This story from Jane Yolen is about a baby ‘selchie’ (human/seal shapeshifter) that is washed up on a beach and raised by a childless fisherman and his wife. Their lives change fifteen years later when a huge storm destroys their hut and threatens to drown the fisherman at sea. The main theme of the story is selfishness. By ‘imprisoning’ the boy on land in the name of love, the fisherman’s wife prevents him from fulfilling his destiny. Other themes: the power of nature, freedom, the supernatural. The story’s message: true love involves letting go and empowering children to be themselves.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (1,573 words)