Story Script version 1

The Mermaid Gardener

The story opens with a tree. The tree is old and gnarled, but full of life. This is the mermaid’s

favorite tree and she swims/dances around it.

The title page interrupts the animation.

We see the tree again, but now there is no life. Plastic and garbage adorn the tree. The tree

has died. The mermaid notices the tree in this state, and swims over to investigate. She finds

the tree has offered a last gift of life – a single seed.

The mermaid takes the seed and brings it home to her garden. She takes great care to prepare

the earth and plant the seed. She has great care of life – this is seen by the way she interacts

with the plants in her yard and her sea slug bunny dog. She tends the area, protecting it.

There are “storms” under the sea (maybe great currents), sea slug sheep herds that wander by

and potentially “trample” the earth. The mermaid protects the seed from all these threats.

Time continues to pass, and still the seed has not grown into a seedling. The mermaid begins to

give up hope. Her slug/bunny/dog tries to comfort her. But she is sad and defeated. She

begins to cry. A single tear lands on the earth where the seed is planted. Slug/bunny/dog

comforts her, she embraces it. The mermaid’s tear seeps into the earth.

We watch the ground, and suddenly a seedling sprouts from the ground. The mermaid sees the

sprout, and gasps in surprise and delight.