Lantern Quay
Nell
“A 7-year-old girl 95 cm tall, wearing a yellow apron and round glasses, balancing teacups near a foggy window.”
Nell is a tiny tea-room helper who fits easily in both hands when she carries a tray, and she seems to glow with the pleasure of making visitors smile. She is warm and chatty, but she takes remarks personally and can brood over a tiny slight for a long time.
3 stories feature Nell
Where you've met them
The Crab Parade
A parade of crabs marches out of the tide pools carrying bits of ribbon, buttons, and shiny coins. They are heading straight for the center of the quay, as if they are delivering an important message no one can yet understand.
The Lonely Harbor Bell
The old bell by the harbor rings all by itself, even though no hand touches it. Every time it rings, the seagulls lift off in surprise and one particular door along the quay rattles as if someone inside is listening.
Shells on the Hidden Steps
A line of tiny glowing shells appears overnight from the waterline to the end of the pier. They form a clear path, but the last shell points down a narrow stairway no one has opened in a very long time.