"If human beings drowned," asked the little mermaid, "can they live forever ? do they never die do here sea ? "

"Yes," replied the old lady, " also die, and their term of life is even shorter than ours We sometimes live to three hundred years, but when we cease to exist here we only become the foam surface water, and even grave down here we love immortal souls, never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once cut off, never flourish more Human beings, contrary, have soul which lives forever, lives body turned to dust It rises up clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars rise water, and behold all the land earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which never see "

"Why we an immortal soul ? " asked the little mermaid mournfully; " give gladly all the hundreds of years that to live, human being only day, and the hope of knowing the happiness glorious world above the stars "

" not think ," said the old woman; " ourselves much happier and much better off than human beings "

"So die," said the little mermaid, "and foam sea driven about never again to hear the music waves, or the pretty flowers nor the red sun anything do to win an immortal soul ? "

"No," said the old woman, "unless man were to love you that you were more to him than his father or mother; and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you, priest placed his right hand in yours, and he promised true here and hereafter, then his soul would glide into your body and obtain share happiness of mankind give soul and retain his own ; but never happen Your fish's tail, which amongst us is considered so beautiful, is thought on earth quite ugly; know any better, and it necessary two stout props, which they call legs, handsome "

Then the little mermaid sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish's tail " be happy," said the old lady, "and dart and spring about during the three hundred years that to live, really quite long enough; rest ourselves all the better This evening going court ball "

one splendid sights which never see on earth The walls ceiling large ball-room were of thick, but transparent crystal May hundreds of colossal shells, some of deep red, others of grass green, stood on each side in rows, with blue fire , which lighted up the whole saloon, and shone walls, so sea was also illuminated Innumerable fishes, great and small, swam past the crystal walls; on the scales glowed with purple brilliancy, and on others they shone like silver and gold halls flowed broad stream, and danced the mermen mermaids music own sweet singing No one on earth has such lovely voice as theirs The little mermaid sang more sweetly than them all The whole court applauded her with hands and tails; and for moment her heart felt quite gay, for she knew she had the loveliest voice of any on earth or sea But she soon thought again world above her, for forget the charming prince, nor her sorrow that she an immortal soul like his; therefore she crept away silently out of her father's palace, and while everything within was gladness and song, she sat in her own little garden sorrowful and alone Then she heard the bugle sounding water, and thought- " certainly sailing above, he on whom my wishes depend, and in whose hands like the happiness life venture all for him, and to win an immortal soul, while my sisters are dancing in my father's palace, go sea witch, of whom always been afraid, but counsel and help "

And then the little mermaid went out from her garden, and took the road foaming whirlpools, behind which the sorceress lived She had never been that way before: neither flowers nor grass grew there; nothing but bare, gray, sandy ground stretched out whirlpool, where the water, like foaming mill-wheels, whirled round everything seized, and cast it fathomless deep midst crushing whirlpools the little mermaid was obliged , to reach the dominions sea witch; and also for long distance the only road lay right across quantity of warm, bubbling mire, called witch her turfmoor Beyond this stood her house, centre of strange forest, all the trees and flowers were polypi, half animals and half plants; they looked like serpents with hundred heads growing ground The branches were long slimy arms, with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb root top All that reached sea they seized upon, and held fast, so never escaped from their clutches The little mermaid was so alarmed at what she saw, that she stood still, and her heart beat with fear, and she was very nearly turning back; but she thought prince, and human soul she longed, and her courage returned She fastened her long flowing hair round her head, so polypi seize hold of it She laid her hands together across her bosom, and then she darted forward as fish shoots water, supple arms and fingers ugly polypi, which were stretched out on each side of her She saw that each held in its grasp something it had seized with its numerous little arms, as were iron bands The white skeletons of human beings who had perished at sea, and had sunk down deep waters, skeletons of land animals, oars, rudders, and chests of ships were lying tightly grasped by their clinging arms; even little mermaid, whom they had caught and strangled; and this seemed the most shocking of all little princess

She now came to space of marshy ground wood, where large, fat water-snakes were rolling mire, and showing their ugly, drab-colored bodies midst spot stood house, built bones of shipwrecked human beings There sat the sea witch, allowing toad to eat from her mouth, just as people sometimes feed canary with piece of sugar She called the ugly water-snakes her little chickens, and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom

" what ," said the sea witch; " very stupid of you, but your way, and bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess rid of your fish's tail, and two supports instead of it, like human beings on earth, so young prince may fall in love , an immortal soul " And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly, toad snakes fell ground, and lay there wriggling about " but just ," said the witch; "for after sunrise to-morrow I able to till the end of another year prepare draught , swim to land tomorrow before sunrise, and sit down shore and drink it Your tail will then disappear, and shrink up into what mankind calls legs, and feel great pain, sword were passing through you But all who see say that the prettiest little human being they ever saw still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly; but at every step you take feel as were treading upon sharp knives, and blood must flow bear all this, "

"Yes, ," said the little princess in trembling voice, as she thought prince immortal soul

"But think again," said the witch; "for when once your shape has become like human being, no more be mermaid never return water to your sisters, or to your father's palace again; and win the love prince, willing to forget his father and mother for your sake, and to love you whole soul, and allow the priest to join your hands that man and wife, then never have an immortal soul The first morning after he marries another your heart will break, and become foam crest waves "

" ," said the little mermaid, and she became pale as death

"But paid also," said the witch, "and trifle that I ask the sweetest voice of any who dwell here depths sea, and you believe that to charm the prince with it also, but this voice give ; the best thing you possess will price draught My own blood mixed with it, as sharp as two-edged sword "

"But take away my voice," said the little mermaid, " left ? "