Mira Mermaid swam near home.

Her home was a quiet reef.

The coral was pink and round.

Sea grass waved like soft ribbons.

Her brother, Finn, swam beside her.

Finn held a shiny shell.

Mira held a string of bubbles.

*Pop, pop, pop* went the bubbles.

“Hello, reef!” said Mira.

“Hello, fish!” said Finn.

Small fish zipped and blinked.

A crab clicked, *click, click, click*.

Suddenly, the water moved with a gentle *whoosh*.

A big shadow moved slowly.

A whale came close.

She looked very sad.

Mira stopped and listened.

The whale made a low hum.

“Mmmmmm,” said the whale.

It sounded like a lonely song.

“Hi,” Mira said softly.

“Are you okay?”

The whale shook her big head.

“No,” she hummed.

“I cannot find my home.”

Finn pointed to the wide blue sea.

“Where is home?” he asked.

The whale lifted her tail.

“I swam too far,” she said.

“I do not know the way back.”

Mira touched the whale’s fin.

“It is okay,” Mira said.

“We can help you.”

Finn nodded. “Yes, yes.”

Mira asked, “What is home like?”

The whale blinked slowly.

“Home has a calm bay,” she hummed.

“Home has rocks like gray pillows.”

“Home smells like salty kelp.”

“And I hear my pod sing.”

Mira smiled.

“We will look for those things,” she said.

“Come with us,” said Finn.

They swam out from the reef.

The reef grew smaller behind them.

They came to a kelp forest.

Kelp was tall and green.