Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid named Nikki who lived in a pond with her family and friends. She loved to swim and splash around, but she also liked to explore the surface of the water, where she could see the sky and the trees and the flowers.
One day, she saw a tiny creature walking on a leaf that was floating on the water. She was curious and wanted to say hello, so she swam closer to the leaf. The creature was an ant, and he was looking for food.
“Hello, little ant,” Nikki said. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello, mermaid,” the ant said. “I’m looking for something to eat. Do you have any food?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have any food for you,” Nikki the mermaid said. “But you can stay here and talk to me for a while.”
“Okay, thank you,” the ant said. “You are very kind.”
Nikki and the ant started to chat and became friends. They talked about their lives and their hobbies and their dreams. Nikki told the ant how she loved to swim and play with her friends in the pond. She also told him how she could walk on the surface of the water without falling in.
“How do you do that?” the ant asked. “How can you walk on water?”
“It’s because of surface tension,”Nikki, the mermaid explained. “Surface tension is when the water molecules stick together very tightly on the surface, like a thin skin. It makes the surface strong enough to hold me up.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” the ant said. “Can I try it too?”
“Sure, you can try it,” Nikki said. “But be careful, because you are not made of water like me. You have to be very gentle and not break the surface tension.”
The ant nodded and followed the water princess to the edge of the leaf. He carefully stepped onto the surface of the water, feeling it like a soft rubber under his feet. He was amazed and delighted. He felt like he was walking on air. He thanked the mermaid for showing him this wonderful thing.
“You’re welcome,” Nikki said. “I’m glad you like it.” They continued to walk and talk on the surface of the water, enjoying each other’s company. They became best friends and visited each other often. They learned a lot from each other and had many adventures together. And they lived happily ever after.
Short stories for kids 