The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
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has sent you to_me instead of her; and we_will never part ."

"Ah, he_knows not that_it_was I who saved his life," thought the little mermaid ."I carried him over the sea to_the wood where the temple stands: I sat beneath the foam, and watched till the human beings came to help him . I_saw the pretty maiden that he loves better than he loves me;" and_the mermaid sighed deeply, but she_could_not shed tears ." he_says the maiden belongs to_the holy temple, therefore she will never return to_the world . they_will meet no more: while I_am by his side, and_see him every day . i_will take care of him, and love him, and give up my life for_his sake ."

very_soon it_was said that_the prince must marry, and_that the beautiful daughter of aneighboring king would_be his wife, for a fine ship was being fitted out . although the prince gave out that he merely intended to_pay a visit to_the king, it_was generally supposed that he really went to_see his daughter .a great company were to_go with_him . the little mermaid smiled, and shook her head . she knew the prince's thoughts better than any of_the others .

" I_must travel," he had said to her; " I_must see this beautiful princess; my parents desire it; but they_will_not oblige me to bring her home as my bride . I_cannot love her; she_is_not like the beautiful maiden in_the temple, whom you resemble . if I were forced to_choose a bride, i_would rather choose you, my dumb foundling, with those expressive eyes ." and then he kissed her rosy mouth, played with her long waving hair, and laid his head on her heart, while she dreamed of human happiness and an immortal soul ." you_are_not afraid of_the sea, my dumb child," said he, as_they stood on_the deck of_the noble ship which_was to carry them to_the country of_the neighboring king . and then he_told her of storm and of calm, of strange fishes in_the deep beneath them, and of what the divers had seen there; and she smiled at his descriptions, for she knew better than any_one what wonders were at_the bottom of_the sea .

in_the moonlight, when all on board were asleep, excepting the man at_the helm, who was steering, she sat on_the deck, gazing down through_the clear water . she thought she_could distinguish her father's castle, and upon it her aged grandmother, with_the silver crown on her head, looking through_the rushing tide at_the keel of_the vessel . then her sisters came up on_the waves, and gazed at her mournfully, wringing their white hands . she beckoned to_them, and smiled, and wanted to_tell them how happy and well off she was; but the cabin- boy approached, and when her sisters dived down he thought it_was only the foam of_the sea which he_saw .

the next morning the ship sailed into_the harbor of a beautiful town belonging to_the king whom the prince was going to visit . the church bells were ringing, and from_the high towers sounded a flourish of trumpets; and soldiers, with flying colors and glittering bayonets, lined the rocks through which they passed . every day was a festival; balls and entertainments followed one another .

but the princess had_not yet appeared . people said that she was being brought up and educated in a religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue . at last she came . then the little mermaid, who was very anxious to_see whether she was really beautiful, was obliged to acknowledge that she had never seen a more perfect vision of beauty . her skin was delicately fair, and beneath her long dark eye-lashes her laughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity .

" it_was you," said the prince, " who saved my life when I lay dead on_the beach," and he folded his blushing bride in_his arms ."Oh, I_am too happy," said he to_the little mermaid; " my fondest hopes are all fulfilled . you_will rejoice at my happiness; for your devotion to_me is great and sincere ."

the little mermaid kissed his hand, and felt as_if her heart were already broken . his wedding morning would bring death to her, and she_would change into_the foam of_the sea . all the church bells rung, and_the heralds rode about_the town proclaiming the betrothal . perfumed oil was burning in costly silver lamps on every altar . the priests waved the censers, while the bride and bridegroom joined their hands and received the blessing of_the bishop . the little mermaid, dressed in silk and gold, held up the bride's train; but her ears heard nothing of_the festive music, and her eyes saw not the holy ceremony; she thought of_the night of death which_was coming to her, and of all she had lost in_the_world . on_the same evening the bride and bridegroom went on board ship; cannons were roaring, flags waving, and in_the centre of_the ship a costly tent of purple and gold had_been erected . it contained elegant couches, for_the reception of_the bridal pair during the night . the ship, with swelling sails and a favorable wind, glided away smoothly and lightly over the calm sea . when it grew dark a number of colored lamps were lit, and_the sailors danced merrily on_the deck . the little mermaid could_not help thinking of her first rising out_of_the sea, when she had seen similar festivities and joys; and she joined in_the dance, poised herself in_the air as a swallow when he pursues his prey, and all present cheered her with wonder . she had never danced so elegantly before . her tender feet felt as_if cut with sharp knives, but she cared not for_it; a sharper pang had pierced through her heart . she knew this_was the last evening she should ever see the prince, for whom she had forsaken her kindred and her home; she had given up her beautiful voice, and suffered unheard- of pain daily for him, while he_knew nothing of it . this_was the last evening that she_would breathe the same air with_him, or gaze on_the starry sky and_the deep sea; an eternal night, without a thought or a dream, awaited her: she had no soul and now she_could never win one . all was joy and gayety on board ship till long after midnight; she laughed and danced with_the rest, while the thoughts of death were in her heart . the prince kissed his beautiful bride, while she played with_his raven hair, till they went arm- in- arm to rest in_the splendid tent . then all became still on board the ship; the helmsman, alone awake, stood at_the helm . the little mermaid leaned her white arms on_the edge of_the vessel, and looked towards the east for_the first blush of morning, for_that first ray of dawn that_would bring her death . she saw her sisters rising out_of_the flood: they were as pale as herself; but their long beautiful hair waved no more in_the wind, and had_been cut off .

" we_have given our hair to_the witch," said they, " to obtain help for_you, that you_may not die to- night . she has_given us a knife: here it_is, see it_is very sharp . before_the sun rises you_must plunge it into_the heart of_the prince; when_the warm blood falls upon your feet they_will grow together again, and form into a fish's tail, and you_will_be once more a mermaid, and return to_us to live out your three hundred years before_you die and change into_the salt sea foam . haste, then; he or you_must die before sunrise . our old grandmother moans so for_you, that her white hair is falling off from sorrow, as ours fell under the witch's scissors . kill the prince and come back; hasten: do_you not see the first red streaks in_the sky ? in_a_few_minutes the sun will rise, and you_must die ." and then they sighed deeply and mournfully, and sank down beneath the waves .

the little mermaid drew back the crimson curtain of_the tent, and beheld the fair bride with her head resting on_the prince's breast . she bent down and kissed his fair brow, then looked at_the sky on_which the rosy dawn grew brighter and brighter; then she glanced at_the sharp knife, and again fixed her eyes on_the prince, who whispered the name of_his bride in_his dreams . she was in_his thoughts, and_the knife trembled in_the hand of_the little mermaid: then she flung it far away from her into_the waves; the water turned red where it fell, and_the drops that spurted up looked like blood . she cast one more lingering, half-fainting glance at_the prince, and then threw herself from_the ship into_the sea, and thought her body was dissolving into foam . the sun rose above the waves, and_his warm rays fell on_the cold foam of_the little mermaid, who did_not feel as_if she were dying . she saw the bright sun, and all around her floated hundreds of transparent beautiful beings; she_could see through them the white sails of_the ship, and_the red clouds in_the sky; their speech was melodious, but too ethereal to_be heard by mortal ears, as_they were also unseen by mortal eyes . the little mermaid perceived that she had a body like theirs, and_that she continued to rise higher and higher out_of_the foam ." where am I ? " asked she, and her voice sounded ethereal, as_the voice of_those who were with her; no earthly music could imitate it .

" among_the daughters of_the air," answered one_of_them ."A mermaid has_not an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being . on_the power of another hangs her eternal destiny . but the daughters of_the air, although they_do_not possess an immortal soul, can, by their good deeds, procure one for themselves . we fly to warm countries, and cool the sultry air that destroys mankind with_the pestilence . we carry the perfume of_the flowers to spread health and restoration . after we_have striven for three hundred years to all the good in_our power, we receive an immortal soul and take part in_the happiness of mankind . you, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to_do as_we_are doing; you_have suffered and endured and raised yourself to_the spirit- world by your good deeds; and now, by striving for three hundred years in_the same way, you_may obtain an immortal soul ."

the little mermaid lifted her glorified eyes towards the sun, and felt them, for_the first time, filling with tears . on_the ship, in_which she had left the prince, there were life and noise; she saw him and_his beautiful bride searching for her; sorrowfully they gazed at_the pearly foam, as if_they knew she had thrown herself into_the waves . unseen she kissed the forehead of her bride, and fanned the prince, and then mounted with_the other children of_the air to a rosy cloud that floated through_the aether .

" after three hundred years, thus shall we float into_the kingdom of heaven," said she ." and we_may even get there sooner," whispered one of her companions ." unseen we_can enter the houses of men, where there_are children, and for every day on_which we_find a good child, who is_the joy of_his parents and deserves their love, our time of probation is shortened . the child does_not know, when we fly through_the room, that we smile with joy at his good conduct, for we_can count one year less of_our three hundred years . but when we see a naughty or a wicked child, we shed tears of sorrow, and for every tear a day is added to our time of trial ! "

the end

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]