Iara - Brazilian

Hello, little one. My home is where the water flows cool and deep, under the giant green leaves of the Amazon rainforest. My name is Iara, and I am the voice of the river. For longer than anyone can remember, people paddling their canoes have heard my song and told stories about the Legend of Iara. They say my voice is so beautiful it can make the flowers along the riverbank dance. But my story began a long, long time ago, when I walked on land, just like you. The air was warm and filled with the sounds of colorful birds, and my feet knew the feel of the soft forest floor, not the gentle push of the river's current. I was a person then, with hopes and a family, before the river called me its own and gave me a new name and a new home beneath the water lilies.

Before I had my shimmering green tail, I was a strong and brave girl in a Tupi tribe. I was the best warrior, faster and cleverer than anyone else, and I loved to run through the jungle with the wind in my hair. My own brothers grew jealous of my skills because I could shoot an arrow farther and run faster than they could. One night, they tried to play a cruel trick on me in the dark. But I was strong and defended myself. When our father found us, he did not understand what had happened and thought I had started the fight. He was very angry, and as a punishment, he said I must be cast into the dark river. I was so scared as I fell into the cold water. But the river did not want to harm me. The gentle fish and the ancient river spirits saw my brave heart. They gathered around me in a swirl of bubbles and used their magic to save me. They gave me a beautiful tail, shimmering like a thousand green jewels, and made me the queen of the waters. From that day on, I became Iara, a mermaid, a guardian of the river.

Now, I spend my days swimming with pink river dolphins and resting on sunny rocks, combing my long, dark hair with a comb made of shells. Sometimes, when the moon is a bright, white circle in the sky, I sing. My song floats over the water. It is a warning to those who might be greedy or unkind, to remind them to respect the river's power. But it is also a song of beauty, of the magic that lives in the water. My story is told to teach people to be careful near the water but also to appreciate its wonder. It has inspired so many beautiful songs, paintings, and poems in Brazil. So whenever you see a sparkling river, maybe you can imagine my song floating on the breeze, a reminder that stories, like rivers, flow on forever, connecting us all to the magic of nature.