Jackie Morris Childrens Book Illustration, watercolour painting, greetings cards

"In the evenings their mother sang them songs of life beneath the sea. She told them of the hills and valleys and weed-waving forests, foam palaces and shining cities of gold and pearls."

painting of woman by fire telling stories to her husband and children

Every night the seal woman would tell stories to the children and these stayed with them so that when the stranger came to the village they remembered their mother's tales. Morlo had a particular love of the stories and lived with a longing in his heart to see his mother's land and her people.

Try and think of a story that the seal woman might tell, maybe a story of Cantrer Gwaleod, and the drowned cities beneath the sea, of treasure ships and sea monsters and palaces where mermaids lived, of Dylan the Sea God in his palace made of sunken boats all pulled together by storms. There are many stories of selkies rescuing fishermen and sailors, as well as stories of sealhunters.