Story Summary

Erika, a young girl, walking along a deserted beach, finds an injured and dying mermaid, carries her home, and nurses her back to health. Once her body is whole again, Maari, the mermaid, is able to turn herself into a human girl. When she gets homesick, Erika and her Dad take her home to the island of Tiki-roa.

Several years later Erika returns to Tiki-roa. They often play at the girl’s secret lagoon, in a cave of the ancient Maoris, and on Skull Mountain, where they encounter a huge flightless moa bird, and find a cave with pirates’ treasure of pearls. At the end of her stay, Erika meets Maari’s mother, the mermaid Cyrena, and her father, Jupiter, mighty ruler of all the oceans. In gratitude for saving their daughter’s life, they bestow upon Erika the power to turn herself into a mermaid.