THERE WAS ONCE A SAILOR who’s ship happened to sink in the open waters close to an island. During the storm, however, he not only managed to save himself by hanging from a log, but also to swim against the strong wind and the clouds. After many hours and when the storm abated, he swam to the safety of an island that was to be found nearby.

In order to survive he found shelter in a shack which he constructed by using wood and tree leaves, while feeding himself with coconuts and berries which were abundant in the forest nearby. During the nights, he spent time in the seashore enjoying the sounds of nature that sound like a beautiful melody in his ears. So enchanted was he, that he wanted to stay there forever.

As the days passed, however, he thought that it was time to go back. So, he built for himself a weapon, a harpoon made of bamboo and stone, with which he walked through the island in search of human traces. All this was in vain, however, as the only thing he could find was wild beasts and birds. With only their singing to keep him company he kept searching, until one night that he was sitting by the seaside a beautiful melody reached his ears.

A siren then appeared from a sea, which was half human and half fish, and who sang in an even more beautiful tune than before. Then all the birds of the forest sat by her side, singing along with her. The sailor then told her:

“There’s nothing more enchanting than your song, but I have to go back to my homeland. Could you perhaps help me?”

She then replied: “If you really want it, I can sing to the sailors of the next ship underway and cast a spell on them. But how will you listen to my song if you go away?”

He thought about it for a while, then insisted. The siren then came close to the next ship that approached from the open seas and sang to its sailors, attracting them to the island. As soon as they disembarked, they told the shipwrecked man: “The melody that reached our ears is sweeter than anything we’ve ever heard before. We’d rather stay with you than go back to the noisy city we come from”.

So they set up tents, as well as a campfire to keep them warm in order to join him. The sailor was displeased, however, as they had little desire to go back home and their presence was rather disturbing. He tried to talk sense to them, but they wouldn’t hear. Then he told the siren: “The sailors will only calm down if they hear your song, and they are making so much noise I can no longer stay with them. The only solution is that you come along in the ship, so we all go to the nearest city”.

The siren then replied: “That my Lord cannot possibly happen, as a siren can only live with her tail in the water”.

The sailor then thought of the following trick. He tied the siren on the ship’s front, so that her tail will always be on the water, whereas her head would be above the surface so she could sing. Then all the sailors got on the ship and set sail for their homeland with the siren’s singing to guide them.

Months later they reached the nearest port. So enchanted were they by the siren’s song, however, that as soon as they filled the ship with supplies, they continued travelling with no destination and only the siren’s song to direct them.