The Little Mermaid (Original Version)

THE LITTLE MERMAID

FAR out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest

cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep,

indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled

one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the

surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his

subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of

the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers

and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant,

that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they

had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches,

as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of

all, 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 is

formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them.

Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering

pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.

The Sea King had been a widower for many years, and his aged

mother kept house for him. She was a very wise woman, and

exceedingly proud of her high birth; on that account she wore

twelve oysters on her tail; while others, also of high rank, were

only allowed to wear six. She was, however, deserving of very

great praise, especially for her care of the little sea-princesses, her

grand-daughters. They were six beautiful children; but the

youngest was the prettiest of them all; her skin was as clear and

delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but,

like all the others, she had no feet, and her body ended in a fish's tail. All day long they played in the great halls of the castle, or

among the living flowers that grew out of the walls. The large

amber windows were open, and the fish swam in, just as the

swallows fly into our houses when we open the windows,

excepting that the fishes swam up to the princesses, ate out of their

hands, and allowed themselves to be stroked. Outside the castle

there was a beautiful garden, in which grew bright red and dark

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 itself was the finest sand, but blue as the flame of

burning sulphur. Over everything lay a peculiar blue radiance, as

if it were surrounded by the air from above, through which the

blue sky shone, instead of the dark depths of the sea. In calm

weather the sun could be seen, looking like a purple flower, with

the light streaming from the calyx. Each of the young princesses

had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and

plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower-bed into the form of

a whale; another thought it better to make hers like the figure of a

little mermaid; but that of the youngest was round like the sun,

and contained flowers as red as his rays at sunset. She was a

strange child, quiet and thoughtful; and while her sisters would be

delighted with the wonderful things which they obtained from the

wrecks of vessels, she cared for nothing but her pretty red flowers,

like the sun, excepting a beautiful marble statue. It was the

representation of a handsome boy, carved out of pure white stone,

which had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a wreck. She planted

by the statue a rose-colored weeping willow. It grew splendidly,

and very soon hung its fresh branches over the statue, almost down

to the blue sands. The shadow had a violet tint, and waved to and

fro like the branches; it seemed as if the crown of the tree and the

root were at play, and trying to kiss each other. Nothing gave her

so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea. She

made her old grandmother tell her all she knew of the ships and of

the towns, the people and the animals. To her it seemed most

wonderful and beautiful to hear that the flowers of the land should

have fragrance, and not those below the sea; that the trees of the

forest should be green; and that the fishes among the trees could

sing so sweetly, that it was quite a pleasure to hear them. Her

grandmother called the little birds fishes, or she would not have

understood her; for she had never seen birds.

"When you have reached your fifteenth year," said the grand-

mother, "you will have permission to rise up out of the sea, to sit

on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing by;

and then you will see both forests and towns." In the following