Mermaids

Tired from long travel, the couple at last came upon an odd valley tucked among pink hills. A room was prepared at the inn overlooking a jeweled river where mermaids frolicked and doubled as waitresses. Fern was shocked by their retractable feet. Too tired for such, she fell into bed but a bellman soon knocked with a basket of soup spoons, the desk clerk called to say the champagne had gone flat and that the mermaids were on their way up to sing.