Mermaids have a reputation for vanity.
More troublesome is their reputation for luring men into danger.
In the case of mermaids I've known,
there might have been malicious intentions on the part of a few,
but I definitely don't think that's true of most mermaids.

Some mermaids just tend to forget that men can't breathe underwater!

So, if you meet a daughter of the depths that really interests you,
be sure to tie a string around her finger to remind her
of your need for an occasional breather!

© Rik Verlin Livingston

The BEST mermaid site on the web is (what else?) "Mermaids on the Web."