The story begins with witches attempting to capture water fairies and mermaids. They succeed in capturing a mermaid and use her to multiply in number by eating fruits from a magical tree. However, two small witches, who are good, secretly pluck a red fruit from the mermaid's stomach, which is the key to breaking the curse. They take the fruit to a fairy who is a good witch, and she eats it, becoming powerful. With her newfound power, she frees the mermaid and reverses the curse on the witches.
The story then shifts to a landlord who throws his newborn daughter into a well because he doesn't want a girl. The child is rescued by a serpent who raises her as her own. The serpent educates the girl and protects her from witches. When the girl grows up, she meets her biological parents, who are now poor and regretful of their decision to abandon her.
Meanwhile, the witches from the beginning of the story are still causing trouble, and the serpent's adopted daughter helps her biological parents by using her serpent mother's powers to save the village children from the witches. In the end, the serpent uses her powers to save the children, but the witches vow to take revenge in the next life.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. A group of witches ride on blue horses to a river to collect water fairies.
2. The witches turn into a mango tree to lure the mermaids.
3. A mermaid eats a mango from the tree and becomes dizzy.
4. The witches capture the mermaid and take her to the moon.
5. Two small witches rescue the mermaid and take her to a fairy.
6. The fairy tells the witches that the mermaid has eaten a cursed fruit.
7. The witches must bring a red-colored fruit to the fairy to break the curse.
8. The two small witches secretly pluck the red fruit from the mermaid's stomach.
9. The fairy uses the fruit to break the curse and free the mermaid.
10. The mermaid is cured, and the witches are punished.
11. A landlord throws his newborn daughter into a well because he doesn't want a girl.
12. A serpent saves the girl and raises her as her own.
13. The serpent educates the girl at home and protects her from witches.
14. The landlord's son grows up to be useless and gambles away the family's wealth.
15. The landlord becomes poor and regrets throwing away his daughter.
16. The girl, now grown up, visits her parents in disguise.
17. A witch recognizes the girl and plots to capture her.
18. The witch tells the girl that her parents are landlords and convinces her to visit them.
19. The girl discovers the truth about her parents and confronts them.
20. The witch and her sister capture some village children and run away.
21. The serpent's daughter asks for her mother's help to save the children.
22. The serpent gives up her powers to save the children, and both she and the witch are punished.