Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales - The Daughter of the Sea
Far out in the sea, the water is so blue, like the most beautiful cornflower petals, and at the same time so clear, like the brightest glass. However, it is very, very deep, so deep that no anchor chain can reach the bottom.
In order to reach from the bottom of the sea to the surface of the water, many church steeples must be connected one after another. The people on the bottom of the sea live below.
But people must not think that it is just a seabed covered with white sand. No, the most bizarre trees and plants grow there. Their branches and leaves are so soft that they will sway as long as the water moves slightly.
, as if they were living things. All the fish, big and small, swam among these branches, like birds in the sky. The deepest place in the sea is where the palace of Neptune is. Its walls are made of coral.
The high pointed windows are made of the brightest amber; but the roof is covered with black clam shells, which can open and close automatically with the flow of water. This is very beautiful, and the country is proud of every clam.
The shell contains sparkling pearls. Any pearl can become the main decoration on the queen's hat.
The Neptune who lives down there has been a widower for many years, but he has an old mother who manages the housework for him. She is a smart woman, but she always feels arrogant about her noble birth, so she always wears a
She carried a dozen oysters - the rest of the dignitaries could only wear half a dozen each. Apart from this, she deserved great praise, especially because she loved the little sea princesses - her granddaughters - very much.
They are six beautiful children, and among them, the youngest is the most beautiful. Her skin is smooth and tender, like rose petals, and her eyes are blue, like the deepest lake.
However, like other princesses, she has no legs: the lower part of her body is a fish tail.
They could spend their whole long days in the palace, in the halls with the flowers on the walls. The big amber-lined windows were open, and fish swam toward them, just as swallows fly when we open the windows.
It's the same as coming in. But the fish keep swimming towards these little princesses, looking for food in their hands and letting them touch themselves.
There is a large garden outside the palace, with many fiery red and dark blue trees growing in it; the fruits on the trees are as bright as gold, the flowers are blooming like burning fire, and the flower branches and leaves are constantly shaking. The ground is full of flowers.
The finest sand, but as blue as the flames of sulfur. There, there is a strange, blue light shining everywhere. You can easily think that you are high in the air instead of at the bottom of the sea. Your head
There is a blue sky above and below you. When the sea is very calm, you can catch a glimpse of the sun: it is like a purple flower, emitting various colors of light from its calyx.
In the garden, each little princess has her own small area, where she can plant whatever she wants. Some arrange their flower beds like a whale, and some think it is best to arrange their flower beds like a whale.
The little mermaid. But the youngest one arranged her flower bed roundly, like a sun, and she only planted flowers as red as the sun. She was a weird child who didn't like to talk much.
She was always thinking about something quietly. When other sisters decorated their gardens with the strangest things they got from shipwrecks, she only wanted to decorate their gardens with flowers as red as the sun in the sky.
There was a beautiful marble statue. It represented a beautiful man. It was carved from a piece of pure white stone and sank to the bottom of the sea with a shipwrecked ship. Next to the statue she planted a plant as red as a rose.
Weeping willow. This tree grows very lushly. Its fresh branches and leaves hang down to the stone statue, all the way to the blue sand bottom. Its reflection has a purple-blue hue. Like its branches, the shadow also flows from
Not still, the roots and top of the tree seem to be playing a kissing game.
Her greatest pleasure was in hearing stories about the human world above. Her old grandmother had to tell her all she knew about ships and cities, people and animals. One thing that particularly pleased her was that
: Flowers on the ground can emit fragrance, but flowers on the seabed cannot; the forest on the ground is green, and the fish that people see swimming between the branches sing so clearly and beautifully.
, which makes people feel happy. The "fish" the old grandmother called were actually little birds, but if she didn't say it this way, the little princess wouldn't understand her story, because she had never seen one before.
little bird.
"When you are fifteen years old," the old grandmother said, "I will allow you to float to the surface of the sea. Then you can sit on the rocks under the moonlight and watch the huge ships passing by you. You can also
You can see the woods and the city.”
In the coming year, one of these sisters will be fifteen years old; but the rest - well, they are one year younger than the other. Therefore, the youngest princess has to wait for five more years.
Only in the new year can we rise from the bottom of the sea and see our world. But each person promised the next that she would tell everyone what she saw and discovered on the first day, because their grandmother said
It's true that it's not enough - there's so much they want to know!
None of them was as eager as the younger sister, but she had to wait the longest, and at the same time she was so silent and thoughtful. I don’t know how many nights she stood by the open window, looking through the
She stared up at the dark blue water, watching the fish waving their tails and wings. She also saw the moon and the stars - their light was faint, of course, but through a layer of water they looked brighter.
Much larger than they appear to us. If something like a black cloud floats beneath them, she knows that it is either a whale swimming above her or a ship carrying many passengers. But
These travelers could no longer imagine that there was a beautiful little mermaid below them, stretching out her white hands towards the keel of their ship.
Now the eldest princess has reached fifteen years old and can rise to the surface of the water.
When she came back, she had countless things to tell: but she said that the most beautiful thing was lying on a beach under the moonlight when the sea was calm, staring close to the coast at the big city that was as bright as countless lights.
Star-like lights, listening to music, noises, the sounds of carriages and people, looking at church towers and steeples, listening to the tinkling bells. Just because she couldn't go there, she longed for these things the most.
Oh, how rapt the youngest sister listened! As she stood by the open window in the evening and looked up through the dark blue water, she thought of the great city and the bustling sounds of it.
Then she seemed to hear the church bells drifting towards her.
The next year, the second sister got permission to surface and swim wherever she wanted. When she jumped out of the water, the sun had just set; she thought the scene was really beautiful. She said that at this time, the entire sky
It looked like a piece of gold, and the clouds - well, she really couldn't describe their beauty! They passed over her head, sometimes red, sometimes purple. However, they flew faster than them.
, like a free and long veil, are a group of wild swans skimming the water. They are flying towards the sun, and she also swims towards the sun. But the sun sets. A rose-colored sunset slowly floats on the sea and
Disappeared among the clouds.
Another year passed, and the third sister came up. She was the boldest among them, so she swam to a large river that flowed into the sea. She saw some beautiful green hills covered with plants.
Rows of grapes, palaces and farms loomed out among the lush woods; she heard the birds singing so beautifully, and the sun shining so warmly that she sometimes had to sink into the water so that she could
Her burning face could get a little coolness. In a small river bend, she met a group of human children; they were naked and swimming in the water. She really wanted to play with them for a while, but they were startled.
, ran away. Then a small black animal came over - it was a puppy, a puppy she had never seen before. It barked at her so fiercely that it made her scared. Hurry up.
Escape to the sea. But she will never forget the magnificent forest, the green mountains, and those cute babies that can swim in the water - although they don't have tails like fish.
The fourth sister was not so bold. She stayed on the desolate sea. She said that the most beautiful thing is to stop on the sea: because from here you can look far and far around, while the sky hangs over
It looked like a huge glass clock. She had seen ships, but they were far away from her and looked like seagulls. She had seen happy dolphins doing somersaults and huge whales spurting water from their nostrils.
, as if there were countless fountains surrounding them.
Now comes the fifth sister. Her birthday happens to be in winter, so she can see things that the other sisters have not seen when they first surfaced. The sea is dyed green and huge.
Icebergs were moving around. She said each iceberg looked like a bead, but was much larger than the church towers built by humans. They appeared in all kinds of strange shapes; they radiated like diamonds.
. She once sat on the largest iceberg, letting the sea breeze blow her slender hair. All the ships circled the place where she sat, staying away in panic. But at dusk, the sky
Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared. Lightning flashed, and the thunder continued. The huge black waves lifted up the entire ice cubes, causing them to shine in the blood-red thunder and lightning.
All the ships had lowered their sails, creating an atmosphere of panic and terror, but she sat quietly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue power grid, bending into the reflective sea.
Whenever any of these sisters rises to the sea for the first time, they are always very happy to watch these new and beautiful things. But now, they are grown girls and can float as close as they like.
Therefore, these things no longer interest them much. They are eager to return home. After a month, they said: after all, it is better to live in the sea - how comfortable it is at home!
At dusk, these five sisters often come up arm in arm and line up on the water. They can sing beautiful songs - more beautiful than any human voice. When a storm is coming, they think some
When the ship was about to be in trouble, they floated up in front of the ships and sang very beautiful songs, saying how lovely it was under the sea. At the same time, they told the sailors not to be afraid of sinking to the bottom of the sea; however, these people could not understand them.
Lyrics. They thought it was the sound of the huge wind. They also didn't expect that they would see anything beautiful on the bottom of the sea, because if the ship sank, the people on it would also drown, and they could only reach the Sea King's official residence as dead people.
temple.
One night, when the sisters came out of the sea arm in arm like this, the youngest sister stayed alone behind and looked at them. It seemed that she wanted to cry, but the mermaid didn't.
Tears made her feel even more uncomfortable.
"Oh, how I wish I were fifteen!" she said. "I know I would love the world above and the people who live in it.
"
Finally she really turned fifteen.
"You know, you can leave our hands now," said her grandmother, the old Queen Mother. "Come on, let me dress you up like your sisters."
So she put a wreath of lilies on the little girl's hair, but each petal of the flower was half a pearl. The old lady also made eight big oysters stick tightly to the princess's tail to represent
her noble status.
"This makes me so sad!" said the little mermaid.
"Of course, in order to be beautiful, a person should endure some hardships," the old grandmother said.
Oh, she wished she could get rid of these ornaments and throw this heavy garland aside! The red flowers in her garden fit her much better, but she did not dare to do so. "Goodbye!" she said
Said. Then she was as light and bright as a bubble rising out of the water.
When she raised her head out of the sea, the sun had already set, but all the clouds were still shining like roses and gold; at the same time, in the pale red sky, the big white star was already blinking beautifully and brightly.
Close your eyes. The air is mild and fresh. The sea is very calm. There is a large ship with three masts parked here. There is only one sail on the ship because there is no wind blowing. The sailors are sitting on the mast guard.
around and above the yard.
There was music and singing here. When dusk gradually became darker, all kinds of lanterns lit up together. They looked like flags from all over the world floating in the sky. The little mermaid kept swimming towards the ship window.
.Every time when the waves lifted her up, she could see through the mirror-like windowpane that there were many men in gorgeous clothes standing inside; but the most beautiful one among them was the one with a pair of big black eyes.
Prince: No doubt, he is not yet sixteen years old. Today is his birthday, and that is why it is so lively today.
The sailors were dancing on the deck. When the prince came out, more than a hundred rockets were shot into the sky. The sky was illuminated like daylight, so the little mermaid became very frightened and quickly sank to the bottom of the water. But after a while
She stretched out her head - at this moment she felt as if all the stars in the sky were falling towards her. She had never seen such fireworks. Many huge suns made a hissing sound around them, and the dazzling big fish
Leaping into the blue sky.
All of this is reflected on the clear, calm sea. The whole body of the boat is so brightly illuminated that even every small rope can be seen. Of course, the people on the boat can see it more clearly. Ah, this
How beautiful this young prince is! When the music slowly faded away in this splendid night, he shook hands with the sailors, laughed and smiled... The night was already very late, but the little mermaid could not take her away.
My eyes turned away from the ship and the beautiful prince. The colorful lanterns were extinguished, the rockets no longer shot into the air, and the sound of the cannon stopped. But in the depths of the sea arose a humming and rumbling sound.
. She sat on the water, floating up and down, so she could see things in the cabin. But the ship speeded up: its sails were all unfurled one after another. The waves became bigger, heavy dark clouds floated, and in the distance
Lightning struck. Ah, the terrible storm is coming! The sailors lowered their sails. The huge ship swayed forward on the violent sea. The waves were like huge black mountains.
The earth rose. It wanted to break the mast. But the ship was like a swan, one moment it fell into the waves, and the next moment it raised its head on the high waves.
The little mermaid thought it was a very interesting voyage, but the sailors thought otherwise. The ship was now making a splintering sound; its thick planks were bent by the incoming waves. The masts were like reeds.
It seemed to be broken in the middle. Then the boat began to tilt and water rushed into the cabin. Only then did the little mermaid know that they were in danger. She also had to be careful of the beams and wreckage of the boat floating on the water.
The sky immediately became dark and she could not see anything. But when the lightning started, the sky became very bright, allowing her to see everyone on the ship. Now everyone was trying their best to find a way out for themselves. She paid special attention to
That prince. She saw him as the ship broke apart and sank into the depths of the sea. She immediately became very happy, because he was now coming to her. But then she remembered
Human beings cannot live in water. Unless they become dead, they cannot enter her father's palace.
No, we must not let him die! So she swam between the floating beams and planks of the ship, never thinking that they might crush her to death. She sank deeply into the water, and then floated high in the waves.
came out, and finally she reached the side of the prince. In this violent sea, he would never have the strength to float up again. His arms and legs began to fail to support him. His beautiful eyes had closed. If it weren't for the little mermaid
If she arrived in time, he would definitely drown. She lifted his head out of the water and let the waves carry her and drift with him wherever they wanted.
At dawn, the storm had passed. There was not even a piece of the boat. The bright red sun rose and shone brightly on the water. It seemed to breathe life into the prince's face. But his eyes were still
With his eyes closed, the little mermaid kissed his delicate high forehead and cut his long, soaked hair back. She felt that he looked very much like the marble statue she had in her little garden under the sea. She kissed him again.
Give him a try, hoping he can wake up.
Now she saw before her a stretch of land and a group of high blue mountains, on whose summits the shining white snow looked like sleeping swans. Along the coast lay a beautiful green wood, with a church or monastery in front of it—she
I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s just a building. There are some lemon and orange trees growing in its garden, and a tall palm stands in front of the door. The sea forms a small bay here. The water is very calm, but
It was very deep from here to the cliff where there was a lot of fine sand. She carried the beautiful prince and swam there. She laid him on the sand and carefully raised his head.
The high ground rests in the warm sunlight.
The bells rang from the majestic white building, and many young women came out through the garden. The little mermaid swam far away into the sea, and swam behind some big rocks that stood on the sea. She
She covered her hair and breasts with lots of sea foam so that no one could see her little face. She stared here to see who would come to the poor prince.
After a while, a young woman came over. She seemed very surprised, but it didn't take long, so she found many people. The little mermaid saw that the prince gradually regained consciousness, and smiled at the people around him. But he didn't
He smiled at her: of course, he had no idea that she was the one who saved him. She felt very sad. So when he was carried into the tall house, she sadly jumped into the sea and returned.
to her father's palace.
She had always been a quiet and thoughtful child, and now she was even more so. Her sisters all asked her what she had seen when she first rose to the surface of the sea, but she could not tell them anything.
Many nights and mornings, she emerged from the water and swam to the place where she had left her prince. She saw the fruits in the garden ripening and being picked; she saw the snow melting on the top of the mountain;
But she couldn't see the prince. So every time she came home, she always felt more miserable. Her only comfort was to sit in her little garden, holding in her hands a beautiful marble statue similar to the prince. But
She no longer tended her flowers. They seemed to grow in the wilderness and spread all over the ground: their long stems and leaves intertwined with the branches, making the place look very dark.
Finally she couldn't bear it anymore. But as soon as she told one of her sisters what was on her mind, everyone else knew about it. But except for them and one or two other mermaids (who only told the secret to
A few close friends of hers), and no one else knew. One of them knew who the prince was. She had also seen the celebration held on the ship. She knew where the prince came from.
Come, where is his kingdom.
"Come, little sister!" said the other princesses. They put their hands on each other's shoulders, and rose to the surface of the sea in a long row, until they swam to a place which they thought was the prince's palace.
The palace was built with a kind of luminous pale yellow stone, and there were many wide marble steps inside - one step even stretched into the sea. Gorgeous, golden round towers stretched into the sky from the roof.
Among the columns that dominate the whole building stand many marble statues. They look like living people. Through the bright glass of the tall windows, one can see some magnificent halls, with precious silk curtains hanging in them.
and tapestry, and the walls are decorated with large pictures - just looking at these things is a very pleasant thing. In the center of the largest hall, there is a huge fountain spraying water. The water flows all the way to the glass above.
The sun shines through the dome, and the sun shines down through the glass, onto the water, and onto the plants growing in the large pool.
Now she knew where the prince lived. Here she spent many evenings and nights on the water. She swam far toward land, farther than any other sister had dared to go. Indeed, she swam even as far as
down the narrow river, to the foot of the magnificent marble balcony, whose long shadow was reflected on the water. Here she sat, looking at the young prince, who thought he was alone in the moonlight.
Woolen cloth.
Several nights, she saw him riding in the gorgeous ship with many flags flying in the sound of music. She peeked up from the green rushes. When the wind blew her long silver mask,
If anyone saw it, they always thought it was a swan spreading its wings.
Several nights, when the fishermen went out to sea with torches to catch fish, she heard them saying many words of praise to the prince. She became happy, thinking that when the waves hit him half to death, she was the one who came.
Saved his life; she remembered how tightly his head lay in her arms and how passionately she kissed him. But he didn't know any of these things, he couldn't even dream.
Think of her.
She gradually began to love humans and gradually began to look forward to living among them. She felt that their world was much larger than hers. Indeed, they could sail on the sea in boats and climb towering mountains.
, and at the same time, their land, with forests and fields, stretched out so that she could not see it all. There were so many things she wished to know, but her sisters could not answer all her questions. So she could only ask her questions.
Grandmother. She did know quite well about the "upper world" - which was the appropriate name she gave to the maritime country.
"If humans don't drown," asked the Little Mermaid, "will they live forever? Will they die like us who live in the sea?"
"That's true," said the old lady. "They will die too, and their lives will be even shorter than ours. We can live to be three hundred years old, but when our lives here are over, we
It turns into foam on the water. We don't even leave a grave for our beloved here. We don't have an immortal soul. We never get a life after death. We are like the green seaweed.
, once cut off, it will never grow green again! On the contrary, human beings have a soul; it lives forever, even if the body turns to dust, it is still alive. It rises to the clear sky, to those who are shining.
The stars! Just as we rise to the surface of the water to see the human world, they rise to those mysterious and gorgeous places that we will never see."
"Why can't we get an immortal soul?" the little mermaid asked sadly. "As long as I can become a human and enter the world of heaven, even if I only live there for one day, I am willing to give up what I can do here.
A life of hundreds of years,"
"You must not have such thoughts," the old lady said. "Compared to the humans above, our life here is much happier and better!"
"Then I have no choice but to die and turn into foam and float on the water. Will I never hear the music of the waves, see the beautiful flowers and the bright red sun? Is there no way for me to get an eternal soul?"
No!" said the old lady. "Only when a person loves you and treats you as a person who is closer than his parents: only when he puts all his thoughts and love on you; only when he
When the pastor puts his right hand in yours and promises to be loyal to you now and forever in the future, his soul will be transferred to your body, and you will get a share of human happiness. He will
Give you a soul, and at the same time his own soul remains immortal. But such a thing never happens! What we here at the bottom of the sea consider beautiful - that fish tail of yours - they
On land, it is considered very ugly: they don’t know what beauty and ugliness are. In their country, if a person wants to be beautiful, he must have two stupid pillars - they call them legs!"
The little mermaid sighed and looked sadly at her fish tail.
"Let's be happy!" said the old lady. "Let's dance and dance during the three hundred years we can live. This is a long time after all, and we can also be in our graves in the future①
Have a pleasant rest. Let’s have a ball in the palace tonight!”
It was really a magnificent scene that people would never see on land. The walls and ceiling of this vast dance hall were made of thick and transparent glass. Thousands of giant shells in grass green and pink colors.
They stood in rows on the four sides; blue flames burned in them, lighting up the entire ballroom, shining through the walls, and thus lighting up the sea outside. One could see countless schools of fish, big and small, heading toward this crystal.
Officials swam in, some with purple light on their scales, and some shining like silver and gold. A wide torrent passed through the center of the dance hall, and men and women in the sea were singing beautiful songs.
Dancing on the rapids is such a beautiful song that people living on land cannot sing.
Among them, the little mermaid sang the most beautifully. Everyone applauded her; she felt very happy for a long time in her heart, because she knew that only her voice was the most beautiful on land and in the sea. But she immediately thought of the world above.
She could not forget the handsome prince, nor the sorrow which caused her to have an immortal soul like his. So she secretly left her father's palace: while it was full of song and joy, she was sad.
She was sitting on the ground in her little garden. Suddenly she heard the sound of a horn coming from the water. She thought: "He must be sailing on it: he - I love him more than my father and mother; he -
I miss him all the time; I put the happiness of my life in his hands. I will sacrifice everything to win him and an immortal soul. When my sisters are dancing in my father's palace now
, I am going to visit the sea witch. I have always been very afraid of her, but maybe she can teach me some methods and help me."
So the little mermaid walked out of the garden and walked towards a foaming whirlpool behind which the witch lived. She had never walked this way before. There were no flowers or seaweed here, only a smooth gray sand.
At the bottom, toward the whirlpool. The water swirled here like a noisy water wheel, turning everything it touched to the bottom. To reach the area where the witch lived, she had to walk through this
A sharp whirlpool. There was a long way to go through a strip of bubbling mud: the witch called this place her peatfield. Behind it was a terrible forest, in which her house was, and all the trees
The trees and shrubs were full of polyps—things that were half plant and half animal. They looked a lot like the hydras that emerged from the ground. Their branches were all long, slimy arms, their fingers
They are all as soft as worms. They are trembling joint by joint from root to top. They tightly coil around whatever they can catch in the sea and do not relax at all.
The little mermaid stopped in front of the forest, very alarmed. Her heart jumped with fear, and she almost wanted to turn back. But when she thought of the prince and the human soul, she gained courage again. She
She tied her long flowing hair tightly around her head so that the coral polyps could not catch her. She pressed her hands tightly to her chest, so she was like a fish jumping in the water.
Among these ugly polyps, she jumped forward, and these coral polyps only waved their long soft arms and fingers behind her. She saw that each of them had grabbed something, and countless little arms were wrapped around it.
, like a solid iron ring. Those who drowned in the sea and sank to the bottom of the sea revealed white skeletons in the arms of these coral polyps. They hugged the rudders and boxes tightly, and hugged the bones of land animals
, and she was holding a little mermaid who was caught and strangled by them - this was the most terrifying thing for her.
Now she came to a slimy clearing in the forest. Here large, fat water snakes were turning, revealing their pale yellow, ugly bellies. In the center of the land there was a house made of the bones of the dead.
The sea witch is sitting here, feeding a toad with her mouth, just like we feed a little canary with sugar. She calls those ugly, fat water snakes her chickens, and at the same time lets
They were crawling up and down her fat, spongy chest.
"I know what you are here to ask for," said the sea witch. "You are a fool! However, my beautiful princess, I will still let you achieve your goal, because this thing will give you a miserable life."
The ending. You want to remove your fish tail and grow two pillars so that you can walk like a human. You want to make the prince fall in love with you so that you can get him and thus get an immortal soul.
." At this time, the witch laughed hatefully, and the toads and water snakes rolled to the ground and crawled around. "You came just in time," said the witch. "After the sun rises tomorrow, I won't
The only way to help you is to wait for a year. I can boil a medicine for you to drink. You take this medicine and swim to the land before the sun comes up. You sit on the beach and eat the medicine, so you
The tail can be divided into two halves and contracted into what humans call beautiful legs. But this is very painful - it is like a sharp knife cutting into your body. Anyone who sees you will definitely say that you are
The most beautiful child they have ever seen! You will still keep your swimming steps. No dancer will dance as softly as you. But every step of yours will feel like a sharp knife.
Walking up, it feels like your blood is flowing out. If you can bear the pain, I can help you."
"I can bear it," said the little mermaid in a trembling voice. Then she thought of the prince and her wish to obtain an immortal soul.
"But remember," said the witch, "that once you have taken on a human form, you can no longer turn into a mermaid, you can no longer walk into the water and return to your sister's or your father's palace.
Come. At the same time, if you can't get the love of that prince, if you can't make him forget his parents for you, love you with all his heart, and call the priest to put your hands together and become husband and wife, then you won't
You will get an immortal soul. On the first morning when he marries someone else, your heart will break and you will become foam on the water."
"I'm not afraid!" said the little mermaid. But her face was as pale as death.
"But you have to pay me!" said the witch, "and what I want is not a small thing. Among the people under the sea, your voice is the most beautiful. No doubt you want to use it
The voice to enchant him, but you have to give this voice to me. I must get your best thing in exchange for my precious medicine! I have to put my own blood into this medicine to make it sharp.
It’s like a sharp knife with two sides!”
"But if you take away my voice," said the Little Mermaid, "what do I have left?"
"You also have a beautiful figure," the witch replied, "you also have light steps and expressive eyes. With these things, you can easily charm a man's heart. Well, you have already
Have you lost your courage? Stick out your little tongue, and I'll cut it off as a reward, and you'll get this powerful potion."
"Let's do it like this," said the little mermaid. Then the witch prepared the potion and prepared the magical medicine.
"Cleanliness is a good thing," she said; and she tied several snakes into a knot and used them to scrub the jar. Then she scratched her breast and let her dark blood drip into the jar.
The steam of the medicine rose into the air in strange shapes, which looked scary. Every once in a while, the witch would add something new to the medicine jar. When the medicine boiled to the boil, there was a cry like a crocodile.
It came out. Finally the medicine was cooked. It looked like very clear water.
"Take it!" said the witch. So she cut out the little mermaid's tongue. The little mermaid was now mute and could neither sing nor speak.
"If any polyps catch you as you go back through my forest," said the witch, "you have only to sprinkle a drop of this potion on them, and their arms and fingers will burst into pieces and fly to them.
It's flying in all directions." But the little mermaid had no need to do this, because as soon as the coral polyps saw the shining potion, which shone like a shining star in her hand, they were all around her.
She shrank back in fear. In this way, she quickly passed through the forest, swamp and whirlpool.
She could see her father's palace. The torches in the large ballroom were out, and no doubt the people inside were asleep. But she dared not look at them again, for she was now mute.
And she would leave them forever. Her heart was so painful that it seemed to be broken into pieces. She secretly went into the garden, picked a flower from each sister's flower bed, and blew a thousand kisses with her fingers to the emperor.
, and then he emerged from the deep blue sea.
When she saw the prince's palace, the sun had not yet risen. She walked solemnly up the marble steps. The moon shone transparently and was very beautiful. The little mermaid drank the strong potion. She immediately felt as if there was something wrong with her.
A sharp-edged knife split open her slender body. She immediately fainted and fell down as if dead. When the sun hit the sea, she woke up and felt a sharp pain. At this time, there was a young-looking man.
The beautiful prince was standing in front of her. His dark eyes were looking at her, making her lower her head in embarrassment. At this time, she found that her fish tail was gone, and she had a pair of things that only girls had.
Beautiful little white legs. But she had no clothes on, so she covered her body with her thick long hair. The prince asked her who she was and how she got here. She used her dark blue eyes to be gentle and
Looking at him sadly, because she could no longer speak, he took her hand and led her into the palace. Just as the witch had told her before, she felt that every step was like an awl.
and walking on sharp knives. But she was willing to endure the pain.
She held the prince's arm and walked as light as a bubble. He and everyone else looked at her elegant and light steps and were amazed.
Now she wears expensive clothes made of silk and fine gauze. She is one of the most beautiful people in the palace, but she is mute and can neither sing nor speak. A beautiful female slave, wearing silk and gold and silver ornaments
, stepped forward and sang for the prince and his parents. One of the slaves sang the most charmingly, and the prince couldn't help but clapped his hands and smiled at her. At this time, the little mermaid felt a sadness. She knew that there was
Her singing voice was much more beautiful than that kind of singing voice at that time! She thought:
"Ah! I only wish he knew that in order to be with him, I sacrificed my voice forever!"
Now the slaves followed the beautiful music and danced gracefully and lightly. At this time, the little mermaid raised her beautiful, white hands, stood on her toes, and danced lightly on the floor - never
No one has danced like this before. Every move she makes brings out her beauty. Her eyes touch people's hearts more than the songs of the slaves.
Everyone was fascinated, especially Wang Yu - he called her his "orphan". She kept dancing, although every time her feet touched the ground, she looked like
It was like walking on a sharp knife. The prince said that she should be with him forever; so she obtained permission to sleep on a velvet cushion outside his door.
He had a man's suit made for her so that she could accompany him on his horse. They walked through the fragrant woods, the green branches brushing their shoulders, and the birds singing behind the fresh leaves.
Song. She and the prince climbed up the mountain. Although her slender feet were bleeding and everyone saw it, she just laughed and continued to accompany him until they saw the clouds moving below, like
A flock of birds flying to a distant country.
In the prince's palace, after everyone went to bed at night, she walked towards the wide steps. In order to cool her feverish feet, she stood in the cold sea water. At this time, she couldn't help but think of
of the people who live under the sea.
One night her sisters came up arm in arm. They swam in the water and sang a sad song. Then she waved to them. They recognized her; they said how much she had made them sad.
After this time, they came to see her every night. One night, she saw from a distance the old grandmother who had not surfaced for many years and the king of the sea wearing a crown. They stretched out their hands to her, but they were not like hers.
Sister, I don’t dare to swim close to the ground.
The prince loved her more than ever. He loved her like a good and affectionate child, but he never had the idea of marrying her as his queen. However, she must be his wife, otherwise she would not get an immortal soul.
And it will turn into sea foam on the first morning of his wedding.
"Among all people, do you love me the most?" The little mermaid's eyes seemed to be saying this when he took her into his arms and kissed her forehead.
"Yes, you are my dearest person!" said the prince, "because you have the kindest heart of all people. You are dearest to me. You are very much like a young man I saw once.
woman, but I will never see her again. At that time, I was sitting on a boat - the boat had sunk. The huge waves pushed me to the shore next to a temple. There were several young women making sacrifices there.
Pray. The youngest of them found me on the shore and saved my life. I only saw her twice: she was the only person I could love in the world, but you are so much like her.
, you have almost replaced her impression in my soul. She belongs to this temple, so my luck specially sent you to me. Let us never be separated!"
"Ah, he doesn't know that I saved his life!" the little mermaid thought. "I lifted him out of the sea and sent him to a forest where the temple is. I sat behind the foam and peeped to see if anyone would
Come. I see that beautiful girl - he loves her more than he loves me." Then the little mermaid sighed deeply - she couldn't cry. "That girl belongs to that temple -
- He once said. She will never come to this human world - they will never meet. I am with him and see him every day. I want to take care of him, love him and devote myself to him.
Out of my life!”
Now everyone is saying that the prince is about to get married, and her wife is a daughter of the king of a neighboring country. He has specially equipped a beautiful boat for this event. On the surface, the prince said that he was going to a neighboring kingdom for sightseeing. In fact,
He was going to see the daughter of the monarch of a neighboring country. He would bring a large number of followers with him. The little mermaid shook her head and smiled. She could guess the prince's thoughts better than anyone else.
"I have to go on a trip!" he said to her. "I have to see a beautiful princess. This is my parents' order, but they can't force me to take her home as my fiancée! I won't love
Her. You are very similar to the beautiful girl in the temple, but she is not like her. If I want to choose a bride, then I have to choose you first - my dear, you have a pair of eyes that can speak.
The mute orphan girl.”
So he kissed her bright red lips, stroked her long hair, and put his head to her heart, making her heart dream of happiness in the world and an immortal soul again.
"Aren't you afraid of the sea, my mute orphan?" he asked. They were standing on the magnificent ship, which was sailing to the neighboring kingdom. He and she were talking about storms and calm seas, living in
The strange fish in the sea, and the things that divers can see at the bottom of the sea. For such stories, she just smiled slightly, because she knew the things about the bottom of the sea better than anyone else.
In the moonlit night, everyone was asleep, and only the helmsman stood by the helm. At this time, she was sitting on the edge of the boat, staring at the clear water below. She seemed to see her father's palace and her old grandmother's head.
Wearing a crown of silver, she stood high on the top of the palace; she looked through the rapids towards the keel of the ship. After a while, his sisters came to the surface and looked at her sadly.
, twisting their white hands in pain. She waved to them, smiled, and at the same time wanted to tell them that everything was wonderful and happy for her now. But then a waiter on the boat suddenly came towards her. Her
The sisters immediately sank into the water, and the waiter thought that the white things he saw were just sea foam.
The next morning, the ship sailed into the port of the magnificent imperial city of the neighboring country. All the church bells rang, trumpets blew from many tall buildings, and soldiers saluted with fluttering flags and shining bayonets. Every day
There was a banquet. Balls and evening parties were held in turn, but the princess had not yet appeared. People said that she was educated in a distant temple and learned all the royal virtues. At last she arrived.
The little mermaid eagerly wanted to see her beauty. She had to admit that she was beautiful. She had never seen a more beautiful figure than this. Her skin was so delicate and white; behind her long black eyelashes was a
To the smiling, loyal, dark blue eyes.
"It was you!" said the prince. "When I lay like a dead body on the shore, it was you who saved me!" So he held the shy bride tightly in his arms. "
Ah, I am so happy!" he said to the little mermaid, "The best thing I never dared to hope for has finally become a reality. You will be happy for my happiness, because you are the favorite of all people.
my people!"
The little mermaid kissed his hand. She felt her heart breaking. The first morning after his wedding would bring her destruction and turn her into foam on the sea.
The church bells rang, and heralds rode on horses in the streets to announce the good news of the engagement. On every altar, fragrant oil burned in precious oil lamps. The priests waved incense burners, and the groom and the bride held hands with each other.
Accepting the bishop's blessing. The little mermaid was now wearing silk and gold ornaments, holding the bride's veil, but her ears could not hear the joyful music, and her eyes could not see the sacred ceremony. She remembered
The morning she was about to perish, and everything she had lost in this world.
On the same night, the bridegroom and bride came to the ship. The salutes were fired and the flags were flying. A royal tent of gold and purple was erected in the middle of the ship, furnished with the most beautiful cushions. Here, the couple
The beautiful newlyweds will spend their cool and silent night.
The wind was inflating the sails of the ship. The ship sailed gently on the clear sea without any big fluctuations.
When dusk gradually fell, the colorful lights came on, and the sailors danced happily on the deck. The little mermaid couldn't help but think of the scene when she floated to the sea for the first time, and the same things she saw then.
A gorgeous and joyful scene. Then she started to dance and fly, just like a chased swallow. Everyone was cheering and praising her. She had never danced so beautifully. The sharp knife seemed to be cutting.
He touched her delicate feet, but she didn't feel the pain because her heart hurt even more than this.
She knew this was the last night she would see him - for him, she left her tribe and family, she handed over her beautiful voice, she endured endless pain every day, but he didn't care at all.
I don’t know. This is the last night she can breathe the same air with him. This is the last night she can see the deep sea and the sky full of stars. At the same time, it is an eternal night without thoughts and dreams.
Waiting for her - she has no soul, and will not get a soul. Until midnight, everything on the boat is still joyful and pleasant. She laughs and dances, but she has the thought of death in her heart. The prince
Kissing his beautiful bride: the bride was stroking his shiny hair. They walked hand in hand to the gorgeous tent to rest.
The ship was very quiet now. Only the helmsman stood by the helm. The little mermaid leaned her white arms on the bulwark, staring to the east, waiting for the dawn to appear - she knew that the first ray of sunlight would call her
Perishing, she saw her sisters emerging from the waves. They were as pale as herself.
Their beautiful long hair no longer blows in the wind - it has been cut off.
"We have given our hair to the witch, hoping that she can help you so that you will not perish in the future. She gave us a knife. Take it, you see, how fast it is! Before the sun comes up,
You have to insert it into the heart of that prince. When his blood flows to your feet, your feet will join together again and become a fish tail. Then you can restore your original shape as a mermaid.
You can go back to our water; in this way, you can still live for three hundred years before you become a lifeless salt water foam. Do it quickly! It is not him who dies before the sun comes up.
, you are dead! Our old grandmother was so sad that even her white hair fell out, just like our hair fell off under the witch's scissors. Stabbed that prince to death, come back quickly! Do it quickly! You didn't watch.
Do you want to see the red light in the sky? In a few minutes, the sun will come out, and then you will surely perish!"
They uttered a strange, deep sigh, and then they sank into their waves.
The little mermaid opened the purple curtain on the tent and saw the beautiful bride sleeping with her head in the prince's arms. She bent down and kissed the prince's delicate eyebrows, then he stared towards the sky.
——The morning glow gradually became brighter. She glanced at the sharp knife, and then turned her eyes to the prince; he was murmuring the name of his bride in his dream. She was the only one in his mind.
The knife trembled in the little mermaid's hand. But at this moment, she threw the knife far away into the waves. Where Wan Zi sank, the waves gave off a red light, as if many drops of blood splashed out.
She reached the surface of the water. She once again cast her confused eyes on the prince, and then she jumped from the boat into the sea. She felt that her body was melting into foam.
Now the sun rose from the sea. The sun shone softly and warmly on the cold foam. For the little mermaid did not feel perished. She saw the bright sun, and at the same time countless transparent and beautiful creatures flew above her.
Through them, she could see the white sails of the ship and the colorful clouds in the sky. Their voices were harmonious music. But they were so insubstantial that human ears could not hear them, just as the eyes on the ground could not see them. They had no wings, but
With their light bodies floating in the air, the little mermaid felt that she had also acquired a body like theirs, and gradually rose up from the foam.
"To whom will I go?" she asked. Her voice, like these other creatures, seemed ethereal, and no music department in the world could compare with it.
"Go to the Daughter of the Sky!" answered another voice. "The mermaid has no immortal soul, and never will have one, unless she obtains the love of a mortal. Her eternal existence
We must rely on external power. The daughters of the sky do not have eternal souls, but they can create a soul through good deeds. We fly to the hot country, where the air of disease is spreading and hurting the people, we can
The cool wind can spread the fragrance of flowers in the air, and we can spread the spirit of health and happiness. Three hundred years later, when we try our best to complete all the good deeds we can do, we can obtain an immortal soul.
, you can share all the eternal happiness of mankind. You, poor mermaid, like us, have struggled for that goal wholeheartedly. You have endured pain; you persisted; you have ascended to the world of elves
Come. Through your kind work, in three hundred years you will create for yourself an immortal soul."
The little mermaid raised her shining arms to the sun of God, and for the first time she felt like she was about to shed tears.
In the boat the sound and activity began again. She saw the prince and his beautiful bride looking for her. They looked sadly at the foaming foam, as if they knew she had jumped into the waves.
In the dark she kissed the bride's forehead, she smiled at the prince, and then, together with the other children of the air, she mounted the rose-colored clouds and ascended into the sky.
"In this way, after three hundred years, we can ascend to the kingdom of heaven!"
"Maybe we don't have to wait so long!" a voice whispered. "We fly invisible into human houses, where some children live. Every day if we find a good child, if he gives
If his parents bring happiness to him and he deserves the love of his parents, God can shorten the time of our trials. When we fly across the house, the child will not know. When we smile happily at him, we will
One year can be subtracted from these three hundred years; but when we see a naughty and bad child and have to cry sadly, then every tear adds one more day to our trial."