Once upon a time, there was a magic lake where a mermaid named Lila used to live. She used to protect all the fish in the lake. She didn’t like fishermen to catch the  fish. So, she thought to make a sign to forbid fishing, but she didn’t know how to write or to draw the human language, and then she thought – Hum! I’ll have to bite the fishermen, for not catch my little fish-

One day a fisherman came and sat on the shore of the lake to fish. He put the bait in the hook, put a thread in the fishing rod and throw it far far away, and after a while, he caught a fish.

The mermaid saw him, so she swam and swam very quickly to set the fish free, to remove the fish hook. She was really angry, and bit the fisherman’s foot. The fisherman yelled very strong –Ouch! what happened?- and he took his foot of the water and said – Ah! Piranhas, there are piranhas in this lake- and left all his belongings and ran out of fright.

Then another fisherman came, who also wanted to fish, and the same thing happened and since that day there is a legend that the lake had fish with teeth.

One summer day, a father came with his 6 year old son to teach him how to fish. He said - Son, we will catch only big fish. If you catch a small fish, we will return it to the lake. - The mermaid was nearby and saw the fisherman teaching his son with so much love and care. -Son, look- he said- here is the bait, we put the bait in your fishing rod made with the branch of a tree, and then we put in the water. I’m going to fish too-.

The mermaid looked at them for a while, and then she saw the worm in the hook, and bit it by instinct.-Ay! - thought the mermaid, and got her head over the water, with sore and anger.

The father realized she was not a normal fish and went to remove the hook.

-Uy! I’m sorry. - He said. Who are you? - He asked. -A mermaid-, replied Lila

What do you do here? He asked.

-I protect the fish of the lake. If you do not know, I'm a magical mermaid and the lake is also magical-

Ah! and you do not like the fishermen catching your fish? The dad said.

-That is true- replied the mermaid.

-And what do you do to not fish for your fish? - He asked her

-I bite their feet- said the mermaid

- Ouch! that must hurt- the dad said and he thought that the fishermen were fishing in this lake, because nobody knew they could not fish. Then he told the mermaid- can we help you so they don’t return to fish here?-

- Yes- said the mermaid.

-We could make a sign that read: NO FISHING, MAGICAL LAKE, BEWARE OF THE MERMAID (Strong Bite)-

And the mermaid said -yes, that’s a good sign-

Then the father made a sign with his son, and put it in the lake

The mermaid was very happy from that day, but she said that if someone came to fish, she would bite their feet anyway.

Since that day, the fishermen who go to this lake see the sign and say –hum! A mermaid? She bites? Hahaha- mmmm?? ha ha ha… 

Many have tried to take off the sign, but it is so strangely well nailed that nobody can do it.

And the mermaid enjoys the lake happily with her little fish…….

With love, for my daughter Catalina

********** Many thanks to my friend Carol for translate this little history *************  And many thanks to my daughter Catalina who inspired this fairy tale…