In the deep blue sea, Merina, the little mermaid, swam around her coral home. She sometimes felt lonely.

One sunny day, she noticed a small fish trapped in a net. The fish looked scared.

Merina rushed to help. She pulled and tugged at the net until the fish was free.

"Thank you," the fish said. "I'm Finny. I was so afraid before you came along!"

Merina smiled. "I'm happy to help, Finny. Do you want to swim together?"

Finny's eyes sparkled with joy. "I would love to! And perhaps we could explore the reef."

Together, they swam through colorful corals and played hide-and-seek with schools of fish.

Merina showed Finny her favorite places. She never had someone to share them with before.

"This is amazing," said Finny. "I didn't know the reef had so many secrets!"

As the sun started to set, Merina and Finny promised to meet again the next day.

Merina felt a warmth in her heart. She was glad to have made a new friend.

She couldn't wait for tomorrow's adventure. She knew it would be even better with a friend.