The Monk and the Mermaid

A STORY FROM IONA

Kenneth Steven Illustrated by Léa Ferraton-Delouis

WILD GOOSE PUBLICATIONS THE IONA COMMUNITY

Copyright © Kenneth Steven 2011 Illustrations © Léa Ferraton-Delouis and Wild Goose Publications Published by Wild Goose Publications Fourth Floor, Savoy House, 140 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3DH, UK www.ionabooks.com Wild Goose Publications is the publishing division of The Iona Community Scottish Charity No. SC003794 Limited Company Reg. No. SC096243 ISBN: 978-1-84952-201-4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

Kenneth Steven has asserted his right in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

Overseas distribution: Canada: Novalis/Bayard Publishing & Distribution, 10 Lower Spadina Ave., Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2Z2 Australia: Willow Connection Pty Ltd, Unit 4A, 3-9 Kenneth Road, Manly Vale NSW 2093 New Zealand: Pleroma Christian Supplies, Higginson Street, Otane 4170 Central Hawkes Bay, New Zealand A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed by Ricoh, Glasgow

long time ago monks came from Ireland to build a monastery on the island of Iona.

They prayed and sang to God, and they gave thanks for all the beauty of both land and sea.

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ne day a monk went down to St Columba’s Bay at the south end of the island. There at the sea’s edge was a mermaid, singing to herself in the light of the summer sun. The monk went closer and closer. Never had he seen anyone so beautiful before.

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T he monk and the mermaid talked

for many hours. They laughed together. At last a bell clanged in the still air and the monk got up, remembering that he must hurry back to the monastery for vespers.

The mermaid asked him if she might see him again.

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