The Little Mermaid: 84

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This is how black kids reacted tothe new Little Mermaid being black. Question.
This is a black girl, soshe has braves like us? Yes,

(00:30):
she's black like us. That's someserious black girl magic. All right.
Yes, Hi, this is Carla, and welcome back to their mighty
cupcakes and happy Autumn. I justfinished decorating my office. There's real pumpkins
and fake pumpkins everywhere, and Ieven have a skeleton hand holding a stuffed

(00:55):
cupcake on my desk. I'll takea picture of it for you and put
it on Instagram. I've been workingon the podcast behind the scenes, the
website, the sub stack that linksin the show notes, but research,
writing, and recording episodes takes somuch more energy, and my health has
been well fraught this past month.The fatigue has been especially bad. Nothing

(01:19):
is more disappointing and depressing than toplan to work on the podcast or to
do something else for myself, anythingelse, and then to take a five
hour nap and then to awake stillfeeling drugged. I hate sick, Precious.
I'm yell on an antibotic for cibo, which is when your digestive track

(01:42):
tries to help and makes too muchmore of the good bacteria than it's supposed
to autoimmune life, and then thingsgo of course awry. I am going
to spare you the details. Autoimmunefun in games always around here. I
never do well in antibotics, neverhave. They may feel woozy like I'm
drunk, which just adds to thefatigue. Ya, But I'm here.

(02:08):
I'm fighting through it because I lovethis podcast and I love y'all so much.
I have to give a shout outto the University of Virginia Pharmacy.
Y'all. This special intense antibiotic isdesigned to only target the digestive tract.
I don't know how that works,but science and it's taken three times a
day for fourteen days and therefore issuper expensive. It was over six hundred

(02:34):
dollars after insurance. It was overdouble that over the counter. But a
specialist at UVA Pharmacy spent weeks fightingfor me, and at the end of
several patient portal messages, financial forms, and phone calls, I was able
to receive the medication directly from themanufacturer for free. Thank you so much,

(02:59):
UVA. I will forever be grateful. I'll further update y'all on my
health on paid version of the substack, you know all the grey details
and the emotional stuff that's been goingon as well. And now, as
for the subjects of this episode,before I get started, I know this
episode is about a fairy tale andDisney movies, but you'll notice this marked

(03:21):
explicit. There's violence in the originalstory, and I also see variations of
the word penis several times talking aboutthe Disney history of the story. Yep,
penis Disney. That's why this episodeis marked explicit. If you have
a child that wants to listen tome read the fairy tale, I'll note

(03:43):
it's starting time at the top ofthe show notes, so you can skip
to it so that you can decidewho listens to the fairy tale. The
violence is implied and mainly involves aknife being passed around so that the prince
might be killed to save the littleMermaid. So there's frightening menace, so
you know, maybe listen to itfirst if you have really young ones.

(04:08):
Plus, the little Mermaid does diein the end spoiler alert, but she's
also happy and at peace and hunts. Christian Anderson considered this a happy ending.
She's still aware and she's deliberately makingpeople happy with her new existence.
So there's your parental content warning.If you've been online at all lately,

(04:30):
you've probably noticed the polarizing response tothe new live action version of The Little
Mermaid that's coming out next year,which is what gave me the idea for
this episode. Black and brown children, some of whom you've heard in my
intro, are celebrating seeing a Disneyprincess that looks like them. Their parents
are recording their joyous responses to thetrailer. Most of them are on TikTok

(04:53):
as Ariel emerges from the deep waterfor Hallie Bailey to reveal her lovely face
that like theirs, and it's mademe truly happy to watch. There are
only two woc Disney princesses to myknowledge, nineteen ninety five Pocahanas. As
problematic as her depiction was, Disneychanged her story, and that's just skimming

(05:15):
the surface. That's a whole otherepisode. I Guess and Tiana from two
thousand and nine, Delightful, ThePrincess and the Frog. The opposite response
has been well racist. The aerialis white period. A Mermaid is a
mythical creature, y'all, and thereforeit can be of any skin tone,

(05:38):
including blue. See the Avatar movies. Yes, I know the creatures in
Avatar aren't strictly Mermaids, but Ibelieve they were inspired by the idea.
So don't come for me, rememberyou love me, and that it's all
fiction, which is the point.This viewpoint is galvanized by the one true
aerial capital letters from the nineteen eightynine Disney movie and the theme parks.

(06:02):
Oddly, I haven't heard any noiseabout Aquafina being in the twenty twenty three
Little Mermaid adaptation, and she isactually problematic with her code switching and use
of aave African American vernacular English.But that further shows you the racist motivation

(06:23):
of the complainers. I think anyway, Twitter makes me tired, y'all.
Anyway, back to our fairy tale, because you know that's why we're here
in the end books. I thinkwe need to cut through the complaints and
read a book, don't I alwaysit solves everything. First, we need

(06:43):
to go back to the nineteen eightynine version of the movie and revisit its
scandals. Oh you don't remember,Yeah, the sexual scandals surround the aerial
have been obscured by the new racism. Yeah, I said sexual two words,
penile turret. Two more words,Priest direction. I want to say

(07:11):
that again, Priest Direction. I'min a mood. I had some apple
butter today. Now, doesn't afuss about a Grammy nominated singer making children
happy and a children's movie sound likea ridiculous kerfoffel. Now let me explain.
Both of these scandals are true,and I was there as a senior

(07:32):
in high school. Disney denies them, but I own the phallic VHS cover
in question. So let's address thatfirst one. The penile turret. Penile
turret. I said, I wasn'ta mood. The rumor was that Disney
artist, unhappy with either his payor his position, deliberately inserted a penis

(07:56):
into the castle artwork for the VHScover and the poster. That's not true,
according to Snopes. Although the middleturret slash spire of the castle looks
exactly like an anatomical penis on myVHS clamshell cover, it has veins and
a head, y'all, it's actuallya little off penning. It's funny,

(08:22):
but it's weird. The actual storyis better. The contracted artists stayed up
all night finishing the work on arush job, and the castle turrets as
he made one, two, three, four, five became more and more
penile. I have never said thisword more on this podcast, and I
never will again, probably as herushed to complete it. Apparently the centerpiece,

(08:48):
the big one in the middle,was the last one, and he
didn't notice, and no one elsedid until someone, oh boy, until
someone from his church youth group calledhim with a excuse. The pun a

(09:09):
head's up church was probably awkward thatnext week. I own this VHS Clamshaw
edition, as I said, andit's so in a tumul correct in person.
Like I said, it even looksbainy. So I don't know if
he was dreaming while awake, hehad a movie on in the background when

(09:30):
he was working, or what.I bet he didn't help with youth group
any longer. The link to theSnopes articles in the show notes and will
be on the website article for thisepisode is will The image. The image
is also the image for this episode. You're welcome. I'm so bad.

(09:52):
This is my attempt to show youhow stupid the kofluffle about a black because
penises all right? Now for thesecond penis, the priest's direction and the
first wedding scene in the nineteen eightynine version, the little diminutive priests He's
so cute appears to be supported.See how these penises got me tongue tied?

(10:18):
Sporting and erection. This is markedas legend on Snopes article, in
show notes and on the website.The bulge is apparently his knee from other
angles. I called Shenan against butwhatever. Disney was sued for this and
other supposedly subliminal messages in Disney movies. A conservative group in Stafford, Virginia

(10:41):
called the American Life League got peopleall frothed up over the supposed sex skywriting
and the Lion King not there,and these issues in A Little Mermaid,
which urged in Arkansas woman Janet Gilmerto sue the Wild Disney Company for presenting
sexual material to children. She droppedher suit months later. There's more information

(11:05):
on this than the Snopes article,which you can find in the show notes
and it'll be linked on the website. Nineteen eighty nine was weird, y'all,
So last time it was sex,This time is race. It's so
odd that this watered down version pununintended of this fairy tale has been so
inciting for especially Americans, it seems. I counted fourteen filmed versions of The

(11:28):
Little Mermaid, starting with the nineteensixty eight Russian version and including two straight
to video Disney sequels, The LittleMermaid Too Returned to the Sea, and
The Little Mermaid aerials beginning. Ihaven't seen them all, of course,
but I could tell by reading theirletterbox synopsis that even the horror adjacent ones
don't touch the horrific details of theoriginal fairy tale, written by Hans Christian

(11:50):
Anderson and originally published on April seventh, eighteen thirty seven in one of his
collections. In his version, inthe version The Little Mermaid, a princess
lives with her widowed father, theMr King, and her five older sisters.
Each girl has been born a yearapart. When they turn fifteen,
they are each allowed to visit thesurface of the sea once a year to

(12:13):
see well now the other half lives. When it's her turn, She's witnessed
to the handsome Prince's birthday on aship until a storm hits and then things
getting early. The pain of sharpneedles and knives is involved, as is
an actual knife. As I saidbefore I read the story, let's address
the mermaid in the room. What'sa mermaid? Mermaids are mythological human hybrids

(12:35):
that show up in folklore throughout variouscultures throughout history and time. They're half
fish and half women. There arealso mermaian merfolk or desire, described as
both ugly and beautiful. The standup comedian Eliza's lessinger there's a wonderful routine
about how mermaids have to be hideousbecause of the nature of physics, and

(12:56):
her concert unveiled of link to theYouTube of this routine in the show notes,
and I'll post it on the website. When he wrote The Little Mermaid,
Hans Christian Andersen was apparently inspired byUndine, written by Frederick de Lamot
Fouquet in eighteen eleven. It's aGerman fantasy novela describing a water spirit that
marries a knight in order to obtaina soul. If you're interested, Mary

(13:20):
Pope Osborne wrote a modern young adultversion of this story called Haunted Waters.
I've linked to that in the shownotes. Anderson turned this romance into a
moral family tale with a villain.Yes, there is a little moral at
the ends. A lot of fairytales of the times had Some even had
little encouraging couplets after the story ended, explaining what the child should have gleaned
from the tale. That's an entireother episode. In this case, the

(13:45):
moral's kind of sweet in my opinion, though it won't be for everyone because
it's religious in tone. It's notstrictly Christian, but it is spiritual.
So who was Hans Christian Anderson.He was born on April second, eighteen
oh five and what was Denmark,Norway, and became a writer of novels,
poems, travelogs and plays, andfairy tales, which became his legacy.

(14:07):
He wrote a hundred and fifty sixfairy tales saved in nine volumes,
and he's the source of stories thatare embedded into our culture, such as
the Red Shoes, the Snow Queen, the Emperor's Nuclothes, Thumbelina, and
the Ugly Duckling stories that have nowbecome sayings. He died in eighteen seventy
five at the age of seventy inDenmark. There is speculation that he was

(14:28):
the illegitimate son of Denmark's King Christianthe eighth. His encouragement came from three
places. His father, who hadlittle education, read The Arabian Nights to
Hans when he was young. Asa fellow actor at the Royal Danish Theater
told Hans he saw him as apoet, and Hans took this compliment seriously.
Then the director of the theater senthim to a private school, commencing

(14:50):
King Frederick the sixth to pay forthe tuition. There, Hans started writing
short stories. Hans' third booklet offairy tales, consisted of The Little Mermaid
and the Emperor's New Clothes, andwas published April seventh, eighteen thirty seven,
the week of his thirty second birthday. The Little Mermaid is the story
that garnered him international attention for hiswork. Charles Dickens was Hans' favorite writer,

(15:13):
and he was able to meet him. Due to this new popularity,
he was invited to many intellectual salonsthroughout Europe, and at one in June
eighteen forty seven, the two metand expressed their admiration for each other.
In the Victorian era, there wasa growing appreciation for the nature of childhood,
and an idealization of the innocence ofthat period of life, and both
authors appreciated that in each other's work. I had not heard this before,

(15:39):
but Hans was apparently bisexual according tohis personal journals. He also, however,
was celibate. Several sources disagree aboutwhether he remained celibate throughout his life.
He did have a relationship, apassionate one with Carl Alexander, a
Danish duke. To quote Hans's diary, the hereditary grand Duke walked arm and

(16:00):
arm with me across the courtyard ofthe castle to my room, kissed me
lovingly, asked me always to lovehim though he was just an ordinary person,
asked me to stay with him thiswinter. Fell asleep with a melancholy
happy feeling that I was the guestof this strange prince at his castle and
loved by him. It is likea fairytale. He also had a relationship
with dancer Harold Scharf, who inspiredthe fairy tale The Snowman. This relationship

(16:23):
was quite public and bothered people asinappropriate. Although the Hans Christian Anderson Society
denies that he had homosexual relationships,the evidence seems clear in his diary,
and Sharf gave him intimate gifts forbirthdays and holidays, such as the silver
toothbrush. Hans should be recognized asan important LGBTQ icon in the arts.

(16:45):
One of Hans's female loves was thefamous opera singer Jenny Lynde, but unfortunately
it was unrequited. He wrote TheNightingale about her before he proposed, and
The Snow Queen about her after sheexpressed she saw him as a brother ouch.

(17:06):
All of his relationships were hyper dramatic, at least on Hans's side,
very reality TV style, very soapopera, very histrionic. He was always
fully invested, maybe overly invested.His feelings seemed over the top, and
he seemed to me to pursue theunattainable so he could swoon and journal and

(17:26):
pine away. As Evan mentioned,he not only journaled, he poured these
feelings into his fiction as well.He wrote Jenny Lynde as the Heartless Snow
Queen. Hans's birthday, April second, is celebrated his International Children's Book Day.
There is a statue honoring Hans andthe Little Mermaid at the Langelini.

(17:48):
I apologize of unpronouncing that incorrectly walkin Copenhagen, Denmark. The Mermaid purchased
on a rock. She's one pointtwo five meters four point one feet tall
and one hundred and seventy five kilosthree hundred and eighty five pounds. So
now let us visit the mermaid herself. She's unnamed in the original tale.
Interestingly, Ariel in the Bible.You know how I love both names and

(18:11):
symbolism means light of God or lionof God. Given the original engine of
the story, as you shall seecall back by Disney to her bravery maybe
or to her light, you'll seeit's also used as a symbolic name for
Jerusalem, according to Easton's Bible Dictionary. So home, I love this stuff.

(18:33):
I'll see you soon with an updateon episode twenty one, nine days
and two car seats because Susan Smithhas been busy, and the next House
of Leaves episode to we go deeperinto the five and a half minute hallway
and next time I talk to you. I'm so excited the cover from a
Monster's Anthology and the table of contentswill be available. I'm so excited for

(18:56):
my story. Holly Jolly Christmas tobe published. I'll know a volume it's
in one or two, and whichauthors I'll be honored to be published with.
I'm beyond excited. Remember I loveyou, and don't give up your
identity for love or anything else.You're too valuable just as you are.
I'll see you, guys in thetheater next year to see the Little Mermaid.

(19:18):
Let's go, as they say,under the sea, far out into
the ocean, where the water isas blue as the prettiest corn flower,
and as clear as crystal. Itis very very deep, so deep indeed,
that no cable could sound it,and many church steeples piled one upon
another would not reach from the groundbeneath to the surface of the water.

(19:41):
Above there dwell the sea king andhis subjects. We must not imagine that
there is nothing at the bottom ofthe sea but bay yellow sand. No
indeed, for on this sand growthe strangest flowers and plants, the leaves
and stems of which are so pliantthat the slightest agitation of the water causes
them to stir as if they havelife. Fishes, both large and small,

(20:07):
glide between the branches, as birdsfly among the trees. Here on
land. In the deepest spot ofall stands the Castle of the Sea King.
Its walls are built of coral,and the long gothic windows are of
the clearest amber. The roof isformed of shells that open and close as
the water flows over them. Theirappearance is very beautiful, for in each

(20:30):
lies a glittering pearl, which wouldbe fit for the diadem of a queen.
The Sea King had been a widowerfor many years, and his aged
mother kept house for him. Shewas a very sensible woman, but exceedingly
proud of her high birth, andon that account were twelve oysters on her
tail, while others of high rankwere only allowed to wear six. She

(20:52):
was, however, deserving a verygreat praise, especially of her care of
the little sea princesses, her sixgranddaughters. They were beautiful children, but
the youngest was the prettiest of themall. Her skin was as clear and
delicate as a rose leaf, andher eyes as blue as the deepest sea.
But like all the others, shehad no feet, and her body

(21:14):
entered in a fish's tail. Allday long, they played in the great
halls of the castle, or amongthe living flowers that grew out of the
walls. The large amber windows wereopen, and the fish swam in,
just as the swallows fly into ourhouses. When we opened the windows.
Only the fishes swam up to theprincesses, ate out of their hands,
and allowed themselves to be stroked.Outside the castle, there was a beautiful

(21:37):
garden in which grew bright red anddark blue flowers and blossoms like flames of
fire. The fruit glittered like gold, and the leaves and stems waved to
and fro continually. The earth itselfwas the finest sand, but blue as
the flame of burning sulfur. Overeverything lay a peculiar blue radiance, as

(21:57):
if the blue sky were every whereabove and below, instead of the dark
depths of the sea. In calmweather, the sun could be seen looking
like a reddish purple flower, withlight streaming from the calyx. Each of
the young princesses had a little plotof ground in the garden, where she
might dig and plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower bed in the

(22:18):
form of a whale. Another preferredto make hers like the figure of a
little mermaid, while the youngest childmade hers round like the sun, and
in it grew flowers as red ashis rays at sunset. She was a
strange child, quiet and thoughtful.While her sisters showed delight at the wonderful
things which they obtained from the wrecksof vessels, she cared only for her

(22:40):
pretty flowers, red like the sun, and a beautiful marble statue. It
was a representation of a handsome boy, carved out of pure white stone which
had fallen to the bottom of thesea from the wreck. She planted by
the statue a rose colored weeping willow. It grew rapidly and soon hung its
fresh branches over the statue, almostdown to the blue sands. The shadows

(23:03):
had the color of violet, andwaved to and fro like the branches,
so that it seemed that the crownof the tree and the root were at
play, trying to kiss each other. Nothing gave her so much pleasure as
to hear about the world above thesea. She made her old grandmother tell
her all she knew of the shipsand the towns, the people, and
the animals. To her, itseemed most wonderful and beautiful to hear that

(23:25):
the flowers the land had fragrance,while those below the sea had none.
That the trees of the forest weregreen, and that the fishes among the
trees could sing so sweetly that itwas a pleasure to hear them. Her
grandmother called the birds fishes, orthe little mermaid would not have understood what
was meant, because she had neverseen birds. When you have reached her

(23:45):
fifteenth year, said the grandmother,you will have permission to rise up out
of the sea and sit on therocks in the moonlight while the great ships
go sailing. By. Then youwill see both forests and towns. In
the following year, the sisters wouldbe fifteen, but as each was a
year younger than the other, theyoungest would have to wait five years before

(24:06):
her turn came to rise up fromthe bottom of the ocean to see the
earth as we do. However,each promised to tell the others what she
saw in her first visit and whatshe thought was most beautiful. Their grandmother
could not tell them enough. Therewere so many things about which they wanted
to know. None of them longedso much for her turn to come.

(24:26):
As the youngest, she who hadthe longest time to wait, and who
was so quiet and thoughtful. Manynights she stood by the open window,
looking up through the dark blue water, and watching the fish as they splashed
about with their fins and tails.She could see the moon and stars shining
faintly, but through the water theylooked larger than they do to our eyes.

(24:47):
When something like a black cloud passedbetween her and them, she knew
that it was either a whale swimmingover her head or a shipful of human
beings who never imagined that a prettylittle mermaid was standing beneath them, holding
out her white hands towards the keelof their ship at length. The eldest
was fifteen and allowed to rise tothe surface of the ocean. When she

(25:11):
returned, she had hundreds of thingsto talk about, But the finest thing,
she said, was to lie ona sandbank in the quiet, moonlit
sea, near the shore, gazingat the lights of the nearby town that
twinkled like hundreds of stars, andlistening to the sounds of music, the
noise of carriages, the voices ofhuman beings, and the merry pealing of
the bells and the church steeples.Because she could not go near all these

(25:34):
wonderful things, she longed for themall the more, oh how eagerly did
the youngest sister listen to all thesedescriptions, And afterwards, when she stood
the up a window, looking upthrough the dark blue water, she thought
of the great city with all itsbustle and noise, and even fancied she
could hear the sound of the churchbells down in the depths of the sea.

(25:56):
In another year, the second sisterreceived permission to rise to the surface,
to the water, and to swimabout where she pleased. She rose
just as the sun was setting,and this, she said, was the
most beautiful sight of all. Thewhole sky looked like gold and violet and
rose colored clouds which she could notdescribe, drifted across it, and more

(26:17):
swiftly than the clouds, flew alarge flock of wild swans or to the
setting sun, like a long whitevale across the sea. She also swam
towards the sun, but it sankinto the waves, and the rosy tints
faded from the clouds and from thesea. The third sister's turn followed,
and she was the boldest of themall, for she swim up a broad

(26:38):
river that emptied into the sea.On the bank she saw green hills covered
with beautiful vines, and palaces andcastles peeping out from amid the proud trees
of the forest. She heard birdssinging, and felt the race of the
sun so strongly that she was obligedoften to dive under the water to cool
her burning face. In a narrowcreek, she found a large group of

(27:00):
little human children, almost naked,sporting about in the water. She wanted
to play with them, but theyfled in a great fright. And then
a little black animal, it wasa dog, but she did not know
it, for she'd never seen onebefore, came to the water and barked
at her so furiously that she becamefrightened and rushed back to the open sea.
But she said she should never forgetthe beautiful forest, the green hills,

(27:23):
and the pretty children who could swimin the water, all that they
had no tails. The fourth sisterwas more timid. She remained in the
midst of the sea, but saidit was quite as beautiful there as nearer
the land. She could see manymiles around her, and the sky above
looked like a bell of glass.She had seen the ships, but at

(27:44):
such a great distance they looked likeseagulls. The dolphins sported in the waves,
and the great whales spouted water fromtheir nostrils till it seemed as if
a hundred fountains were playing in everydirection. The fifth Sister's birthday occurred in
the winter, so when her turncame, she saw what the others had
not seen the first time they wentup. The sea looked quite green,

(28:04):
and large icebergs were floating about,each like a pearl, she said,
but larger and loftier than the churchesbuilt by men. But larger and loftier
than the churches built by men.They were of the most singular shapes and
glittered like diamonds. She had seatedherself on one of the largest and let
the wind play with her long hair. She noticed that all the ships sailed

(28:26):
past very rapidly, steering far awayas they could, as if they were
afraid of the iceberg. Towards evening, as the sun went down, dark
clouds covered the sky. The thunderrolled, and the flashes of lightning glowed
red on the icebergs as they weretossed about by the heaving sea. On
all the ships, the sails werereefed with fear and trembling. While she

(28:48):
sat on the floating iceberg, calmlywatching the lightning as it darted its forked
flashes into the sea. Each ofthe sisters, when first she had permission
to rise to the surface, wasdelighted with the new and beautiful sights.
Now that they were grown up girlsand could go where they pleased, they
had become quite indifferent about it.They soon wished themselves back again, and

(29:11):
after a month had passed, theysaid it was much more beautiful down below,
and pleasanter to be at home.Yet often in the evening hours,
the five sisters would twine their armsaround each other and rise to the surface
together. Their voices were more charmingthan that of any human being, and
before the approach of a storm,when they feared that a ship might be
lost, they swam before the vessel, singing enchanting songs of the delights to

(29:36):
be found in the depths of thesea, and begging the voyagers not to
fear if they sank to the bottom. But the sailors could not understand the
song and thought it was the sighingof the storm. These things were never
beautiful to them, for if theship sank, the men were drowned,
and their dead bodies alone reached thepalace of the sea King. When the

(29:56):
sisters rose arm in arm through thewater, their younger sister would stand quite
alone looking after them, ready tocry. Only, since mermaids have no
tears, she suffered more acutely.Oh were I but fifteen years old,
said she. I know that Ishould love the world up there and all

(30:18):
the people who live in it.At last she reached her fifteenth year.
Well, now you are grown up, said the old dowager her grandmother.
Come and let me adorn you likeyour sisters, And she placed in her
hair a wreath of white lilies,of which every flower leaf was half a
pearl. Then the old lady orderedeight great oysters to attach themselves to the

(30:40):
table of the princess, to showher high rank. But they hurt me,
so said the little mermaid. Yes, I know, pride must suffer
pain, replied the old lady.Oh how gladly she would have shaken off
all this grandeur and laid aside theheavy wreath. The red flowers in her
own garden would have suited her muchbetter, But she could not change herself.

(31:00):
So she said farewell, and roseas lightly as a bubble to the
surface. Of the water. Thesun had just set when she raised her
head above the waves. The cloudswere tinted with crimson and gold, and
through the glimmering twilight beamed the eveningStar in all its beauty. The sea
was calm, and the air mildand fresh. A large ship with three

(31:21):
masts lay becalmed on the water.Only one sail was set for not a
brief stirred, and the sailor satidle on deck or a mixed the rigging.
There was music and song on board, and as darkness came on,
a hundred colored lanterns were lighted,as if the flags of all nations waved
in the air. The little mermaidswam close to the cabin windows, and

(31:41):
now and then, as the waveslifted her up, she could look in
through glass window panes and see anumber of gaily dressed people among them,
and the most beautiful of all wasa young prince with large black eyes.
He was sixteen years of age,and his birthday was being celebrated with great
display. The sailors were dancing ondeck, and when the prince came out

(32:02):
of the cabin, more than ahundred rockets rose in the air, making
it bright as day. The littlemermaid was so startled that she dived under
water. When she again stretched outher head, it looked as all the
stars of heaven were falling around her. She'd never seen such fireworks before.
Great sun spurted fire about, Splendidfireflies flew into the blue air, and

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everything was reflected in the clear,calm sea beneath. The ship itself was
so brightly illuminated that all the peopleand even the smallest rope could be distinctly
seen. How handsome the young princelooked as he pressed the hands of all
his guests and smiled at them whilethe music resounded to the clear night air.
It was very late, yet thelittle mermaid could not take her eyes

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from the ship or from the beautifulprince. The colored lanterns had been extinguished,
no more rockets rose in the air, and the cannon had ceased firing.
But the sea became restless, anda moaning, grumbling sound could be
heard beneath the waves. Still,the little mermaid remained by the cabin window,
rocking up and down on the waterso she could look within. After

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a while, the sails were quicklyset and the ship went on her way,
but soon the waves rose higher,heavy clouds dark in the sky,
and lightning appeared in the distance.A dreadful storm was approaching. Once more,
the sails were furled, and thegreat ship pursued her flying course over
the raging sea. The waves rosemountain high, as if they would overtop

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the mast, but the ship divedlike a swan beneath them, and then
rose again on the lofty, foamingcrests. To the little Mermaid this was
pleasant sport, but not so tothe sailors. At length, the ship
groaned and creaked. The thick planksgave way under the lashing of the sea.
As the waves broke over the deck, the main mast snapped asunder like

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a reed, and as the shiplay a verner's side, the water rushed
in. A little Mermaid now perceivedthat the crew was in danger, even
obliged to be careful to avoid thebeams and planks of the wreck, which
lay scattered on the water. Atone moment it was pitch dark, so
she could not see a single object, but when a flash of lightning came,
it revealed the whole scene. Shecould see everyone who had been on

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board, except the prince. Whenthe ship parted, she had seen him
sink into the deep waves, andshe was glad, for she thought he
would now be with her. Thenshe remembered that human beings could not live
in the water, so when hegot down to her father's palace he would
certainly be quite dead. No,he must not die. So she swam
out among the beams and planks wasstrewed the surface of the sea, forgetting

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that they would crush her to pieces. Diving deep under the dark waters,
rising and falling with the waves,she at length the managed to reach the
young prince, who was fast losingthe power to swim in that stormy sea.
His limbs were failing him. Hisbeautiful eyes were closed, and he
would have died had not the littlemermaid come to his assistance. She held
his head above the water and letthe waves carry them where they would.

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In morning, the storm had ceased, but of the ship not a single
fragment could be seen. The suncame up, red and shining out of
the water, and its beams broughtback the hue of health to the prince's
cheeks, but his eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his high, smooth
forehead and stroked back his wet hair. He seemed to her like the marble
statue in her little garden, soshe kissed him again and wished that he

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might live. Presently, they camein sight of land, and she saw
lofty blue mountains on which the whitesnow rested, as if a flock of
swans were lying upon them. Beautifulgreen forests were near the shore, and
close by stood a large building.Whether a church or convent, she could
not tell. Orange and citron treesgrew in the garden, and before the

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door stred lofty palms. The seahere formed a little bay, in which
the water light quiet and still,but very deep. She swam with the
handsome print to the beach, whichwas covered with fine white sand, and
there she laid him in the warmsunshine, taking care to raise his head
higher than his body. The bellssounded in a large white building, and
some young girls came into the garden. The little mermaid swam out farther from

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the shore and hid herself among somehigh rocks that rose out of the water,
covering her head and neck with thefoam of the sea. She watched
there to see what would become ofthe poor prince. It was not long
before she saw a young girl approachthe spot where the prince lay. She
seemed frightened at first, but onlyfor a moment. Then she brought a
number of people, and the mermaidsaw the prince came to life again and

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smiled upon those who stood about him. But to her he sent no smile.
He knew not that she had savedhim. This made her very sorrowful,
and when he was led away intothe great building, she dived down
into the water and returned to herfather's castle. She had always been silent
and thoughtful, and now she wasmore so than ever. Her sisters asked

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her what she had seen during herfirst visit to the surface of the water,
but she could tell them nothing.Many an evening and morning did she
rise to the place where she hadleft the prince. Saw the fruits in
the garden ripen and watched them gathered. She saw the snow on the mountaintops
melt away, but never did shesee the prince, And therefore she always
returned home more sorrowful than ever.It was her only comfort to sit in

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her own little garden and fling herarm around the beautiful marble statue, which
was like the prince. She gaveup tending her flowers, and they grew
in wild confusion over the paths,twining their long leaves and stems around the
branches of the trees, so thatthe whole place became dark and gloomy.
At length, she could bear itno longer, and told one of her
sisters about it. Then the othersheard the secret, and very soon it

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became known to several mermaids, ofwhom had an intimate friend who happened to
know about the prince. She hadalso seen the festival onboard ship, and
she told them where the prince camefrom and where his palace stood. Come,
little sister, said the other princesses. Then they entwined their arms,
and rose together to the surface ofthe water, near the spot where they

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knew the princess palace stood. Itwas built of bright yellow shining stone,
and had long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to
the sea. Splendid gilded coppolas roseover the roof, and between the pillars
that surrounded the whole building stood lifelikestatues of marble through the clear crystal of
the lofty windows could be seen,noble rooms with costly silk curtains and hangings

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of tapestry, and walls covered withbeautiful paintings. In the center of the
largest salon, a fountain threw itssparkling jets high up into the glass coppola
of the ceiling, through which thesun shone in upon the water and upon
the beautiful plants that grew in thebasin of the fountain. Now this little
mermaid knew where the prince lived.She spent many an evening and many a
night on the water near the palace. She would swim much nearer the shore

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than any of the others had ventured, And once she went up the narrow
channel under the marble balcony, whichthrew a broad shadow on the water.
Here she sat and watched the youngprince, who thought himself alone in the
bright moonlight. She often saw himevening sail in a beautiful boat, on
which music sounded and flags waved.She peeped out from among the green rushes,

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and if the wind caught her longsilvery white veil, those who saw
it believed it to be a swanspreading on its wings. Many a night
too, when the fishermen set theirnets. By the light of their torches.
She heard them relate many good thingsabout the young prince, and this
made her glad that she saved hislife when he was tossed about, half
dead on the waves. She rememberedhow his head had rested on her bosom,

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and how heartily she'd kissed him.But he knew nothing of all this,
and could not even dream of her. She grew more and more to
like human beings, and wished moreand more to be able to wander about
with those whose world seemed to beso much larger than her own. They
could fly over the sea and ships, and mount the high hills which were
far above the clouds, and thelands they possessed, Their woods and their

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fields stretched far away beyond the reachof her sight. There was so much
she wished to know, but hersisters were unable to answer her questions.
She then went to her old grandmother, who knew about the upper world,
which she rightly called the lands abovethe sea. If human beings are not
drowned, asked the little mermaid,can they live forever? Do they never

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die as we do here in thesea. Yes, replied the old lady,
they must also die, and theirterm of life is even shorter than
ours. We sometimes live for threehundred years, but when we cease to
exist here, we become only foamon the surface of the water, and
have not even a grave among thosewe love. We have not immortal souls.
We shall never live again, likethe green seaweed, when once it

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has been cut off, we cannever flourish more. Human beings, on
the contrary, have souls which liveforever, even after the body is turned
to dust. They rise up throughthe clear, pure air, beyond the
glittering stars. As we rise outof the water and behold all the land
of the earth. So do theyrise to unknown and glorious regions which we
shall never see. Why have wenot in more souls, asked the little

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mermaid mournfully. I would gladly giveup hundreds of years that I have to
live to be a human being onlyfor one day and have the hope of
knowing the happiness of that glorious worldbeyond the stars. You must not think
that, said the old woman.We believe that we are much happier and
much better off than human beings.So I shall die, said the little

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mermaid, and as the foam ofthe sea, I shall be driven about,
never again to either the music ofthe waves or see the pretty flowers
the red sun. Is there anythingI can do to win an immortal soul?
No, said the old woman,unless a man shall love you so
much that you were more to himthan his father or his mother. And
if all of his thoughts and allof his love was fixed upon you,

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and the priest placed his right handin yours, and he promised to be
true to you, would here andhereafter that his soul would gliden to your
body, and you would obtain ashare in the future happiness of mankind.
He would give to you a souland retain his own as well. But
this can never happen. Your fish'stail, which unus's considered so beautiful on
earth, is thought to be quiteugly. They do not know any better,

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and they think it necessary in orderto be handsome to have two stout
props, which they call legs.Then a little mermaid's sighed and looked sorrowfully
at her fish's tail. Let usbe happy, said the old lady,
and dart and spring about during thesethree hundred years that we have to live,
which is really quite long enough.After that we can rest ourselves all
the better. This evening, we'regoing to have a court ball. It

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was one of those splendid sights whichwe can never see on earth. The
walls and the ceilings of the largeballroom were of thick but transparent crystal.
Many hundreds of colossal shells, someof a deep red, others of a
grass green with blue fire in them, stood on rows on each side.
These lighted up the whole salon,and shone through the walls that the sea

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was also illuminated. Innumerable fishes,great and small, swam past the crystal
walls. On some of them thescales glowed with a purple brilliance, and
on others like silver and gold.Through the halls flowed a broad stream,
and in it danced the mermaid andthe mermaids to the music of their own
sweet singing. No one on earthhas such lovely voices as day, but
the little mermaids sang more sweetly thanall. The whole court applauded her with

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hands and tales, and for amoment her heart felt quite gay, for
she knew she had the sweetest voiceon earth or in the sea. But
soon she thought again of the worldabove her. She could not forget the
charming prince, nor her sorrow thatshe had not an immortal soul like his.
She crept away silently out of herfather's palace, and while everything within
was gladness and song, she satin her own little garden, sorrowful and

(43:40):
alone. Then she heard the buglesounding through the water, and thought,
he is certainly sailing above, heand whom my wishes sent her, and
in whose hands I should like toplace the happiness of my life. I
will venture all for him and towin an immortal soul. While my sisters
are dancing at my father's palace,I will go to the sea of whom

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I have always been so much afraid. She can give me counsel and help.
Then the little mermaid went out fromher garden and took the road to
the foaming whirlpools behind which the sorceresslived. She had never been that way
before. Neither flowers nor grass grewthere, nothing but bare, gray sandy

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ground stretched out to the whirlpool,where the water, like foaming mill wheels,
ceased to everything that came within itsreach and cast it into the fathomless
deep through the midst of these crushingwhirlpools, the little mermaid was obliged to
pass before she could reach the dominionsof the Sea Witch. Then, for
a long distance the road lay acrossthe stretch of warm, bubbling mire,

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called by the Witch her turf Moor. Beyond this was the Witch's house,
which stood in the center of astrange forest, where all the trees and
flowers were poll pie, half animalsand half plants. They looked like serpents,
with a hundred heads growing out ofthe ground. The branches were long,
slimy arms with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb from the

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root to the top. All thatcould be reached in the sea they seized
upon and held fast, so thatnever escaped from their clutches. The little
Mermaid was so alarmed at what shesaw that she stood still, and her
heart beat with fear. She camevery near turning back, but she thought

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of the Prince and of the humansoul for which she longed, and her
courage returned. She fastened her longflowing hair around her head so that the
polypie would not lay hold of it. She crossed her hands on her bosom,
and then darted forward as a fishshoots through the water. Between the
supple arms and fingers of the uglypollypie, which were stretched out on either
side of her, she saw theyall held in their grass something they had

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seized with their numerous little arms,which were strong as iron bands. Tightly
grassed in their cleaning arms were whiteskin eletons of human beings who had perished
at sea and sunk down in thedeep waters. Skeletons of land animals and
oars, rudders and chests of ships. There were even a little mermaid who

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they had caught and strangled, andthis seemed the most shocking of all to
the little princess. She now cameto a space of marshy ground in the
wood, where large fat water snakeswere rolling in the mire and showing their
ugly, drab colored bodies. Inthe midst of the spot stood a house
built of the bones of ship directhuman beings. There set the sea witch,

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allowing a toad to eat from hermouth, just as people sometimes feed
a canary with pieces of sugar.She called the ugly water snakes her little
chickens, and allowed them to crawlall over her. I know where you
want, said the sea witch.It's very stupid of you, but you
shall have your way, though itwill bring you to sorrow. My pretty

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princess. You want to get readyyour fish's tail, and to have two
supports instead, like human beings onearth, so that the young prince may
fall in love with you, andso that you ain't have a mortal soul.
And then the witch laughed so loudand so disgustingly, that the toad
and the snakes fell to the groundand lay they're wriggling. You are,
but just in time, said thewitch, for after sunrise tomorrow I should

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not be able to help you untilthe end of another year. Our repair
dropped for you, which which youmust swim to land tomorrow before sunrise,
seat yourself there and drink it.Your tail will then disappear and shrink up
into what men call legs. Youwill feel great pain, as if a
sword was passing through you, butall who see you will say you're the
prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating

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gracefulness of movement, and no dancerwill have a tread so lightly every step
you take, However, will beas if you were treading on sharp knives,
and as if the blood must flow. If you can bear all this,
I'll help you, Yes, Iwill, said the little princess in
a trembling voice, as she thoughtof the prince and the immortal soul.

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But think again, said the witch, For when once your shape has become
like a human being, you canno longer be a mermaid. You will
never return through the water to yoursisters or to your father's palace again.
And if you do not win thelove of the prince, so he is
willing to forget his father and motherfor your sake, and to love you
with his whole soul, and allowthe priest to join your hands so that

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you may be man and wife.Then you will never have an immortal soul.
The first morning after he marries another, your heart will break, and
you will be foam on the crestof the waves. I will do it,
said the little mermaid, and shebecame as pale as death. But
I must be paid, also saidthe witch. And it's not a trifle

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that I ask. You have thesweetest voice of any who dwell here in
the depths of the sea, andyou believe that you will be able to
charm the prince with it. Butthis voice, you must give it to
me. The best thing you possess, will I have is the price of
my cost costly drop, which mustbe mixed with my own blood, so
would be sharp as a two edgedsword. But if you take away my

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voice, it will be left ofme your beautiful form, your graceful walk,
and your expressive eyes. Surely withthese you could enchant a man's heart.
Well, if you lost your courage, put out your little tongue so
I can cut it off to mypayment. Then she'll have the powerful drop,
it shall be, said the littlemermaid. Then the witch placed her

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cauldron on the fire to prepare themagic drop. Cleantliness is a good thing,
said she, scouring the vessel withsnakes, which she had tied together
in a large knot. Then shepricked herself in the breast and let the
black blood drop into the cauldron.The steam that rose twisted itself into such
horrible shapes that no one could lookat them without fear. Every moment the
witch though a new ingredient in thevessel, and when it began to boil,

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the sound was like the weeping acrocodile. When at last the magic
drop was ready, it looked likethe clearest water. There it is for
you, said the witch. Thenshe cut off the mermaid's tongue so that
she would never again speak or sing. If the polypie should seize you as
you return to the wood, throwover them a few drops of the potion,

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and their fingers will be torn intoa thousand pieces. But the little
mermaid had no occasion to do this. But the pollypie sprang back in terror
when they caught sight of the glitteringdrop, which shone in her hand like
a twinkling star. So she passedquickly through the wood in the marsh,
and between the rushing whirlpools, shesaw the her father's palace. The torches
in the ballroom were extinguished, andthat all was in were asleep. But

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she did not venture to go intothem, for now that she was dumb
and going to leave them forever,she felt as if her heart would break.
She stole into the garden, tooka flower from the flower bed of
each of her sisters, kissed herhand towards the palace a thousand times,
and then rose up through the darkblue waters. The sun had not risen
when when she came into sight ofthe prince's palace and approached the beautiful marble

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steps, But the man shone clearand bright. Then the mermaid drank,
the magic dropt, and it seemedas if a two edged sword went through
her delicate body. She fell intoa swoon and lay like one dead.
When the sun rose and shone overthe sea, she recovered and felt a
sharp pain. But before her stoodthe handsome young prince. He fixed his

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cold black eyes upon her so earnestlythat she cast down her own and then
became aware that her fish's tail wasgone, and she had as pretty a
pair of white legs and tiny feetas any little maiden could have. But
she had no clothes, so shewrapped herself in her long, thick hair.
The prince asked her who she was, and when she came, she

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looked at him mildly and sorrowfully withher deep blue eyes, but could not
speak. He took her by thehand and led her to the palace.
Every step she took was as ifthe witch said it would be. She
felt as if she was treading onthe points of needles or sharp knives.
She bore it willingly, however,and moved at the Prince's side as lightly
as a bubble, so that heand all who saw her wondered at her

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graceful, swaying movements. She wasvery soon arrayed in costly robes of silk
and muslin, and was the mostbeautiful creature in the palace. But she
was dumb and could neither speak norsing. Beautiful's female servants, dressed in
silk and gold, stepped forward andsang before the Prince and his royal parents.
One sang better than all the others, and the Prince clapped his hands

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and smiled at her. This wasa great sorrow to the little Mermaid,
because she knew how much more sweetlerself once could sing, And she thought,
oh, if he only knew thatI've given away my voice for ever
to be with him. The servant'snext performed some pretty fairylike dances to the
sound of beautiful music. Then thelittle Mermaid raised her lovely white arms,
stood on the tips of her toes, glided over the floor, and danced

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as no one yet has ever beenable to dance. At each moment,
her beauty was more revealed, andher expressive eyes appealed more directly to the
heart than the songs of the servants. Everyone was enchanted, especially the prince,
who called her his little family.She danced again, quite readily to
please him, though each time herfoot touched the floor it seemed as if
she trod on sharp knives. ThePrince said she should remain with him always,

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and she was given permission to sleepat his door on a velvet cushion.
He had a page's dress made forit that she might accompany him on
horseback. They rode together through thesweet scented woods, with the green boughs
touched their shoulders, and the littlebirds sang among the French fresh leaves.
She climbed with him to the topsof high mountains, and although her tender
feet bled so that even her stepswere marked, she only smiled and followed

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him until they could see the cloudsbeneath them, like a flock of birds
flying to distant lands. While atthe palace, and when all the household
was asleep, she would go andsit on the broad marble steps for at
easter, her burning feet to bathethem in the whole sea water. It
was then that she thought of allthose below in the deep. Once during
the night, her sisters came up, arm in arm, singing sorrowfully.

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As they floated on the water.She beckoned to them, and they recognized
her and told her how she hadgrieved them. After that, they came
to the same place every night.Once she saw the distance her old grandmother,
who had not been to the surfaceof the sea for many years,
and the old sea king, herfather, with his crown on his head,
they stretched out their hands towards her, but did not venture so near

(54:29):
the land as her sisters had.As the days passed, she loved the
prince more dearly, and he lovedher as one would love a little child.
The thought never came to him tomake her his wife. Yet unless
he married her, she could notreceive an immortal soul, and on the
morning after his marriage with another,she would dissolve into the foam of the

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sea. Do you not love methe best of them all? The eyes
of the little mermaid seemed to say. When he took her in his arms
and kissed her fair forehead. Youare dear me, said the prince,
for you have the best heart,and you are the most devoted to me.
You are like a young maiden whomI once saw, but whom I
shall never meet again. I wasin a ship that was wrecked, and

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the waves cast me ashore near aholy temple, where several young maidens performed
the service. The youngest of themfound me on the shore and saved my
life. I saw her but twice, and she's the only one in the
world whom I could love. Butyou are like her, and you have
almost driven her image from my mind. She belongs to the Holy Temple,
and good fortune has sent you tome in her stead. We will never

(55:32):
part. Ah, he knows notthat it was I who saved his life,
thought the little mermaid. I carriedhim over the sea to the wood
where the temple stands. I satbeneath the foam and watched till the human
beings came to help him. Isaw the pretty maiden. He loves better
than he loves me. The mermaidsighed deeply, but she could not weep.

(55:52):
He says. The maiden belongs tothe Holy Temple. Therefore she will
never return to the world. Theywill meet no more. I am an
aside, and I see him everyday. I will take care of him
and love him, and give upmy life for his sake. Very soon
it was said the prince was tomarry, and that the beautiful daughter of
a neighboring king was to be hiswife, for a fine ship was being

(56:15):
fitted out. Although the prince gaveout that he intended merely to pay a
visit to the king, it wasgenerally supposed that he went to court the
princess. A great company were togo with him. The little mermaid smiled
and shook her head. She knewthe Prince's thoughts better than any of the
others. I must travel, hesaid to her. I must see this
beautiful princess. My parents desire it, but they will not oblige me to

(56:37):
bring her home as my bride.I cannot love her because she's not like
the beautiful maiden and the temple whomyou resemble. If I was forced to
choose a bride, I would chooseyou with those expressive eyes. Then he
kissed her rosy mouth, played withher long waving hair, and laid his
head on her heart while she dreamedof human happiness and an immortal soul.

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You're not afraid of the sea,are you, he said, as they
stood on the deck of the nobleship, which was to carry them to
the country of the neighboring king.Then he told her of storm, and
of calm, of strange fishes,and the deep beneath them, and what
divers had seen there. She smiledat his descriptions, for she knew better
than anyone what wonders were at thebottom of the sea. In the moonlight

(57:21):
night, when all on board wereasleep except the man at the helm,
she sat on deck, gazing downto the clear water. She thought she
could distinguish her father's castle, andupon it her aged grandmother with a silver
crown on her head, looking throughthe rushing tide at the keel of the
vessel. Then her sisters came upon the waves and gazed at her,
mournfully wringing their white hands. Shebeckoned to them and smiled and wanted to

(57:45):
tell them out, happy and welloff she was. But the cabin boy
approached, and when her sisters diveddown, he thought what he saw was
only the foam of the sea.The next morning, the ship sailed into
the harbor of a beautiful town belongingto the king who was going to visit.
The church bells were ringing, andfrom the high tower sounded a flourish
of trumpets. Soldiers with fine colorsand glindering bayonets lined the roads through which

(58:09):
they passed. Every day was afestival, balls and entertainments following one another.
But the princess had not yet appeared. People said that she had been
brought up and educated in religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue.
At last she came. Then thelittle mermaid, who was anxious to
see whether she was really beautiful,was obliged to admit that she had never

(58:30):
seen a more perfect vision of beauty. Her skin was delicately fair, and
beneath her long dark eyelashes, herlaughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity.
It was you, said the princewho saved my life when I lay
his dead on the beach, andhe folded his blushing bride in his arms.

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Oh I am too happy, hesaid the mermaid. My fondest hopes
are now fulfilled. You will rejoiceat my happiness, for your devotion to
me as great and sincere. Thelittle 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 foamof the sea. All the church

(59:15):
bells rang, and the heralds rodethrough the town, proclaiming, proclaiming the
betrothal. Perfumed oil was burned incostly silver lamps on every altar. The
priests waved the censers, while thebride and the Bridegram 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 at the

(59:36):
festive music, and her eyes sawnot the holy ceremony. She thought of
the night of death which was comingto her, and of all she had
lost in the world. On thesame evening, the bride and Bridegram were
on board the ship. Cannons wereroaring, flags waving, and in the
center of the ship a costly tentof purple and gold had been erected.
It contained elegant sleeping couches for thebridal pair. During the night, the

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ship, under a favorable wind withswelling sails, glided away smoothly and lightly
over the calm sea. When itgrew dark, another a number of colored
lamps were lighted, and the sailorsdanced merrily on the deck. The little
mermaid could not help thinking of herfirst rising out of the sea, when
she had seen similar joyful festivities.So she too joined in the dance,

(01:00:21):
poist herself in the air as aswallow when he pursues his prey, and
all present cheered her wonderingly. Shehad never danced so gracefully before. Her
tender feet felt as if cut withsharp knives, but she cared not for
the pain a sharper pang had piercedher heart. She knew this was the
last evening she should ever see theprince, for whom she had forsaken her

(01:00:42):
kindred and her home. She hadgiven up her beautiful voice and suffered unheard
of pain daily for him, well, he knew nothing of it. This
was the last evening that she shouldbreathe the same air with him, or
gazed on the starry sky and thedeep sea an eternal night without a thought,
or during the wait at her Shehad no soul and now could never
win one. All was joy andgaiety on the ship until long after midnight.

(01:01:07):
She smiled and danced with the rest, while the thought of death was
in her heart. The Prince kissedhis beautiful bride, and she played with
his raven hair until they went armin arm to rest in the sumptuous tent.
Then all became still on board theship, and only the pilot,
who stood at the helm, wasawake. The little mermaid leaned her white
arms on the edge of the vesseland looked towards the east for the first

(01:01:28):
blush of morning, For that firstray of the dawn, which was to
be her death. She saw hersisters rising out of the flood. They
were as pale as she, buttheir beautiful hair no longer waved in the
wind. It had been cut off. We have given our hair to the
witch, said they, to obtainhelp for you, that you may not
die tonight. She has given usa knife. See it is very sharp.

(01:01:52):
Before the sunrises, you must plungeit into the heart of the prince.
When the blood falls upon your feet, that will together again into a
fish's tail, and you will oncemore be a mermaid and can return to
us to live out your three hundredyears before you are changed to the salt
sea foam. Haste, then,either he or you must die before sunrise.

(01:02:14):
Our old grandmother mourned so for youthat her white hair is falling out
as ours fell under the witch assistantscissors, as ours fell under the witch's
scissors. Kill the prince and comeback, 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 they sighed deeply and mournfully,

(01:02:36):
and sank beneath the waves. Thelittle Mermaid drew back the crimson curtain of
the tent and beheld the fair bride, whose head was resting on the prince's
breast. She bent down and kissedhis noble brow, then looked at the
sky, on which the rosy dawngrew brighter and brighter. She glanced at
the sharp knife, and against fixedher eyes on the Prince, who whispered

(01:02:58):
the name of his brideness. Shewas in his thoughts. And then I
have trembled in the hand of thelittle Mermaid, but she flung it far
from her into the waves. Thewater turned red where it fell, and
the drops that spurted up looked likeblood. She cast one more lingering,
half fainting glance at the Prince,then threw herself from the ship into the

(01:03:21):
sea, and felt her body dissolvinginto foam. The sun rose above the
waves, and his warm raves fellon the cold foam of the little Mermaid,
who did not feel as if shewas dying. She saw the bright
sun and hundreds of transparent, beautifulcreatures floating around her. She could see

(01:03:43):
through them the white sails, theships, and the red clouds in the
sky. Their speech was melodious,but could not be heard by mortal ears,
just as their bodies could not beseen by mortal eyes. The little
Mermaid perceived that she had a bodylike theirs, and she continued to rise
higher and higher out of the foam. Where am I said she and her

(01:04:05):
voice sounded ethereal, like the voicesof those who were with her. No
earthly music could imitate it. Amongthe Daughters of the Air, answered one
of them. A mermaid has notan immortal soul, nor can she obtain
one unless she wins the love ofa human being. On the will of
another hangs her eternal destiny. Butthe Daughters of the Air, although they

(01:04:28):
do not possessed an immortal soul,can by their good deeds, procure one
for themselves. We fly to warmcountries and cool the sultry air that destroys
mankind with the pestilence. We carrythe perfume of the flowers to spread health
and restoration. After we have strivenfor three hundred years to do all the
good in our power, we receivean immortal soul and take part in the

(01:04:53):
happiness of mankind. You, poorlittle 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 yourgood deeds, And now by striving for
three hundred years in the same way, you may obtain her mortal soul.
Little Mermaid lifted her glorified eyes towardsthe sun and for the first time felt

(01:05:16):
them filling with tears. On theship in which she had left the Prince,
there was life and noise, andshe saw him in his beautiful bride,
searching for her Sorrowfully, she gazed. They gazed at the pearly foam,
as if they knew she'd thrown herselfinto the waves unseen. She kissed
the forehead of the bride and fannedthe prince, and then mounted with the

(01:05:40):
other children of the air to arosy cloud that floated above. After three
hundred years. Thus we shall floatinto the Kingdom of heaven, said she,
And we may even get there sooner, whispered one of her companions.
Unseen, we can enter the housesof men where there are children. And
for every day on which we finda good child that is the joy of

(01:06:00):
his parents and deserves their love,our time of probation is shortened. The
child does not know when we flythrough the room that we smile at joy
and his good conduct, For wecan count one year less of our three
hundred years. But when we seea naughty door, a wicked child,
we shed cheers of sorrow. Andfor every tear a day is added to

(01:06:23):
our time of trial.

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