of a water nymph a beautiful sunflower looked

back at her from the water.



Her yellow hair had become golden petals, her green lace dress had

turned into leaves and stems, and her little feet had become roots which

fastened her to the ground.



The good king the next day sent her into many countries, into dry and

sandy places, that the people might be made happy by looking at her

bright face, so like his own.