Treehouse Books & Melanie Voland 
The Ferryman and The Mermaids and The Magic Guitar: Traditional Mermaid Folk Stories Collection 

A poor, young ferryman meets an old magician, who changes his luck and his life…

This short story might not be good for young kids, as it is a bit scary at the end, but anyone else can read it. 

This is book number 13 in the Traditional Mermaid Folk Stories Collection.