L. Frank Baum 
The Sea Fairies 

First published in 1911, ‘The Sea Fairies’ is a children’s fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum.

As an underwater fantasy, Baum’s ‘The Sea Fairies’ can be classed with earlier books with similar themes, like Charles Kingsley’s ‘The Water-Babies’, and successors too, like E. Nesbit’s ‘Wet Magic’. 



Mayre ‘Trot’ Griffiths is a small girl living on the coast of California, her close friend and companion is Cap’n Bill, formerly her father’s employer and now a retired seaman with a wooden leg. As they walk along the beach one day, Trot wishes that she could see a mermaid. Nearby mermaids overhear her, and grant her wish, appearing to her and the Cap’n the next day. The mermaids explain that they are ‘sea fairies, ‘ and offer the girl a chance to experience their world. Trot is eager to go; Bill is not, but is too loyal to let Trot go by herself. Magically transformed, the two embark on an underwater adventure.