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"Don't go near the water, or the Meerman will get ya!"

By the year 2123, the Ghentian legend of the Meerman had found a new lease on life.

Parents warned their children not to go too close to the water and not to play in the sediment shore, for otherwise the Meerman would rise up from its slumber and devour them.

The truth was more banal but equally horrifying.

During ebb, the water in the streets gave way to mud and all kinds of objects that the water had brough there. These deposits, also know as 'waterzooi', were of great interest to those combing the muck in search of valuable objects to reuse and recycle.

For curious and playful children, they were a veritable treasure trove.

However, many of these objects also proved dangerous or toxic, not to mention the risk of getting caught and sinking in the mud, or drowning when waters rose. So if it took a little white lie to keep kids from playing where they didn't belong...