Thanks for the reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the story. The story is from...well it's a legend.

Me: Welcome fans after the nice 'Katara and the beast' tale, we're starting with 'The tale of Selkie'.

Ty Lee: -to Me- Please let me in this one….

Mai: -to Me too- Please don't let me in this…

Katara: -sweatdrops- Okay…

Me: Okay I see everyone is exciting to know who's in this so here it comes. First I need Toph.

Toph: Me? Why?

Me: To bring some cookies….

Toph: Oh, okay…

Aang: She's just making fun. She didn't me-…

Me: I wasn't joking. I really want some delicious chocolate cookies.

Aang: -sweatdrops- Right.

Me: Now for real…I need Zuko!

Zuko: But I just did that beast-part.

Me: But your fans want you to play in this too.

Zuko: Really?

Me: No. But I want it.

Azula: Okay, okay, who's next?

Iroh: -to Azula- I'm surprised, Azula. Normaly you like to tease him and now…

Azula: I just don't have time for this.

Me: Right next I need Song.

Sokka: Who's that?

Iroh: -runs to Sokka- One of Zuko's girlfriends…

----It went dark----

Aang: Oh good Avatar, I mean oh good me, it's hot in here.

Katara: It's because of Zuko.

Me: -coughs- Stop burning Iroh, Zuko. Let's get on. Song?

Song: I'm right here.

Me: Okay, now I need only Koko, Star, Hope, Duke, Teo, Tom Tom, Boulder, the herbalist and Lee.

Ty Lee: And me? -does puppyfaces-

Me: Umm sorry, maybe in the next.

Ty Lee: -starts crying-

Me: Okay. Here's the list:

The Goodman o' Wastness: Zuko

Selkie Wife: Song

Children: Koko, Lee, Star, Hope, Duke, Teo and Tom Tom

Adam: Boulder

Old woman: Medicine woman

The tale of Selkie

Zuko of the Fire Nation was a handsome, well-to-do young fellow.

Strong, well-liked and with a profitable farm, it will come as no surprise to learn that many of the unmarried local girls had their sights on him.

However, despite their ample attentions Zukowas a man who was simply not interested in marriage.

Their advances spurned, the local girls soon began to treat Zuko with contempt.

Describing him as "an old, young man" and "old before his time" in their eyes he was committing the unpardonable sin of celibacy.

Zuko, however, paid these malicious creatures little heed and as is more often the case, the gossips soon turned their attentions elsewhere. When questioned by his friends as to the reason he would not take himself a wife, Zuko would smile and simply explain:

"Weemin ir lik minny ither tings in dis weary wurld, only sent fur a trial tae man an' I hae trials aplenty withoot bein' tried be a wife. If yin owld fool Boulder hiddno been bewitched be his wife, he might still be in the Gerdeen o' Divide the day."

Women are like many other things in this weary world, only sent as a trial to men and I have enough trials without being tried by a wife. If that old fool Boulder had not been bewitched by his wife, he might still be in the Garden of Divide to this day

The old herbalist woman who heard this oft-repeated speech, remarked:

"Tak thoo heed theesel, fur thou'll mibbe be yursel' bewitched wan day."

Heed well what you say, you will maybe be bewitched yourself one day

"Aye," replied Zuko, laughing. "That'll be when thou waaks dry-shod fae The South Pole da The North Pole."

That will be when you walk from The South Pole to The North Pole without wetting your feet

So it came to pass that one fine day Zuko was down on the ebb when he saw, a short distance away, a number of selkie-folk lying out on a flat rock.

Some of these selkie-folk were sunning themselves in the afternoon warmth while others jumped and played in the clear water. All were naked with unblemished skins as white as snow. Their enchanted seal-skins lay strewn carelessly on the sand and rocks around them.

Zuko crept closer to their basking rock.

As he neared the place the selkie-folk played, Zuko leapt to his feet and ran towards them for all he was worth. With a shriek the selkie-folk snatched up their seal skins and quickly retreated to the safety of the sea. However, swift as they were, Zuko was quicker and he managed to seize a skin belonging to one beautiful seal-maiden.

In the hasty rush to safety this poor creature had forgotten to retrieve her skin.

The selkie-folk swam out a little distance and turned to gaze mournfully at Zuko. He stared back and realised that all, save one, had taken the shape of seals. Grinning, he put the captured seal-skin under his arm. Whistling a merry tune he set out for home.

No sooner had he left the ebb than he heard the most sorrowful wailing and weeping coming from behind him. Turning, he saw a fair woman following him. She was a most pitiful sight. Sobbing and howling in grief, she held her arms out and pled to have her skin returned. Huge tears ran from her large dark eyes and trickled down her ivory cheeks.

Falling to her knees, she cried:

"O bonnie man! If thur's inny mercy in thee human breest, gae me back me ain selkie skin! I cinno live in da sea withoot it. I cinno bide amung me ain folk waythoot me selkie-skin."

Oh handsome man, if there is any mercy in your human breast give me back my seal-skin. I can not live in the sea without it. I cannot live among my own people without my seal-skin

Zuko was not a soft-hearted man but he could not help but pity the poor creature. Pity, however, was not the only emotion he felt. With the pity came the softer and sweeter passion of love.

The icy heart that had yet to love a mortal woman was soon melted by this seal-maiden's beauty.

Eventually Zuko managed to wring from the Selkie Wife Song a reluctant consent to remain with him as his wife. She had little choice in the matter for as you all Orcadian know, she could not return to her kin in the sea without her skin.

So Song went with Zuko and stayed with him for many a day. She turned out to be a thrifty, frugal and kindly wife and although she was a creature of the sea Zuko had a happy life with her.

Song bore Zuko seven children: Koko, Star, Hope, Lee, Teo, Duke and Tom Tom

Four boys and three girls came from their union and it was said that there were no children as beautiful as them in all the isles. And all the while Song, and her human husband, seemed content and merry.

But all was not as it seemed - there was a weight in Song's heart. Many was the time that she was seen to gaze longingly out to the sea. The sea that was her true home.

So to all the islanders and to Zuko himself all seemed well with his family. But as is always the case in these tales, the bliss was not to last.

One fine day, Zuko and his four sons were out fishing in their boat. With the menfolk out of the house, Song sent three of the girls down to the ebb to gather limpets and whelks for their tea. The youngest girl Hope had to remain at home because she had hurt her foot climbing on the sharp rocks by the shore. As usual, as soon as the house emptied, Song set to looking for her long-lost seal-skin.

She searched high and she searched low. She searched "but" and she searched "ben". She searched out and she searched in but to no avail.

She could not find the skin.

The time passed and the sun swung to the west, lengthening the shadows. The peedie lass, seated in a straw-backed chair with her sore feet on the creepie, watched her mother carry out the frantic hunt.

"Mam, whit ir thoo luckin' fur?" Hope asked.

Mother, what are you looking for?

"O' bairn, dinna tell, bit ah'm luckin' fur a bonnie skin tae mak a rivlin dat wid sort thee sore fit." replied Song.

Oh child, don't tell but I'm looking for a pretty skin to make a shoe that would cure your sore feet

"Bit Mam, " said the bairn. "I ken fine whar hid is. Wan day when ye war oot and me Fither thowt I wis sleepin' i' the bed, he teen a bonnie skin doon, gloured at hid for cheust a peedie meenit, then foldit hid an' laid hid up under dae aisins abeun da bed."

But Mother, I know where it is. One day when you were out and my Father thought I was asleep in bed, he took a pretty skin down, glowered at it for a short time, then folded it and put it away in the aisins over the bed

When Song heard this she clapped for joy and rushed to the place where her long-concealed skin lay.

"Fare thee weel, peedie buddo," she said to her child as she ran from the house.

Rushing to the shore she threw on her skin and with a wild cry of joy plunged into the sea. Shifting again into her selkie form she swam out through the waves where a selkie man was waiting for her and greeted her with delight.

All the while, Zuko was rowing home and happened to see these two selkies from his little boat. His wife uncovered her beautiful face and cried out to him.

"Fare thee weel. Zuko of the Fire Nation. Farewell tae thee. I liked thee weel enough fur thoo war geud tae me bit I love better me man o' the sea."

Farewell Zuko of the Fire Nation. Farewell to you. I liked you because you were good to me but I love my husband from the sea more.

That was the last Zuko ever saw of his sea-wife Song.

Often though, in the twilight of his years, he could be seen wandering on the empty sea-shore, hoping once again to meet his lost love.

But never again did he look upon her fair face.

--------------------------

Me: That's it. Good work!

Ty Lee: -still crying-

Mai: I'm out of here before I'm going insane too. –leaves-

Aang: Koko, you played fantastic.

Katara: -stics tongue-

Koko: Thank you Aang.

Toph: Okay. What's the next?

Me: -wants to say something-

Sokka: I know what we could do The brave little tailor and I could play then the tailor. –looks at the gaang-

Everyone except Ty Lee: -sweatdrops-

Ty Lee: Oh yeah Sokka and I could play the princess. –wants to kiss Sokka-

Everyone: -sweatdrops more-

Azula: -catchs Ty Lee- STOP IT!

Toph: Why because you have a chrush at Sokka?

Azula: No way!

Me: Well if I command….

Azula and Sokka: -attack Me-

Ty Lee: -cries again-

Katara: Well request please…

The tale of Selkie for animegirl94.

Zusong for Dodogrrl.