| Pirates believed that mermaids
brought bad luck. When a mermaid appeared it was believed that the
ship would soon sink. The pirates would "shake in their
boots" when one was sighted. Mermaids were just about the
only thing that frightened the pirates. It is believed by
scientists that mermaids were actually an animal called the
manatee. This creature has a long flat tail and swims close to the
surface of the water. They are friendly creatures that might even
swim up to the side of a ship. The trouble with the pirates is
that they didn't look long enough at the creature, they just ran and hid
in fear. |
