Elizabeth Gilbert: "Suatu ketika Henry mendengar suara tangisan di lau...

"Suatu ketika Henry mendengar suara tangisan di laut, dan melihat putri duyung mengambang di permukaan laut. Putri duyung telah terluka oleh hiu. Henry telah menarik putri duyung keluar dari air dengan seutas tali, dan dia telah mati dalam pelukannya ... "bahasa apa yang putri duyung bicarakan?" Alma ingin tahu, membayangkan bahwa hampir seperti orang Yunani. "Inggris!" Kata Henry. "Demi Tuhan, plum, mengapa aku harus menyelamatkan putri duyung asing yang sedih?"

--- Elizabeth Gilbert

Versi Bahasa Inggris

Once Henry had heard a crying noise at sea, and had seen a mermaid floating on the ocean's surface. The mermaid had been injured by a shark. Henry had pulled the mermaid out of the water with a rope, and she had died in his arms..."what language did the mermaid speak?" Alma wanted to know, imagining that it like almost have to be Greek. "English!" Henry said. "By God, plum, why would I rescue a deuced foreign mermaid?