The Little Mermaid Part 1
Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of the Little Mermaid and what she will do for love.
This is a classic fairy tale and may contain violence. We encourage parents to read ahead if their child is sensitive to such topics.
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the most beautiful cornflower and clear as crystal, very deep; so deep in fact that no cable could make a sound, and many church bell towers stacked on top of each other would not reach the ground below to the water above. There lived the Sea King and his people.
We must not imagine that at the bottom of the sea, there is nothing but bare yellow sand. No, actually, for on this sandbank grow the strangest flowers and trees, their leaves and stems so flexible that the slightest water disturbance causes them to shake as if there were life. Fishes, large and small, glide through the branches as birds fly among the trees on land.
In the deepest place is the Sea King’s castle. Its walls are built of coral, and the long Gothic windows are made of the most transparent amber. The roof comprises shells that open and close as water flows through. Their appearance was stunning, for in each, there was a sparkling pearl that was fit for a queen’s crown.
The Sea King had been a widower for many years, and his old mother kept the house for him. She is a compassionate woman but incredibly proud of her noble origin. Therefore, she wears 12 barnacles on her tail, while those of higher status are only allowed to wear six children.
However, she is worthy of praise, especially for caring for the little sea princesses, her six nieces. They were all beautiful children, but the youngest was the most beautiful. Her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose leaf; her eyes were as blue as the deepest sea, but, like all the others, she had no legs, and her body was shaped like a fish tail.
All day long, they played in the castle’s halls or among the living flowers growing from the walls. The big amber windows are open, and fish swim in, just like swallows fly into the house when we open the windows; only the fish swim to the princesses, eat from their hands, and let themselves be petted.
Outside the castle, there was a beautiful garden that grew bright red and dark blue flowers, blooming like flames. The fruit sparkles like gold, and the leaves and stems sway endlessly. The earth is the finest sand but is as blue as a burning sulfur fire. Above everything shone a special blue light, as if the blue sky was everywhere, above and below, instead of the dark abyss of the sea. In calm weather, the sun looks like a purple-red flower with light shining from the sepals.
Each young princess has a small plot of land in the garden that she can dig and plant. One person arranged his flower bed in the shape of a whale; another liked to make her resemble the figure of a little mermaid; while the youngest son made a circle like the sun, and in it grew red flowers like rays of sunlight at sunset.
She was a strange, quiet, and thoughtful child. While her sisters were delighted by the wonderful things they obtained from shipwrecks, she was only interested in beautiful flowers, red as the sun, and a magnificent marble statue. Pretty. It is an image of a handsome young man carved from a pure white stone that fell to the bottom of the sea from a shipwreck.
She planted a pink weeping willow tree next to the statue. It grew rapidly and quickly hung fresh branches on the statue, almost covering the green sand. The shadows were purple, swaying back and forth like tree branches, so much so that the treetops and roots were playing, trying to kiss each other.
Nothing brought her joy as hearing about the world above the sea. She made her grandmother tell her everything she knew about ships, about towns, about people and animals. For her, the most beautiful thing is knowing that flowers on earth have fragrance, but flowers in the sea do not; the trees in the forest are still green, and the fish among the trees can sing so sweetly that it is a joy to listen to them. Her grandmother called the birds fish. Otherwise, the mermaid would not understand it because she had never seen birds.
“When you are fifteen years old,” said Grandma, “you will be allowed to come out of the sea and sit on the rocks in the moonlight while the big ships pass by. Then you will see both the forest and the town.”
Next year, one of the sisters will be fifteen years old, but since each is a year younger than the other, the youngest will have to wait five years for her turn to rise above the ocean floor to see the earth as we do. However, each promised to tell the others what she saw on her first visit and what she thought was most beautiful. Their grandmother couldn’t tell them enough – there were so many things they wanted to know.
None of them expected her turn to come as the youngest – she had the most extended wait and was very quiet and thoughtful. Many nights, she stood by the open window, looking up at the clear blue water and watching the fish as they waved their fins and tails. She could see the moon and stars shining faintly, but through the water, they appeared larger to our eyes. When something like a dark cloud passed between her and them, she knew it was a whale swimming above her head or a ship filled with people who had never imagined that a beautiful little mermaid was standing below them, holding out her white hands, towards their keel.
Finally, the eldest was fifteen years old and was allowed to float to the surface.
When she returned, she had hundreds of things to talk about. But the best thing, she said, was lying on the sand in the calm moonlit sea, close to shore, watching the lights of the nearby town twinkle like hundreds of stars and listening to the music. , the noise of horse-drawn carriages, human voices and the cheerful ringing of the bells on the church steeple. Because she couldn’t get close to these beautiful things, she craved them even more.
Oh, how excited the youngest daughter was to hear these descriptions! And then, as she stood by the open window looking across the dark blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even imagined she could hear the bells ringing. The church is deep in the heart of the city. Sea.
Another year, the second girl was allowed to float to the surface and swim wherever she wanted. She woke up just as the sun set, and she said this was the most beautiful sight. The entire sky looked golden, with purple and pink clouds she couldn’t describe drifting across it. And faster than the clouds, a large flock of swans flew toward the setting sun, like a long white curtain over the sea. She swam towards the sun, but it sank into the waves, the pink fading into the clouds and sea.
Next was the third girl’s turn; she was the most daring because she swam up the broad river into the sea. On the shore, she saw green hills covered with beautiful vines, palaces, and castles jutting out between the proud trees of the forest. She heard birds singing and felt the sun’s rays so intense that she had to frequently dive into the water to cool her burning face. In a narrow creek, she found a large group of children, nearly naked, playing in the water. She wanted to play with them, but they ran away in panic. Then a small black animal – a dog, but she did not know it because she had never seen it before – came to the water and barked at her so fiercely that she became afraid and rushed back to the sea. But she said she should never forget the beautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty children who could swim underwater even without tails.
The fourth girl is more timid. She’s still in the middle of the ocean but says it’s as beautiful as being near land. She could see for miles, and the sky above looked like a glass bell. She saw ships, but at such a distance that they looked like seagulls. Dolphins played in the waves, and large whales sprayed water from their nostrils until there seemed to be hundreds of fountains working in every direction.
The fifth sister’s birthday took place in winter, so when it was her turn, she saw something the others had not seen when they first came up. The sea looked quite blue, she said, and enormous ice floes were floating, each ice floe like a pearl but more extensive and taller than man-built churches. They come in the strangest shapes and sparkle like diamonds. She sat on one of the most enormous chairs and let the wind play with her long hair. She noticed that all the ships were passing by quickly, steering as far away as possible, as if they were afraid of the iceberg. As the afternoon wore on, as the sun set, dark clouds covered the sky; thunder appeared, and red lightning flashed on the icebergs pushed by the sea. On all the ships, the sails were spread with fear and trembling while she sat on the iceberg, calmly watching the lightning as it sent branching rays into the sea.
Each sister, when allowed to surface for the first time, was delighted by the new beautiful sights. Now that they are grown girls and can go when they want, they have become indifferent. Soon, they wished they could go back, and after a month had passed, they said it was much nicer down there and more pleasant than at home.
However, often in the evening, the five sisters would wrap their arms around each other and float to the surface together. Their voices are more charming than any human’s, and before a storm approaches, when they fear that a ship may be lost, they swim before the ship, singing enchanting songs of pleasures found deep in the ocean. Sea and begged the travelers not to be afraid if they sank to the bottom. But the sailors did not understand the song and thought it was the sigh of the storm. These things were never pretty to them, for if the ship sank, the men would drown, and their bodies alone would reach the Sea King’s palace.
When the two sisters held each other’s arms and stood up through the water, their youngest sister would stand alone, caring for them, ready to cry – only because mermaids have no tears, she suffered even more.
“Oh, I’m only fifteen!” she speaks. “I know I will love the world up there and all the people who live there.”
She had finally turned fifteen.
“Oh, you’re grown up now,” her grandmother said. “Come and let me dress you up like your sister.” And she wore in her hair a wreath of white lilies, of which each leaf was half a pearl. The older woman then ordered eight large oysters attached to the princess’s tail to show her high class.
“But they hurt me so much,” said the mermaid.
“Yes, I know; pride brings pain,” the old woman replied.
Oh, how gladly she shook off all this grandeur and laid aside the heavy wreath! The red flowers in your garden will suit you much better. But she couldn’t change herself, so she said goodbye and floated gently like a bubble on the water’s surface.
The sun was setting when she lifted her head above the waves. The clouds were tinged with crimson and gold, and the glittering sunset shone the evening star in all its beauty. The sea is calm; the air is mild and fresh. A large three-masted ship lay sideways on the water; only one sail was unfurled, for there was no breeze to stir it, and the sailors sat idle on deck or amid the rigging. There is music and singing on board, and when night falls, hundreds of colorful lanterns are lit as if flags of countries flutter in the air.
The mermaid swam close to the cabin window, and now and then, as the waves lifted her, she could look in through the window panes and see some people dressed in funny clothes.
Among them, the most beautiful was a young prince with big black eyes. He was sixteen years old, and his birthday was celebrated with grandeur. The sailors were dancing on the deck, and when the prince stepped out of the cabin, more than a hundred rockets shot into the air, making it as bright as day. The startled mermaid dived into the water, and when she stretched out her head again, it looked as if all the stars in the sky were falling around her.
She had never seen such fireworks before. Enormous suns spew fire everywhere, gorgeous fireflies fly into the clear blue sky, and everything is reflected in the clear, calm sea below. The ship was so brightly lit that everyone, even the smallest rope, was visible. How handsome the young prince looked as he held the hands of all the guests and smiled at them while music rang out in the clear night air!
It was late, but the mermaid still couldn’t take her eyes off the ship or the beautiful prince. The colored lights had gone out, no more rockets were flying into the sky, and the cannons had stopped firing, but the sea became restless, and groaning and grumbling sounds could be heard beneath the waves. The mermaid remained at the cabin window, swaying on the water so she could see inside. A moment later, the sails were quickly hoisted, and the ship continued its journey. But soon, the waves rose higher, dark clouds filled the sky, and lightning appeared in the distance. A terrible storm is approaching. Once again, the sails were hoisted, and the great ship pursued her course over the rough sea. The waves rose as high as mountains, seemingly wanting to overcome the mast, but the ship plunged between them like a swan, then emerged again on the towering, foaming wave crests. For the little mermaid, this is an exciting sport, But it is not so with the sailors. At last, the ship groaned and creaked; the waves buffeted the thick planks as they crashed against the deck. The main mast snapped like a reed, and as the ship listed on her side, water rushed in.
The mermaid now realizes that the crew is in danger; even she has to be careful, avoiding the beams and planks of the wreck that littered the water. At one point, it was so dark that she couldn’t see a thing, but when a flash of lightning revealed the whole scene, She could see everyone on the ship except the prince. As the ship left the harbor, she saw him sinking into the deep waves, and she rejoiced because she thought he would now be with her. Then she remembered that humans cannot live underwater, so when she went to her father’s palace, he would die.
No, he cannot die! So she swam around the rafters and planks that stretched across the sea, forgetting that they could crush her. Diving deep into the dark water, rising and falling with the waves, she finally reached the young prince, quickly losing the ability to swim in that stormy sea. His limbs had no strength left, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died if the little mermaid had not come to his aid. She kept his head above the water and let the waves carry them where they wanted.
By morning, the storm had stopped, but not a single ship piece could be seen. The red sun rose from the water, its rays bringing a bright pink color to the prince’s cheeks, but his eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his high, smooth forehead and smoothed his wet hair. To her, he was like a marble statue in her little garden, so she kissed him again and wished he could live.
They were now close to land, and she saw lofty green mountains on which white snow reigned as if a flock of swans were lying on them. Beautiful green forests lay near the shore, and nearby, there was a large building, whether a church or a monastery, she couldn’t tell. Orange and lemon trees grow in the garden, and in front of the door are towering palm trees. The sea here forms a small bay where the water lies calm but deep. She swam with the handsome prince to the beach covered with fine white sand, then placed him in the warm sunlight, raising his head higher than her body. Then, the bell rang in the large white building, and several young girls entered the garden. The mermaid swam away from the shore and hid among the high rocks jutting from the water. Covering her head and neck with a sponge, she watched to see what would become of the poor prince.
Not long after, she saw a young girl approaching where the prince lay. She seemed scared at first, but only momentarily; then she took some people with her, and the mermaid saw the prince come to life and smile at the people standing around him. But with her, he never smiled; he didn’t know that she saved him. This caused her great grief, and when he was led into the great building, she dived into the water and returned to her father’s castle.
She had always been quiet and thoughtful, and now she was more than ever. Her sisters asked her what she saw the first time she came to the surface, but she couldn’t tell them anything. Many evenings and mornings, she went to where she had left the prince. She watched the fruit in the garden ripen and watched them pick; she watched the snow on the mountaintop melt away, but she never saw the prince again, so she always returned home in a sadder mood than before.
