10 A Lesson in Friendship

CHAPTER 10

A Lesson in Friendship "Father, I keep having these dreams that seem so real," Lucas began as he sat down to breakfast. His mother had left early for Primlox, the island of the fairies, so he and his father were alone at the table. "About what?" asked his father. "The Mermaid Kingdom," he said. "I met a mermaid princess named Avalon, and we became friends." The king raised an eyebrow. Lucas helped himself to a sweet roll from a platter on the table. "I dreamed about her again last night," he went on. "And then poof! I woke up and she was gone. It really stinks!"

His father pierced a sausage with his fork and looked over at the frustrated prince. "Well, now you know why we have a pact with the mermaids," said his father.

"What do you mean by that?" Lucas questioned. "You see, whenever a human and a mermaid become friends, it always ends in disappointment," his father said. "Being friends with a mermaid is always too hard." Lucas dropped his sweet roll. "But that's the silliest reason for a pact I've ever heard!" he said in disbelief. His father looked at him in surprise.

"All my friendships have been hard at first," Lucas went on, "but they were all worth fighting for." "Go on," urged his father, wiping his mouth with his napkin. He leaned back in his chair. "Look at my friendship with Clara," said Lucas. "At first you said we couldn't be friends, but I got you to change your mind, and now she's like a member of our family."

"True," said the king thoughtfully. "And then there's Ruskin," Lucas went on. "He burned everything up and made a mess of the castle."