Русалочка на русском и английском языке читать. Английский в песнях: Under the sea из мультфильма Русалочка

Русалочка

Далеко в море вода синяя-синяя, как лепестки самых красивых васильков, и прозрачная-прозрачная, как самое чистое стекло, только очень глубока, так глубока, что никакого якорного каната не хватит. Много колоколен надо поставить одну на другую, тогда только верхняя выглянет на поверхность. Там на дне живет подводный народ.

Только не подумайте, что дно голое, один только белый песок. Нет, там растут невиданные деревья и цветы с такими гибкими стеблями и листьями, что они шевелятся, словно живые, от малейшего движения воды. А между ветвями снуют рыбы, большие и маленькие, совсем как птицы в воздухе у нас наверху. В самом глубоком месте стоит дворец морского царя - стены его из кораллов, высокие стрельчатые окна из самого чистого янтаря, а крыша сплошь раковины; они то открываются, то закрываются, смотря по тому, прилив или отлив, и это очень красиво, ведь в каждой лежат сияющие жемчужины и любая была бы великим украшением в короне самой королевы.

Царь морской давным-давно овдовел, и хозяйством у него заправляла старуха мать, женщина умная, только больно уж гордившаяся своей родовитостью: на хвосте она носила целых двенадцать устриц, тогда как прочим вельможам полагалось только шесть. В остальном же она заслуживала всяческой похвалы, особенно потому, что души не чаяла в своих маленьких внучках - принцессах. Их было шестеро, все прехорошенькие, но милее всех самая младшая, с кожей чистой и нежной, как лепесток розы, с глазами синими и глубокими, как море. Только у нее, как, впрочем, и у остальных, ног не было, а вместо них был хвост, как у рыб.

День-деньской играли принцессы во дворце, в просторных палатах, где из стен росли живые цветы. Раскрывались большие янтарные окна, и внутрь вплывали рыбы, совсем как у нас ласточки влетают в дом, когда окна стоят настежь, только рыбы подплывали прямо к маленьким принцессам, брали из их рук еду и позволяли себя гладить.

Перед дворцом был большой сад, в нем росли огненно-красные и темно-синие деревья, плоды их сверкали золотом, цветы - горячим огнем, а стебли и листья непрестанно колыхались. Земля была сплошь мелкий песок, только голубоватый, как серное пламя. Все там внизу отдавало в какую-то особенную синеву, - впору было подумать, будто стоишь не на дне морском, а в воздушной вышине, и небо у тебя не только над головой, но и под ногами, В безветрие со дна видно было солнце, оно казалось пурпурным цветком, из чаши которого льется свет.

У каждой принцессы было в саду свое местечко, здесь они могли копать и сажать что угодно. Одна устроила себе цветочную грядку в виде кита, другой вздумалось, чтобы ее грядка гляделась русалкой, а самая младшая сделала себе грядку, круглую, как солнце, и цветы на ней сажала такие же алые, как оно само. Странное дитя была эта русалочка, тихое, задумчивое. Другие сестры украшали себя разными разностями, которые находили на потонувших кораблях, а она только и любила, что цветы ярко-красные, как солнце, там, наверху, да еще красивую мраморную статую. Это был прекрасный мальчик, высеченный из чистого белого камня и спустившийся на дно морское после кораблекрушения. Возле статуи русалочка посадила розовую плакучую иву, она пышно разрослась и свешивала свои ветви над статуей к голубому песчаному дну, где получалась фиолетовая тень, зыблющаяся в лад колыханию ветвей, и от этого казалось, будто верхушка и корни ластятся друг к другу.

Русалочка
Художник К. Крылова
Больше всего русалочка любила слушать рассказы о мире людей там, наверху. Старой бабушке пришлось рассказать ей все, что она знала о кораблях и городах, о людях и животных. Особенно чудесным и удивительным казалось русалочке то, что цветы на земле пахнут, - не то что здесь, на морском дне, - леса там зеленые, а рыбы среди ветвей поют так громко и красиво, что просто заслушаешься. Рыбами бабушка называла птиц, иначе внучки не поняли бы ее: они ведь сроду не видывали птиц.

Когда вам исполнится пятнадцать лет, - говорила бабушка, - вам дозволят всплывать на поверхность, сидеть в лунном свете на скалах и смотреть на плывущие мимо огромные корабли, на лесами города!

В этот год старшей принцессе как раз исполнялось пятнадцать лет, но сестры были погодки, и выходило так, что только через пять лет самая младшая сможет подняться со дна морского и увидеть, как живется нам здесь, наверху. Но каждая обещала рассказать остальным, что она увидела и что ей больше всего понравилось в первый день, - рассказов бабушки им было мало, хотелось знать побольше.

Ни одну из сестер не тянуло так на поверхность, как самую младшую, тихую, задумчивую русалочку, которой приходилось ждать дольше всех. Ночь за ночью проводила она у открытого окна и все смотрела наверх сквозь темно-синюю воду, в которой плескали хвостами и плавниками рыбы. Месяц и звезды виделись ей, и хоть светили они совсем бледно, зато казались сквозь воду много больше, чем нам. А если под ними скользило как бы темное облако, знала она, что это либо кит проплывает, либо корабль, а на нем много людей, и, уж конечно, им и в голову не приходило, что внизу под ними хорошенькая русалочка тянется к кораблю своими белыми руками.

И вот старшей принцессе исполнилось пятнадцать лет, и ей позволили всплыть на поверхность.

Сколько было рассказов, когда она вернулась назад! Ну, а лучше всего, рассказывала она, было лежать в лунном свете на отмели, когда море спокойно, и рассматривать большой город на берегу: точно сотни звезд, там мерцали огни, слышалась музыка, шум экипажей, говор людей, виднелись колокольни и шпили, звонили колокола. И как раз потому, что туда ей было нельзя, туда и тянуло ее больше всего.

Как жадно внимала ее рассказам самая младшая сестра! А потом, вечером, стояла у открытого окна и смотрела наверх сквозь темно-синюю воду и думала о большом городе, шумном и оживленном, и ей казалось даже, что она слышит звон колоколов.

Через год и второй сестре позволили подняться на поверхность и плыть куда угодно. Она вынырнула из воды как раз в ту минуту, когда солнце садилось, и решила, что прекраснее зрелища нет на свете. Небо было сплошь золотое, сказала она, а облака - ах, у нее просто нет слов описать, как они красивы! Красные и фиолетовые, плыли они по небу, но еще быстрее неслась к солнцу, точно длинная белая вуаль, стая диких лебедей. Она тоже поплыла к солнцу, но оно погрузилось в воду, и розовый отсвет на море и облаках погас.

Еще через год поднялась на поверхность третья сестра. Эта была смелее всех и проплыла в широкую реку, которая впадала в море. Она увидела там зеленые холмы с виноградниками, а из чащи чудесного леса выглядывали дворцы и усадьбы. Она слышала, как поют птицы, а солнце пригревало так сильно, что ей не раз приходилось нырять в воду, чтобы остудить свое пылающее лицо. В бухте ей попалась целая стая маленьких человеческих детей, они бегали нагишом и плескались в воде. Ей захотелось поиграть с ними, но они испугались ее и убежали, а вместо них явился какой-то черный зверек - это была собака, только ведь ей еще ни разу не доводилось видеть собаку - и залаял на нее так страшно, что она перепугалась и уплыла назад в море. Но никогда не забыть ей чудесного леса, зеленых холмов и прелестных детей, которые умеют плавать, хоть и нет у них рыбьего хвоста.

Четвертая сестра не была такой смелой, она держалась в открытом море и считала, что там-то и было лучше всего: море видно вокруг на много-много миль, небо над головой как огромный стеклянный купол. Видела она и корабли, только совсем издалека, и выглядели они совсем как чайки, а еще в море кувыркались резвые дельфины и киты пускали из ноздрей воду, так что казалось, будто вокруг били сотни фонтанов.

Дошла очередь и до пятой сестры. Ее день рождения был зимой, и поэтому она увидела то, чего не удалось увидеть другим. Море было совсем зеленое, рассказывала она, повсюду плавали огромные ледяные горы, каждая ни дать ни взять жемчужина, только куда выше любой колокольни, построенной людьми. Они были самого причудливого вида и сверкали, словно алмазы. Она уселась на самую большую из них, ветер развевал ее длинные волосы, и моряки испуганно обходили это место подальше. К вечеру небо заволоклось тучами, засверкали молнии, загремел гром, почерневшее море вздымало ввысь огромные ледяные глыбы, озаряемые вспышками молний. На кораблях убирали паруса, вокруг был страх и ужас, а она как ни в чем не бывало плыла на своей ледяной горе и смотрела, как молнии синими зигзагами ударяют в море.

Так вот и шло: выплывает какая-нибудь из сестер первый раз на поверхность, восхищается всем новым и красивым, ну, а потом, когда взрослой девушкой может подниматься наверх в любую минуту, все становится ей неинтересно и она стремится домой и уже месяц спустя говорит, что у них внизу лучше всего, только здесь и чувствуешь себя дома.

Часто по вечерам, обнявшись, всплывали пять сестер на поверхность. У всех были дивные голоса, как ни у кого из людей, и когда собиралась буря, грозившая гибелью кораблям, они плыли перед кораблями и пели так сладко о том, как хорошо на морском дне, уговаривали моряков без боязни спуститься вниз. Только моряки не могли разобрать слов, им казалось, что это просто шумит буря, да и не довелось бы им увидеть на дне никаких чудес - когда корабль тонул, люди захлебывались и попадали во дворец морского царя уже мертвыми.

Младшая же русалочка, когда сестры ее всплывали вот так на поверхность, оставалась одна-одинешенька и смотрела им вслед, и ей впору было заплакать, да только русалкам не дано слез, и от этого ей было еще горше.

Ах, когда же мне будет пятнадцать лет! - говорила она. - Я знаю, что очень полюблю тот мир и людей, которые там живут!

Наконец и ей исполнилось пятнадцать лет.

Ну вот, вырастили и тебя! - сказала бабушка, вдовствующая королева. - Поди-ка сюда, я украшу тебя, как остальных сестер!

И она надела русалочке на голову венок из белых лилий, только каждый лепесток был половинкой жемчужины, а потом нацепила ей на хвост восемь устриц в знак ее высокого сана.

Да это больно! - сказала русалочка.

Чтоб быть красивой, можно и потерпеть! - сказала бабушка.

Ах, как охотно скинула бы русалочка все это великолепие и тяжелый венок! Красные цветы с ее грядки пошли бы ей куда больше, но ничего не поделаешь.

Прощайте! - сказала она и легко и плавно, словно пузырек воздуха, поднялась на поверхность.

Когда она подняла голову над водой, солнце только что село, но облака еще отсвечивали розовым и золотым, а в бледно-красном небе уже зажглись ясные вечерние звезды; воздух был мягкий и свежий, море спокойно. Неподалеку стоял трехмачтовый корабль всего лишь с одним поднятым парусом - не было ни малейшего ветерка. Повсюду на снастях и реях сидели матросы. С палубы раздавалась музыка и пение, а когда совсем стемнело, корабль осветился сотнями разноцветных фонариков и в воздухе словно бы замелькали флаги всех наций. Русалочка подплыла прямо к окну каюты, и всякий раз, как ее приподымало волной, она могла заглянуть внутрь сквозь прозрачные стекла. Там было множество нарядно одетых людей, но красивее всех был молодой принц с большими черными глазами. Ему, наверное, было не больше шестнадцати лет. Праздновался его день рождения, оттого-то на корабле и шло такое веселье. Матросы плясали на палубе, а когда вышел туда молодой принц, в небо взмыли сотни ракет, и стало светло, как днем, так что русалочка совсем перепугалась и нырнула в воду, но. тут же опять высунула голову, и казалось, будто все звезды с неба падают к ней в море. Никогда еще не видала она такого фейерверка. Вертелись колесом огромные солнца, взлетали в синюю высь чудесные огненные рыбы, и все это отражалось в тихой, ясной воде. На самом корабле было так светло, что можно было различить каждый канат, а людей и подавно. Ах, как хорош был молодой принц! Он пожимал всем руки, улыбался и смеялся, а музыка все гремела и гремела в чудной ночи.

Уже поздно было, а русалочка все не могла глаз оторвать от корабля и от прекрасного принца. Погасли разноцветные фонарики, не взлетали больше ракеты, не гремели пушки, зато загудело и заворчало в глуби морской. Русалочка качалась на волнах и все заглядывала в каюту, а корабль стал набирать ход, один за другим распускались паруса, все выше вздымались волны, собирались тучи, вдали засверкали молнии.

Надвигалась буря, матросы принялись убирать паруса. Корабль, раскачиваясь, летел по разбушевавшемуся морю, волны вздымались огромными черными горами, норовя перекатиться через мачту, а корабль нырял, словно лебедь, между высоченными валами и вновь возносился на гребень громоздящейся волны. Русалочке все это казалось приятной прогулкой, но не матросам. Корабль стонал и трещал; вот подалась под ударами волн толстая обшивка бортов, волны захлестнули корабль, переломилась пополам, как тростинка, мачта, корабль лег на бок, и вода хлынула в трюм. Тут уж русалочка поняла, какая опасность угрожает людям, - ей и самой приходилось увертываться от бревен и обломков, носившихся по волнам. На минуту стало темно, хоть глаз выколи, но вот блеснула молния, и русалочка опять увидела людей на корабле. Каждый спасался, как мог. Она искала глазами принца и увидела, как он упал в воду, когда корабль развалился на части. Сперва она очень обрадовалась - ведь он попадет теперь к ней на дно, но тут же вспомнила, что люди не могут жить в воде и он приплывет во дворец ее отца только мертвым. Нет, нет, он не должен умереть! И она поплыла между бревнами и досками, совсем не думая о том, что они могут ее раздавить. Она то ныряла глубоко, то взлетала на волну и наконец доплыла до юного принца. Он почти уже совсем выбился из сил и плыть по бурному морю не мог. Руки и ноги отказывались ему служить, прекрасные глаза закрылись, и он утонул бы, не явись ему на помощь русалочка. Она приподняла над водой его голову и предоставила волнам нести их обоих куда угодно...

К утру буря стихла. От корабля не осталось и щепки. Опять засверкало над водой солнце и как будто вернуло краски щекам принца, но глаза его все еще были закрыты.

Русалочка откинула со лба принца волосы, поцеловала его в высокий красивый лоб, и ей показалось, что он похож на мраморного мальчика, который стоит у нее в саду. Она поцеловала его еще раз и пожелала, чтобы он остался жив.

Наконец она завидела сушу, высокие синие горы, на вершинах которых, точно стаи лебедей, белели снега. У самого берега зеленели чудесные леса, а перед ними стояла не то церковь, не то монастырь - она не могла сказать точно, знала только, что это было здание. В саду росли апельсинные и лимонные деревья, а у самых ворот высокие пальмы. Море вдавалось здесь в берег небольшим заливом, тихим, но очень глубоким, с утесом, у которого море намыло мелкий белый песок. Сюда-то и приплыла русалочка с принцем и положила его на песок так, чтобы голова его была повыше на солнце.

Тут в высоком белом здании зазвонили колокола, и в сад высыпала целая толпа молодых девушек. Русалочка отплыла подальше за высокие камни, торчавшие из воды, покрыла свои волосы и грудь морскою пеной, так что теперь никто не различил бы ее лица, и стала ждать, не придет ли кто на помощь бедному принцу.

Вскоре к утесу подошла молодая девушка и поначалу очень испугалась, но тут же собралась с духом и позвала других людей, и русалочка увидела, что принц ожил и улыбнулся всем, кто был возле него. А ей он не улыбнулся, он даже не знал, что она спасла ему жизнь. Грустно стало русалочке, и, когда принца увели в большое здание, она печально нырнула в воду и уплыла домой.

Теперь она стала еще тише, еще задумчивее, чем прежде. Сестры спрашивали ее, что она видела в первый раз на поверхности моря, но она ничего им не рассказала.

Часто по утрам и вечерам приплывала она к тому месту, где оставила принца. Она видела, как созревали в саду плоды, как их потом собирали, видела, как стаял снег на высоких горах, но принца так больше и не видала и возвращалась домой каждый раз все печальнее. Единственной отрадой было для нее сидеть в своем садике, обвив руками красивую мраморную статую, похожую на принца, но за своими цветами она больше не ухаживала. Они одичали и разрослись по дорожкам, переплелись стеблями и листьями с ветвями деревьев, и в садике стало совсем темно.

Наконец она не выдержала и рассказала обо всем одной из сестер. За ней узнали и остальные сестры, но больше никто, разве что еще две-три русалки да их самые близкие подруги. Одна из них тоже знала о принце, видела празднество на корабле и даже знала, откуда принц родом и где его королевство.

Поплыли вместе, сестрица! - сказали русалочке сестры и, обнявшись, поднялись на поверхность моря близ того места, где стоял дворец принца.

Дворец был из светло-желтого блестящего камня, с большими мраморными лестницам; одна из них спускалась прямо к морю. Великолепные позолоченные купола высились над крышей, а между колоннами, окружавшими здание, стояли мраморные статуи, совсем как живые люди. Сквозь высокие зеркальные окна виднелись роскошные покои; всюду висели дорогие шелковые занавеси, были разостланы ковры, а стены украшали большие картины. Загляденье, да и только! Посреди самой большой залы журчал фонтан; струи воды били высоко-высоко под стеклянный купол потолка, через который воду и диковинные растения, росшие по краям бассейна, озаряло солнце.

Теперь русалочка знала, где живет принц, и стала приплывать ко дворцу почти каждый вечер или каждую ночь. Ни одна из сестер не осмеливалась подплывать к земле так близко, ну а она заплывала даже в узкий канал, который проходил как раз под мраморным балконом, бросавшим на воду длинную тень. Тут она останавливалась и подолгу смотрела на юного принца, а он-то думал, что гуляет при свете месяца один-одинешенек.

Много раз видела она, как он катался с музыкантами на своей нарядной лодке, украшенной развевающимися флагами. Русалочка выглядывала из зеленого тростника, и если люди иногда замечали, как полощется по ветру ее длинная серебристо-белая вуаль, им казалось, что это плещет крыльями лебедь.

Много раз слышала она, как говорили о принце рыбаки, ловившие по ночам с факелом рыбу, они рассказывали о нем много хорошего, и русалочка радовалась, что спасла ему жизнь, когда его, полумертвого, носило по волнам; она вспоминала, как его голова покоилась на ее груди и как нежно поцеловала она его тогда. А он-то ничего не знал о ней, она ему и присниться не могла!

Все больше и больше начинала русалочка любить людей, все сильнее тянуло ее к ним; их земной мир казался ей куда больше, чем ее подводный; они могли ведь переплывать на своих кораблях море, взбираться на высокие горы выше облаков, а их страны с лесами и полями раскинулись так широко, что и глазом не охватишь! Очень хотелось русалочке побольше узнать о людях, о их жизни, но сестры не могли ответить на все ее вопросы, и она обращалась к бабушке: старуха хорошо знала “высший свет”, как она справедливо называла землю, лежавшую над морем.

Если люди не тонут, - спрашивала русалочка, - тогда они живут вечно, не умирают, как мы?

Ну что ты! - отвечала старуха. - Они тоже умирают, их век даже короче нашего. Мы живем триста лет; только когда мы перестаем быть, нас не хоронят, у нас даже нет могил, мы просто превращаемся в морскую пену.

Я бы отдала все свои сотни лет за один день человеческой жизни,-проговорила русалочка.

Вздор! Нечего и думать об этом! - сказала старуха. - Нам тут живется куда лучше, чем людям на земле!

Значит, и я умру, стану морской пеной, не буду больше слышать музыку волн, не увижу ни чудесных цветов, ни красного солнца! Неужели я никак не могу пожить среди людей?

Можешь, - сказала бабушка, - пусть только кто-нибудь из людей полюбит тебя так, что ты станешь ему дороже отца и матери, пусть отдастся он тебе всем своим сердцем и всеми помыслами, сделает тебя своей женой и поклянется в вечной верности. Но этому не бывать никогда! Ведь то, что у нас считается красивым - твой рыбий хвост, например, - люди находят безобразным. Они ничего не смыслят в красоте; по их мнению, чтобы быть красивым, надо непременно иметь две неуклюжие подпорки, или ноги, как они их называют.

Русалочка глубоко вздохнула и печально посмотрела на свой рыбий хвост.

Будем жить - не тужить! - сказала старуха. - Повеселимся вволю, триста лет - срок немалый... Сегодня вечером у нас во дворце бал!

Вот было великолепие, какого не увидишь на земле! Стены и потолок танцевальной залы были из толстого, но прозрачного стекла; вдоль стен рядами лежали сотни огромных пурпурных и травянисто-зеленых раковин с голубыми огоньками в середине; огни эти ярко освещали всю залу, а через стеклянные стены - и море вокруг. Видно было, как к стенам подплывают стаи больших и маленьких рыб, и чешуя их переливается золотом, серебром, пурпуром.

Посреди залы вода бежала широким потоком, и в нем танцевали под свое чудное пение водяные и русалки. Таких прекрасных голосов не бывает у людей. Русалочка пела лучше всех, и все хлопали ей в ладоши. На минуту ей было сделалось весело при мысли о том, что ни у кого и нигде, ни в море, ни на земле, нет такого чудесного голоса, как у нее; но потом она опять стала думать о надводном мире, о прекрасном принце, и ей стало грустно. Незаметно выскользнула она из дворца и, пока там пели и веселились, печально сидела в своем садике. Вдруг сверху донеслись звуки валторн, и она подумала: “Вот он опять катается на лодке! Как я люблю его! Больше, чем отца и мать! Я принадлежу ему всем сердцем, всеми своими помыслами, ему я бы охотно вручила счастье всей моей жизни! На все бы я пошла - только бы мне быть с ним. Пока сестры танцуют в отцовском дворце, поплыву-ка я к морской ведьме. Я всегда боялась ее, но, может быть, она что-нибудь посоветует или как-нибудь поможет мне!”

И русалочка поплыла из своего садика к бурным водоворотам, за которыми жила ведьма. Еще ни разу не доводилось ей проплывать этой дорогой; тут не росли ни цветы, ни даже трава - кругом был только голый серый песок; вода за ним бурлила и шумела, как под мельничным колесом, и увлекала за собой в пучину все, что только встречала на своем пути. Как раз между такими бурлящими водоворотами и пришлось плыть русалочке, чтобы попасть в тот край, где владычила ведьма. Дальше путь лежал через горячий пузырящийся ил, это место ведьма называла своим торфяным болотом. А там уж было рукой подать до ее жилья, окруженного диковинным лесом: вместо деревьев и кустов в нем росли полипы - полуживотные-полурастения, похожие на стоглавых змей, выраставших прямо из песка; ветви их были подобны длинным осклизлым рукам с пальцами, извивающимися, как черви; полипы ни на минуту не переставали шевелиться от корня до самой верхушки и хватали гибкими пальцами все, что только им попадалось, и уж: больше не выпускали. Русалочка в испуге остановилась, сердечко ее забилось от страха, она готова была вернуться, но вспомнила о принце и собралась с духом: крепко обвязала вокруг головы свои длинные волосы, чтобы в них не вцепились полипы, скрестила на груди руки и, как рыба, поплыла между омерзительными полипами, которые тянулись к ней своими извивающимися руками. Она видела, как крепко, точно железными клещами, держали они своими пальцами все, что удалось им схватить: белые скелеты утонувших людей, корабельные рули, ящики, кости животных, даже одну русалочку. Полипы поймали и задушили ее. Это было страшнее всего!

Но вот она очутилась на скользкой лесной поляне, где кувыркались, показывая противное желтоватое брюхо, большие, жирные водяные ужи. Посреди поляны был выстроен дом из белых человеческих костей; тут же сидела сама морская ведьма и кормила изо рта жабу, как люди кормят сахаром маленьких канареек. Омерзительных ужей она звала своими цыплятками и позволяла им ползать по своей большой, ноздреватой, как губка, груди.

Знаю, знаю, зачем ты пришла! - сказала русалочке морская ведьма. - Глупости ты затеваешь, ну да я все-таки помогу тебе - на твою же беду, моя красавица! Ты хочешь отделаться от своего хвоста и получить вместо него две подпорки, чтобы ходить, как люди. Хочешь, чтобы юный принц полюбил тебя.

И ведьма захохотала так громко и гадко, что и жаба и ужи попадали с нее и шлепнулись на песок.

Ну ладно, ты пришла в самое время! - продолжала ведьма. - Приди ты завтра поутру, было бы поздно, и я не могла бы помочь тебе раньше будущего года. Я изготовлю тебе питье, ты возьмешь его, поплывешь с ним к берегу еще до восхода солнца, сядешь там и выпьешь все до капли; тогда твой хвост раздвоится и превратится в пару стройных, как сказали бы люди, ножек. Но тебе будет так больно, как будто тебя пронзят острым мечом. Зато все, кто тебя увидит, скажут, что такой прелестной девушки они ещё не встречали! Ты сохранишь свою плавную походку - ни одна танцовщица не сравнится с тобой, но помни: ты будешь ступать как по острым ножам, и твои ноги будут кровоточить. Вытерпишь все это? Тогда я помогу тебе.

Помни, - сказала ведьма, - раз ты примешь человеческий облик, тебе уж не сделаться вновь русалкой! Не видать тебе ни морского дна, ни отцовского дома, ни сестер! А если принц не полюбит тебя так, что забудет ради тебя и отца и мать, не отдастся тебе всем сердцем и не сделает тебя своей женой, ты погибнешь; с первой же зарей после его женитьбы на другой твое сердце разорвется на части, и ты станешь пеной морской.

Пусть! - сказала русалочка и побледнела как смерть.

А еще ты должна заплатить мне за помощь, - сказала ведьма. - И я недешево возьму! У тебя чудный голос, им ты и думаешь обворожить принца, но ты должна отдать этот голос мне. Я возьму за свой бесценный напиток самое лучшее, что есть у тебя: ведь я должна примешать к напитку свою собственную кровь, чтобы он стал остер, как лезвие меча.

Твое прелестное лицо, твоя плавная походка и твои говорящие глаза - этого довольно, чтобы покорить человеческое сердце! Ну полно, не бойся: высунешь язычок, и я отрежу его в уплату за волшебный напиток!

Хорошо! - сказала русалочка, и ведьма поставила на огонь котел, чтобы сварить питье.

Чистота - лучшая красота! - сказала она и обтерла котел связкой живых ужей.

Потом она расцарапала себе грудь; в котел закапала черная кровь, и скоро стали подыматься клубы пара, принимавшие такие причудливые формы, что просто страх брал. Ведьма поминутно подбавляла в котел новых и новых снадобий, и; когда питье закипело, оно забулькало так, будто плакал крокодил. Наконец напиток был готов, на вид он казался прозрачнейшей ключевой водой.

Бери! - сказала ведьма, отдавая русалочке напиток.

Потом отрезала ей язык, и русалочка стала немая - не могла больше ни петь, ни говорить.

Схватят тебя полипы, когда поплывешь назад, - напутствовала ведьма, - брызни на них каплю питья, и их руки и пальцы разлетятся на тысячу кусочков.

Но русалочке не пришлось этого делать - полипы с ужасом отворачивались при одном виде напитка, сверкавшего в ее руках, как яркая звезда. Быстро проплыла она лес, миновала болото и бурлящие водовороты.

Вот и отцовский дворец; огни в танцевальной зале потушены, все спят. Русалочка не посмела больше войти туда - ведь она была немая и собиралась покинуть отцовский дом навсегда. Сердце ее готово было разорваться от тоски. Она проскользнула в сад, взяла по цветку с грядки у каждой сестры, послала родным тысячи воздушных поцелуев и поднялась на темно-голубую поверхность моря.

Солнце еще не вставало, когда она увидела перед собой дворец принца и присела на широкую мраморную лестницу. Месяц озарял ее своим чудесным голубым сиянием. Русалочка выпила обжигающий напиток, и ей показалось, будто ее пронзили обоюдоострым мечом; она потеряла сознание и упала замертво. Когда она очнулась, над морем уже сияло солнце; во всем теле она чувствовала жгучую боль. Перед ней стоял прекрасный принц и с удивлением рассматривал ее. Она потупилась и увидела, что рыбий хвост исчез, а вместо него у нее появились две маленькие беленькие ножки. Но она была совсем нагая и потому закуталась в свои длинные, густые волосы. Принц спросил, кто она и как сюда попала, но она только кротко и грустно смотрела на него своими темно-синими глазами: говорить ведь она не могла. Тогда он взял ее за руку и повел во дворец. Правду сказала ведьма: каждый шаг причинял русалочке такую боль, будто она ступала по острым ножам и иголкам; но она терпеливо переносила боль и шла рука об руку с принцем легко, точно по воздуху. Принц и его свита только дивились ее чудной, плавной походке.

Русалочку нарядили в шелк и муслин, и она стала первой красавицей при дворе, но оставалась по-прежнему немой, не могла ни петь, ни говорить. Как-то раз к принцу и его царственным родителям позвали девушек-рабынь, разодетых в шелк и золото. Они стали петь, одна из них пела особенно хорошо, и принц хлопал в ладоши и улыбался ей. Грустно стало русалочке: когда-то и она могла петь, и несравненно лучше! “Ах, если бы он знал, что я навсегда рассталась со своим голосом, только чтобы быть возле него!”

Потом девушки стали танцевать под звуки чудеснейшей музыки; тут и русалочка подняла свои белые прекрасные руки, встала на цыпочки и понеслась в легком, воздушном танце; так не танцевал еще никто! Каждое движение подчеркивало ее красоту, а глаза ее говорили сердцу больше, чем пение рабынь.

Все были в восхищении, особенно принц; он назвал русалочку своим маленьким найденышем, а русалочка все танцевала и танцевала, хотя каждый раз, как ноги ее касались земли, ей было так больно, будто она ступала по острым ножам. Принц сказал, что" она всегда должна быть возле него, и ей было позволено спать на бархатной подушке перед дверями его комнаты.

Он велел сшить ей мужской костюм, чтобы она могла сопровождать его верхом. Они ездили по благоухающим лесам, где в свежей листве пели птицы, а зеленые ветви касались ее плеч. Они взбирались на высокие горы, и хотя из ее ног сочилась кровь и все видели это, она смеялась, и продолжала следовать за принцем на самые вершины; там они любовались на облака, плывшие у их ног, точно стаи птиц, улетающих в чужие страны.

А ночью во дворце у принца, когда все спали, русалочка спускалась по мраморной лестнице, ставила пылающие, как в огне, ноги в холодную воду и думала о родном доме и о дне морском.

Раз ночью всплыли из воды рука об руку ее сестры и запели печальную песню; она кивнула им, они узнали ее и рассказали ей, как огорчила она их всех. С тех пор они навещали ее каждую ночь, а один раз она увидала вдали даже свою старую бабушку, которая уже много лет не подымалась из воды, и самого царя морского с короной на голове, они простирали к ней руки, но не смели подплыть к земле так близко, как сестры.

День ото дня принц привязывался к русалочке все сильнее и сильнее, но он любил ее только как милое, доброе дитя, сделать же ее своей женой и принцессой ему и в голову не приходило, а между тем ей надо было стать его женой, иначе, если бы он отдал свое сердце и руку другой, она стала бы пеной морской.

“Любишь ли ты меня больше всех на свете?” - казалось, спрашивали глаза русалочки, когда принц обнимал ее и целовал в лоб.

Да, я люблю тебя! - говорил принц. - У тебя доброе сердце, ты предана мне больше всех и похожа на молодую девушку, которую я видел однажды и, верно, больше уж не увижу! Я плыл на корабле, корабль затонул, волны выбросили меня на берег вблизи какого-то храма, где служат богу молодые девушки; самая младшая из них нашла меня на берегу и спасла мне жизнь; я видел ее всего два раза, но только ее одну в целом мире мог бы я полюбить! Ты похожа на нее и почти вытеснила из моего сердца ее образ. Она принадлежит святому храму, и вот моя счастливая звезда послала мне тебя; никогда я не расстанусь с тобой!

“Увы! Он не знает, что это я спасла ему жизнь! - думала русалочка. - Я вынесла его из волн морских на берег и положила в роще, возле храма, а сама спряталась в морской пене и смотрела, не придет ли кто-нибудь к нему на помощь. Я видела эту красивую девушку, которую он любит больше, чем меня! - И русалочка глубоко вздыхала, плакать она не могла. - Но та девушка принадлежит храму, никогда не вернется в мир, и они никогда не встретятся! Я же нахожусь возле него, вижу его каждый день, могу ухаживать за ним, любить его, отдать за него жизнь!”

Но вот стали поговаривать, что принц женится на прелестной дочери соседнего короля и потому снаряжает свой великолепный корабль в плавание. Принц поедет к соседнему королю как будто для того, чтобы ознакомиться с его страной, а на самом-то деле, чтобы увидеть принцессу; с ним едет большая свита. Русалочка на все эти речи только покачивала головой и смеялась - она ведь лучше всех знала мысли принца.

Я должен ехать! - говорил он ей. - Мне надо посмотреть прекрасную принцессу; этого требуют мои родители, но они не станут принуждать меня жениться на ней, а я никогда не полюблю ее! Она ведь не похожа на ту красавицу, на которую похожа ты. Если уж мне придется наконец избрать себе невесту, так я лучше выберу тебя, мой немой найденыш с говорящими глазами!

И он целовал ее в розовые губы, играл ее длинными волосами и клал свою голову на ее грудь, где билось сердце, жаждавшее человеческого счастья и любви.

Ты ведь не боишься моря, моя немая крошка? - говорил он, когда они уже стояли на корабле, который должен был отвезти их в страну соседнего короля.

И принц стал рассказывать ей о бурях и о штиле, о диковинных рыбах, что живут в пучине, и о том, что видели там ныряльщики, а она только улыбалась, слушая его рассказы, - она-то лучше всех знала, что есть на дне морском.

В ясную лунную ночь, когда все, кроме рулевого, спади, она села у самого борта и стала смотреть в прозрачные волны, и ей показалось, что она видит отцовский дворец; старая бабушка в серебряной короне стояла на вышке и смотрела сквозь волнующиеся струи воды на киль корабля. Затем на поверхность моря всплыли ее сестры; они печально смотрели на нее и протягивали к ней свои белые руки, а она кивнула им головой, улыбнулась и хотела рассказать о том, как ей хорошо здесь, но тут к ней подошел корабельный юнга, и сестры нырнули в воду, а юнга подумал, что это мелькнула в волнах белая морская пена.

Наутро корабль вошел в гавань нарядной столицы соседнего королевства. В городе зазвонили в колокола, с высоких башен раздались звуки рогов; на площадях стояли полки солдат с блестящими штыками и развевающимися знаменами. Начались празднества, балы следовали за балами, но принцессы еще не было - она воспитывалась где-то далеко в монастыре, куда ее отдали учиться всем королевским добродетелям. Наконец прибыла и она.

Русалочка жадно смотрела на нее и не могла не признать, что лица милее и прекраснее она еще не видала. Кожа на лице принцессы была такая нежная, прозрачная, а из-за длинных темных ресниц улыбались синие кроткие глаза.

Это ты! - сказал принц. - Ты спасла мне жизнь, когда я полумертвый лежал на берегу моря!

И он крепко прижал к сердцу свою зардевшуюся невесту.

Ах, я так счастлив! - сказал он русалочке. - То, о чем я не смел и мечтать, сбылось! Ты порадуешься моему счастью, ты ведь так любишь меня.

Русалочка поцеловала ему руку, а сердце ее, казалось, вот-вот разорвется от боли: его свадьба должна ведь убить ее, превратить в пену морскую.

В тот же вечер принц с молодой женой должны были отплыть на родину принца; пушки палили, флаги развевались, на палубе был раскинут шатер из золота и пурпура, устланный мягкими подушками; в шатре они должны были провести эту тихую, прохладную ночь.

Паруса надулись от ветра, корабль легко и плавно заскользил по волнам и понесся в открытое море.

Как только смерклось, на корабле зажглись разноцветные фонарики, а матросы стали весело плясать на палубе. Русалочка вспомнила, как она впервые поднялась на поверхность моря и увидела такое же веселье на корабле. И вот она понеслась в быстром воздушном танце, точно ласточка, преследуемая коршуном. Все были в восторге: никогда еще не танцевала она так чудесно! Ее нежные ножки резало как ножами, но этой боли она не чувствовала - сердцу ее было еще больнее. Она знала, что один лишь вечер осталось ей пробыть с тем, ради кого она оставила родных и отцовский дом, отдала свой чудный голос и терпела невыносимые мучения, о которых принц и не догадывался. Лишь одну ночь оставалось ей дышать одним воздухом с ним, видеть синее море и звездное небо, а там наступит для нее вечная ночь, без мыслей, без сновидений. Далеко за полночь продолжались на корабле танцы и музыка, и русалочка смеялась и танцевала со смертельной мукой на сердце; принц же целовал красавицу жену, а она играла его черными кудрями; наконец рука об руку они удалились в свой великолепный шатер.

На корабле всё стихло, только рулевой остался у руля. Русалочка оперлась о поручни и, повернувшись лицом к востоку, стала ждать первого луча солнца, который, она знала, должен был убить ее. И вдруг она увидела, как из моря поднялись ее сестры; они были бледны, как и она, но их длинные роскошные волосы не развевались больше по ветру - они были обрезаны.

Мы отдали найти волосы ведьме, чтобы она помогла нам избавить тебя от смерти! А она дала нам вот этот нож - видишь, какой он острый? Прежде чем взойдет солнце, ты должна вонзить его в сердце принца, и когда теплая кровь его брызнет тебе на ноги, они опять срастутся в рыбий хвост и ты опять станешь русалкой, спустишься к нам в море и проживешь свои триста лет, прежде чем превратишься в соленую пену морскую. Но спеши! Или он, или ты - один из вас должен умереть до восхода солнца. Убей принца и вернись к нам! Поспеши. Видишь, на небе показалась красная полоска? Скоро взойдет солнце, и ты умрешь!

С этими словами они глубоко вздохнули и погрузились в море.

Русалочка приподняла пурпуровую занавесь шатра и увидела, что головка молодой жены покоится на груди принца. Русалочка наклонилась и поцеловала его в прекрасный лоб, посмотрела на небо, где разгоралась утренняя заря, потом посмотрела на острый нож и опять устремила взор на принца, который во сне произнес имя своей жены - она одна была у него в мыслях! - и нож дрогнул в руках у русалочки. Еще минута - и она бросила его в волны, и они покраснели, как будто в том месте, где он упал, из моря выступили капли крови.

В последний раз взглянула она на принца полуугасшим взором, бросилась с корабля в море и почувствовала, как тело ее расплывается пеной.

Над морем поднялось солнце; лучи его любовно согревали мертвенно-холодную морскую пену, и русалочка не чувствовала смерти; она видела ясное солнце и какие-то прозрачные, чудные создания, сотнями реявшие над ней. Она видела сквозь них белые паруса корабля и розовые облака в небе; голос их звучал как музыка, но такая возвышенная, что человеческое ухо не расслышало бы ее, так же как человеческие глаза не видели их самих. У них не было крыльев, но они носились в воздухе, легкие и прозрачные. Русалочка заметила, что и она стала такой же, оторвавшись от морской пены.

К кому я иду? - спросила она, поднимаясь в воздухе, и ее голос звучал такою же дивною музыкой.

К дочерям воздуха! - ответили ей воздушные создания. - Мы летаем повсюду и всем стараемся приносить радость. В жарких странах, где люди гибнут от знойного, зачумленного воздуха, мы навеваем прохладу. Мы распространяем в воздухе благоухание цветов и несем людям исцеление и отраду... Летим с нами в заоблачный мир! Там ты обретешь любовь и счастье, каких не нашла на земле.

И русалочка протянула свои прозрачные руки к солнцу и в первый раз почувствовала у себя на глазах слезы.На корабле за это время все опять пришло в движение, и русалочка увидела, как принц с молодой женой ищут ее. Печально смотрели они на волнующуюся морскую пену, точно знали, что русалочка бросилась в волны. Невидимая, поцеловала русалочка красавицу в лоб, улыбнулась принцу и вознеслась вместе с другими детьми воздуха к розовым облакам, плававшим в небе.

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 year, one of the sisters would be fifteen: but as each was a year younger than the other, the youngest would have to wait five years before her turn came to rise up from the bottom of the ocean, and see the earth as we do. However, each promised to tell the others what she saw on her first visit, and what she thought the most beautiful; for their grandmother could not tell them enough; there were so many things on which they wanted information. None of them longed so much for her turn to come as the youngest, she who had the longest time to wait, and who was so quiet and thoughtful. Many nights 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 they looked larger than they do to our eyes. When something like a black cloud passed between her and them, she knew that it was either a whale swimming over her head, or a ship full of human beings, who never imagined that a pretty little mermaid was standing beneath them, holding out her white hands towards the keel of their ship.

As soon as the eldest was fifteen, she was allowed to rise to the surface of the ocean. When she came back, she had hundreds of things to talk about; but the most beautiful, she said, was to lie in the moonlight, on a sandbank, in the quiet sea, near the coast, and to gaze on a large town nearby, where the lights were twinkling like hundreds of stars; to listen to the sounds of the music, the noise of carriages, and the voices of human beings, and then to hear the merry bells peal out from the church steeples; and because she could not go near to all those wonderful things, she longed for them more than ever. Oh, did not the youngest sister listen eagerly to all these descriptions? and afterwards, when she stood at the open window looking up through the dark blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear the sound of the church bells, down in the depths of the sea.

In another year the second sister received permission to rise to the surface of the water, and to swim about where she pleased. She rose just as the sun was setting, and this, she said, was the most beautiful sight of all. The whole sky looked like gold, while violet and rose-colored clouds, which she could not describe, floated over her; and, still more rapidly than the clouds, flew a large flock of wild swans towards the setting sun, looking like a long white veil across the sea. She also swam towards the sun; but it sunk into the waves, and the rosy tints faded from the clouds and from the sea.

The third sister’s turn followed; she was the boldest of them all, and she swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea. On the banks she saw green hills covered with beautiful vines; palaces and castles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest; she heard the birds singing, and the rays of the sun were so powerful that she was obliged often to dive down under the water to cool her burning face. In a narrow creek she found a whole troop of little human children, quite naked, and sporting about in the water; she wanted to play with them, but they fled in a great fright; and then a little black animal came to the water; it was a dog, but she did not know that, for she had never before seen one. This animal barked at her so terribly that she became frightened, and rushed back to the open sea. But she said she should never forget the beautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty little children who could swim in the water, although they had not fish’s tails.

The fourth sister was more timid; she remained in the midst of the sea, but she said it was quite as beautiful there as nearer the land. She could see for so many miles around her, and the sky above looked like a bell of glass. She had seen the ships, but at such a great distance that they looked like sea-gulls. The dolphins sported in the waves, and the great whales spouted water from their nostrils till it seemed as if a hundred fountains were playing in every direction.

The fifth sister’s birthday occurred in the winter; so when her turn came, she saw what the others had not seen the first time they went up. The sea looked quite green, and large icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl, she said, but larger and loftier than the churches built by men. They were of the most singular shapes, and glittered like diamonds. She had seated herself upon one of the largest, and let the wind play with her long hair, and she remarked that all the ships sailed by rapidly, and steered as far away as they could from the iceberg, as if they were afraid of it. Towards evening, as the sun went down, dark clouds covered the sky, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the red light glowed on the icebergs as they rocked and tossed on the heaving sea. On all the ships the sails were reefed with fear and trembling, while she sat calmly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue lightning, as it darted its forked flashes into the sea.

When first the sisters had permission to rise to the surface, they were each delighted with the new and beautiful sights they saw; but now, as grown-up girls, they could go when they pleased, and they had become indifferent about it. They wished themselves back again in the water, and after a month had passed they said 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 arms round each other, and rise to the surface, in a row. They had more beautiful voices than any human being could have; and before the approach of a storm, and when they expected a ship would be lost, they swam before the vessel, and sang sweetly of the delights to be found in the depths of the sea, and begging the sailors not to fear if they sank to the bottom. But the sailors could not understand the song, they took it for the howling of the storm. And these things were never to be beautiful for them; for if the ship sank, the men were drowned, and their dead bodies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.

When the sisters rose, arm-in-arm, through the water in this way, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, looking after them, ready to cry, only that the mermaids have no tears, and therefore they suffer more. “Oh, were I but fifteen years old,” said she: “I know that I shall love the world up there, and all 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; “so you must let me adorn you like your other sisters;” and she placed a wreath of white lilies in her hair, and every flower leaf was half a pearl. Then the old lady ordered eight great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the princess to show her high rank.

“But they hurt me so,” said the little mermaid.

“Pride must suffer pain,” replied the old lady. Oh, how gladly she would have shaken off all this grandeur, and laid aside the heavy wreath! The red flowers in her own garden would have suited her much better, but she could not help herself: so she said, “Farewell,” and rose as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water. The sun had just set as she raised her head above the waves; but the clouds were tinted with crimson and gold, and through the glimmering twilight beamed the evening star in all its beauty. The sea was calm, and the air mild and fresh. A large ship, with three masts, lay becalmed on the water, with only one sail set; for not a breeze stiffed, and the sailors sat idle on deck or amongst 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 mermaid swam close to the cabin windows; and now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she could look in through clear glass window-panes, and see a number of well-dressed people within. Among them was a young prince, the most beautiful of all, with large black eyes; he was sixteen years of age, and his birthday was being kept with much rejoicing. The sailors were dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the cabin, more than a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day. The little mermaid was so startled that she dived under water; and when she again stretched out her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven were falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks before. Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew into the blue air, and everything was reflected in the clear, calm sea beneath. The ship itself was so brightly illuminated that all the people, and even the smallest rope, could be distinctly and plainly seen. And how handsome the young prince looked, as he pressed the hands of all present and smiled at them, while the music resounded through the clear night air.

It was very late; yet the little mermaid could not take her eyes from the ship, or from the beautiful prince. The colored lanterns had been extinguished, no more rockets rose in the air, and the cannon had ceased firing; but the sea became restless, and a moaning, grumbling sound could be heard beneath the waves: still the little mermaid remained by the cabin window, rocking up and down on the water, which enabled her to look in. After a while, the sails were quickly unfurled, and the noble ship continued her passage; but soon the waves rose higher, heavy clouds darkened the sky, and lightning appeared in the distance. A dreadful storm was approaching; once more the sails were reefed, and the great ship pursued her flying course over the raging sea. The waves rose mountains high, as if they would have overtopped the mast; but the ship dived like a swan between them, and then rose again on their lofty, foaming crests. To the little mermaid this appeared pleasant sport; not so to the sailors. At length the ship groaned and creaked; the thick planks gave way under the lashing of the sea as it broke over the deck; the mainmast snapped asunder like a reed; the ship lay over on her side; and the water rushed in. The little mermaid now perceived that the crew were in danger; even she herself was obliged to be careful to avoid the beams and planks of the wreck which lay scattered on the water. At one moment it was so pitch dark that she could not see a single object, but a flash of lightning revealed the whole scene; she could see every one who had been on board excepting the prince; when the ship parted, she had seen him sink into the deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would now be with her; and then she remembered that human beings could not live in the water, so that when he got down to her father’s palace he would be quite dead. But he must not die. So she swam about among the beams and planks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting that they could crush her to pieces. Then she dived deeply under the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, till at length she managed to reach the young prince, who was fast losing the power of swimming in that stormy sea. His limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his assistance. She held his head above the water, and let the waves drift them where they would.

In the morning the storm had ceased; but of the ship not a single fragment could be seen. The sun rose up red and glowing from the water, and its beams brought back 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, and she kissed him again, and wished that he might live. Presently they came in sight of land; she saw lofty blue mountains, on which the white snow rested as if a flock of swans were lying upon them. Near the coast were beautiful green forests, and close by stood a large building, whether a church or a convent she could not tell. Orange and citron trees grew in the garden, and before the door stood lofty palms. The sea here formed a little bay, in which the water was quite still, but very deep; so she swam with the handsome prince to the beach, which was covered with fine, white sand, and there she laid him in the warm sunshine, taking care to raise his head higher than his body. Then bells sounded in the large white building, and a number of young girls came into the garden. The little mermaid swam out farther from the shore and placed herself between some high rocks that rose out of the water; then she covered her head and neck with the foam of the sea so that her little face might not be seen, and watched to see what would become of the poor prince. She did not wait long before she saw a young girl approach the spot where he lay. She seemed frightened at first, but only for a moment; then she fetched a number of people, and the mermaid saw that the prince came to life again, and smiled upon those who stood round him. But to her he sent no smile; he knew not that she had saved him. This made her very unhappy, and when he was led away into the great building, she dived down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her father’s castle. She had always been silent and thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever. Her sisters asked her what she had seen during her first visit to the surface of the water; but she would tell them nothing. Many an evening and morning did she rise to the place where she had left the prince. She saw the fruits in the garden ripen till they were gathered, the snow on the tops of the mountains melt away; but she never saw the prince, and therefore she returned home, always more sorrowful than before. It was her only comfort to sit in her own little garden, and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue which was like the prince; but she gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy. At length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her sisters all about it. Then the others heard the secret, and very soon it became known to two mermaids whose intimate friend happened to know who the prince was. She had also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them where the prince came from, and where his palace stood.

“Come, little sister,” said the other princesses; then they entwined their arms and rose up in a long row to the surface of the water, close by the spot where they knew the prince’s palace stood. It was built of bright yellow shining stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to the sea. Splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between the pillars that surrounded the whole building stood life-like statues of marble. Through the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tapestry; while the walls were covered with beautiful paintings which were a pleasure to look at. In the centre of the largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up into the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the sun shone down upon the water and upon the beautiful plants growing round the basin of the fountain. Now that she knew where he lived, she spent many an evening and many a night on the water near the palace. She would swim much nearer the shore than any of the others ventured to do; indeed once she went quite up the narrow channel under the marble balcony, which threw a broad shadow on the water. Here she would sit and watch the young prince, who thought himself quite alone in the bright moonlight. She saw him many times of an evening sailing in a pleasant boat, with music playing and flags waving. She peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery-white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings. On many a night, too, when the fishermen, with their torches, were out at sea, she heard them relate so many good things about the doings of the young prince, that she was glad she had saved his life when he had been tossed about half-dead on the waves. And she remembered that his head had rested on her bosom, and how heartily she had kissed him; but he knew nothing of all this, and could not even dream of her. She grew more and more fond of human beings, and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own. They could fly over the sea in ships, and mount the high hills which were far above the clouds; and the lands they possessed, their woods and their fields, stretched far away beyond the reach of her sight. There was so much that she wished to know, and her sisters were unable to answer all her questions. Then she applied to her old grandmother, who knew all about the upper world, which she very rightly called the lands above the sea.

“If human beings are not drowned,” asked the little mermaid, “can they live forever? do they never die as we do here in the sea?”

“Yes,” replied the old lady, “they must 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 on the surface of the water, and we have not even a grave down here of those we love. We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off, we can never flourish more. Human beings, on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see.”

“Why have not we an immortal soul?” asked the little mermaid mournfully; “I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.”

“You must not think of that,” said the old woman; “we feel ourselves to be much happier and much better off than human beings.”

“So I shall die,” said the little mermaid, “and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about never again to hear the music of the waves, or to see the pretty flowers nor the red sun. Is there anything I can do to win an immortal soul?”

“No,” said the old woman, “unless a man were to love you so much that you were more to him than his father or mother; and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you, and the priest placed his right hand in yours, and he promised to be true to you here and hereafter, then his soul would glide into your body and you would obtain a share in the future happiness of mankind. He would give a soul to you and retain his own as well; but this can never happen. Your fish’s tail, which amongst us is considered so beautiful, is thought on earth to be quite ugly; they do not know any better, and they think it necessary to have two stout props, which they call legs, in order to be handsome.”

Then the little mermaid sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish’s tail. “Let us be happy,” said the old lady, “and dart and spring about during the three 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 are going to have a court ball.”

It is one of those splendid sights which we can never see on earth. The walls and the ceiling of the large ball-room were of thick, but transparent crystal. May hundreds of colossal shells, some of a deep red, others of a grass green, stood on each side in rows, with blue fire in them, which lighted up the whole saloon, and shone through the walls, so that the sea was also illuminated. Innumerable fishes, great and small, swam past the crystal walls; on some of them the scales glowed with a purple brilliancy, and on others they shone like silver and gold. Through the halls flowed a broad stream, and in it danced the mermen and the mermaids to the music of their own sweet singing. No one on earth has such a lovely voice as theirs. The little mermaid sang more sweetly than them all. The whole court applauded her with hands and tails; and for a moment her heart felt quite gay, for she knew she had the loveliest voice of any on earth or in the sea. But she soon thought again of the world above her, for she could not forget the charming prince, nor her sorrow that she had not 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 through the water, and thought-“He is certainly sailing above, he on whom my wishes depend, and in whose hands I should like to place the happiness of my life. I will venture all for him, and to win an immortal soul, while my sisters are dancing in my father’s palace, I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid, but she can give me counsel and help.”

And then the little mermaid went out from her garden, and took the road to the 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 to the whirlpool, where the water, like foaming mill-wheels, whirled round everything that it seized, and cast it into the fathomless deep. Through the midst of these crushing whirlpools the little mermaid was obliged to pass, to reach the dominions of the sea witch; and also for a long distance the only road lay right across a quantity of warm, bubbling mire, called by the witch her turfmoor. Beyond this stood her house, in the centre of a strange forest, in which all the trees and flowers were polypi, half animals and half plants; they looked like serpents with a hundred heads growing out of the ground. The branches were long slimy arms, with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb from the root to the top. All that could be reached in the sea they seized upon, and held fast, so that it 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 of the prince, and of the human soul for which she longed, and her courage returned. She fastened her long flowing hair round her head, so that the polypi might not seize hold of it. She laid her hands together across her bosom, and then she darted forward as a fish shoots through the water, between the supple arms and fingers of the 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 if they were iron bands. The white skeletons of human beings who had perished at sea, and had sunk down into the deep waters, skeletons of land animals, oars, rudders, and chests of ships were lying tightly grasped by their clinging arms; even a little mermaid, whom they had caught and strangled; and this seemed the most shocking of all to the little princess.

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

“I know what you want,” said the sea witch; “it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, and it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail, and to have two supports instead of it, like human beings on earth, so that the young prince may fall in love with you, and that you may have an immortal soul.” And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly, that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground, and lay there wriggling about. “You are but just in time,” said the witch; “for after sunrise to-morrow I should not be able to help you till the end of another year. I will prepare a draught for you, with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise, and sit down on the shore and drink it. Your tail will then disappear, and shrink up into what mankind calls legs, and you will feel great pain, as if a sword were passing through you. But all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly; but at every step you take it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives, and that the blood must flow. If you will bear all this, I will help you.”

“Yes, I will,” said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul.

“But think again,” said the witch; “for when once your shape has become like a human being, you can no more be a mermaid. You will never return through the water to your sisters, or to your father’s palace again; and if you do not win the love of the prince, so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake, and to love you with his whole soul, and allow the priest to join your hands that 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 become foam on the crest of the waves.”

“I will do it,” said the little mermaid, and she became pale as death.

“But I must be paid also,” said the witch, “and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also, but this voice you must give to me; the best thing you possess will I have for the price of my draught. My own blood must be mixed with it, that it may be as sharp as a two-edged sword.”

“But if you take away my voice,” said the little mermaid, “what is left for me?”

“Your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes; surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart. Well, have you lost your courage? Put out your little tongue that I may cut it off as my payment; then you shall have the powerful draught.”

“It shall be,” said the little mermaid.

Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire, to prepare the magic draught.

“Cleanliness is a good thing,” said she, scouring the vessel with snakes, which she had tied together in a large knot; then she pricked herself in the breast, and let the black blood drop into it. The steam that rose formed itself into such horrible shapes that no one could look at them without fear. Every moment the witch threw something else into the vessel, and when it began to boil, the sound was like the weeping of a crocodile. When at last the magic draught was ready, it looked like the clearest water. “There it is for you,” said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid’s tongue, so that she became dumb, and would never again speak or sing. “If the polypi should seize hold of you as you return through the wood,” said the witch, “throw over them a few drops of the potion, and their fingers will be torn into a thousand pieces.” But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this, for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the glittering draught, which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.

So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh, and between the rushing whirlpools. She saw that in her father’s palace the torches in the ballroom were extinguished, and all within asleep; but she did not venture to go in to them, for now she was dumb and going to leave them forever, she felt as if her heart would break. She stole into the garden, took a flower from the flower-beds of each of her sisters, kissed her hand a thousand times towards the palace, and then rose up through the dark blue waters. The sun had not risen when she came in sight of the prince’s palace, and approached the beautiful marble steps, but the moon shone clear and bright. Then the little mermaid drank the magic draught, and it seemed as if a two-edged sword went through her delicate body: she fell into a swoon, and lay like one dead. When the sun arose and shone over the sea, she recovered, and felt a sharp pain; but just before her stood the handsome young prince. He fixed his coal-black eyes upon her so earnestly that she cast down her own, and then became aware that her fish’s tail was gone, and that she had as pretty a pair of white legs and tiny feet as any little maiden could have; but she had no clothes, so she wrapped herself in her long, thick hair. The prince asked her who she was, and where she came from, and she looked at him mildly and sorrowfully with her deep blue eyes; but she could not speak. Every step she took was as the witch had said it would be, she felt as if treading upon the points of needles or sharp knives; but she bore it willingly, and stepped as lightly by the prince’s side as a soap-bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful-swaying movements. She was very soon arrayed in costly robes of silk and muslin, and was the most beautiful creature in the palace; but she was dumb, and could neither speak nor sing.

Beautiful female slaves, dressed in silk and gold, stepped forward and sang before the prince and his royal parents: one sang better than all the others, and the prince clapped his hands and smiled at her. This was great sorrow to the little mermaid; she knew how much more sweetly she herself could sing once, and she thought, “Oh if he could only know that! I have given away my voice forever, to be with him.”

The slaves next performed some pretty fairy-like dances, to the sound of beautiful music. Then the little mermaid raised her lovely white arms, stood on the tips of her toes, and glided over the floor, and danced as no one yet had been able to dance. At each moment her beauty became more revealed, and her expressive eyes appealed more directly to the heart than the songs of the slaves. Every one was enchanted, especially the prince, who called her his little foundling; and she danced again quite readily, to please him, though each time her foot touched the floor it seemed as if she trod on sharp knives.

The prince said she should remain with him always, and she received permission to sleep at his door, on a velvet cushion. He had a page’s dress made for her, that she might accompany him on horseback. They rode together through the sweet-scented woods, where the green boughs touched their shoulders, and the little birds sang among the fresh leaves. She climbed with the prince to the tops of high mountains; and although her tender feet bled so that even her steps were marked, she only laughed, and followed him till they could see the clouds beneath them looking like a flock of birds travelling to distant lands. While at the prince’s palace, and when all the household were asleep, she would go and sit on the broad marble steps; for it eased her burning feet to bathe them in the cold sea-water; and then she thought of all those below in the deep.

Once during the night her sisters came up arm-in-arm, singing sorrowfully, as they floated on the water. She beckoned to them, and then they recognized her, and told her how she had grieved them. After that, they came to the same place every night; and once she saw in the distance her old grandmother, who had not been to the surface of the sea for many years, and the old Sea King, her father, with his crown on his head. They stretched out their hands towards her, but they did not venture so near the land as her sisters did.

As the days passed, she loved the prince more fondly, and he loved her as he would love a little child, but it never came into his head to make her his wife; yet, unless he married her, she could not receive an immortal soul; and, on the morning after his marriage with another, she would dissolve into the foam of the sea.

“Do you not love me the 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.

“Yes, you are dear to me,” said the prince; “for you have the best heart, and you are the most devoted to me; you are like a young maiden whom I once saw, but whom I shall never meet again. I was in a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple, where several young maidens performed the service. The youngest of them found me on the shore, and saved my life. I saw her but twice, and she is the only one in the world whom I could love; but you are like her, and you have almost driven her image out of my mind. She belongs to the holy temple, and my good fortune 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 a neighboring 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 Little Mermaid

Characters:

Narrator - _______________________________________________________

The Little Mermaid Ariel - __________________________________________

Prince Eric - ______________________________________________________

Ursula, Vanessa - _________________________________________________

Sebastian - ______________________________________________________

Flounder - _______________________________________________________

King Triton - _____________________________________________________

Fish 1 - _________________________________________________________

Fish 2 - _________________________________________________________

Fish 3 - _________________________________________________________

Fish 4 - _________________________________________________________

Scene 1

Narrator : Not many people know that there is a wonderful world hidden from human eyes.

(Рыбки поют, танцуют с полотнами синего цвета, символизирующими морские волны. К концу танца они открывают кресло в форме ракушки, разойдясь по сторонам, на котором восседает Царь Тритон.)

Singers

There were some people

Who lived in the sea

They didn’t walk

Like you. Not me.

There were some people

Who lived in the sea

They swam

Like fish

They had fishtails

They danced with dolphins

Crabs and whales.

There was a Great Kingdom

Under the sea

Where all the merpeople

Lived and swam free.

The king of the mermaids was

Triton the Great

(К Тритону подходит Ариэль. Он встаёт и выводит её вперёд. Ариэль остаётся на сцене одна.)

Narrator: The king of the mermaids Triton the Great had seven pretty daughters. The least of mermaid princesses was Ariel. She was very pretty

But the most beautiful thing was her voice.

(Ариэль напевает, достаёт из-под кресла большую коробку и начинает в ней что-то искать.)

Narrator: She had a very interesting collection of unusual things which she found into the drowned ships.

Ariel: Oh, what a nice day today! Maybe today I will find some more nice things for my collection? I want to see the world of people so much! My father and sisters don’t understand me. ( Ариэль поёт )

Look at this stuff. Isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t she think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t she think I’m the girl
Girl who has evrything?

Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you’d think
Sure, she’s got evrything

I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got who’s-its and what’s-its galore
He want thing-a-ma-bobs?
I’ve got twenty
But who cares? No big deal
I want more

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see I’m dancing
Walking around on those
Whaddya call ‘em? Oh, feet

Flipping your fins, you don’t get too far
Legs are required for jumping, dancing
Stolling along down the
What’s that word again? Street

Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wandering free, wish I could be
Part of that world

(Ариэль прячется. На сцену с разных сторон выходят Себастьян и Флаундер.)

Sebastian: What a nice day!
Flounder: Yes, and I can`t sit.
Sebastian: But …where is our friend?
Flounder: Little Ariel?
Sebastian: Where is she? Ariel, where are you?
Flounder and Sebastian: Ariel! Ariel!
Ariel: I am here.

(Появляется Ариэль, но друзья ее не видят и продолжают искать.)

Ariel : ( громче, чтобы привлечь внимание друзей) I am here ! Follow me !
Sebastian: Wait! Wait! Where are you going, Ariel?
Ariel: I want to show you something very interesting!
Flounder: What? What is it?
Sebastian: Is it a big beautiful octopus?
Ariel: No!
Flounder: Is it a big beautiful crab?
Ariel: No!
Sebastian: Is it a big beautiful fish?
Ariel: ( теряя терпение ) No! No! No! I want to show you a big beautiful ship!
Flounder and Sebastian: A ship?
Ariel: Yes, a ship!
Flounder and Sebastian: A ship?
Ariel: Yes, yes, yes! Can`t you hear me!? A ship!
Flounder: ( в ужасе ) Oh, no! No, no, no! Not a ship …
Sebastian: Your father will be very angry!
Ariel: Come on! Don`t be afraid!
Flounder and Sebastian: No!
Ariel: Please!
Flounder and Sebastian: No!

Ariel: Please, dear friends! Only for a second! Please, please!
Flounder and Sebastian: O. K.

(На сцену выходят рыбки с полотнами – волнами. Ариэль и её друзья скрываются за ними.)

Scene 2

(Танцевальные движения с полотнами. Затем среди полотен появляются Ариэль, Себастьян и Флаундер.)

Ariel: Sebastian! Flounder! Look! A ship!

Flounder: There were sailors singing and dancing to happy music.

Sebastian: Look! One man is wearing rich clothes! He must be a prince.

Ariel: I’ve never seen a human this close before. Oh, he’s very handsome, isn’t he?

(Раздаётся раскат грома. Начинается буря.)

Flounder: Oh, dear! I think your father is very angry!
Sebastian: Yes, we are late! Your father is looking for us!
Flounder: Ariel! Let`s hurry! Let`s go home! (тянут Ариэль за руки ).
Ariel: I want to stay here a little longer! Please, friends, wait!
Sebastian: Ariel, look! The Ship is crashing.

Flounder: Ariel, hurry up! Let’s go back home!

Ariel: No! I must save the prince! Where is he? I can’t see him now!

Sebastian: He is under the waves!

Ariel: I must save the prince!

(Волны – полотна смыкаются, а когда раскрываются, на полу лежит принц Эрик и Ариэль рядом с ним.)

Flounder: Is he dead? No, look! He’s breathing!

Ariel: ( Ариэль поёт песню Эрику .)

What would I give
To live where you are?
What would I pay
To stay here beside you?
What would I do to see you
Smiling at me?

Where would we walk?
Where would we run?
If we could stay all day in the sun?
Just you and me
And I could be
Part of your world

(Ариэль снимает брошь у принца Эрика. Эрик приходит в себя и удаляется со сцены. Ариэль прячется в волнах )

I don"t know when
I don"t know how
But I know something"s starting right now
Watch and you"ll see
Some day I"ll be
Part of your world

Sebastian: Ariel! We have to go!

(Рыбки, оставив полотна по краям сцены, удаляются.)

Scene 3

( Ариэль , Себастьян и Флаундер разглядывают коллекцию вещей .)

Ariel: I wish I had legs so I could live on land and see you every day… Oh , if I were a human ….

( Достаёт брошь принца и разглядывает её. Входит Тритон .)

King Triton: Ariel! I just don’t know what we are going to do with you, young lady!!! What are you hiding? Show me! ( Отец видит брошь принца у дочери и вырывает ее из рук ) What is it?

Ariel: No, it’s nothing!

King Triton: Oh, my disobedient daughter!

How many times must I tell you: you couldn’t see by one of those humans!!! They are very dangerous!

Ariel: They are not dangerous. Especially he…he is the best of all…Father, I love him!

King Triton: Who!?

Ariel: The Prince…I have just saved him!

King Triton: Stop talking! As long as you live under my ocean you’ll obey my rules!!! Is it clear?? Now you are punished!

( Тритон уходит .)

Ariel: He loves me…I want to see him again!!!

Flounder: Ariel, stop talking in this way. But he can’t be with you…

Sebastian: Down here is your home.

( Песня и танец «В мире морском». Ариэль исчезает .)

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else"s lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin" for?

Under the sea
Under the sea
Darling it"s better
Down where it"s wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin"
Full time to floatin"
Under the sea

Flounder and Sebastian: Ariel! Ariel!

Flounder: Where is she? Ariel, where are you? Lets look for her !

(Все уходят со сцены.)

Scene 4

Narrator: Deep in the sea ,into a big cave lived the sea witch Ursula, the ugliest and the most cunning creature ever seen.

(Танцуя, на сцене появляется Урсула. Затем входит Ариэль.)

Ursula : Ariel ! Young lady! What are you doing here?
Ariel: Good afternoon. I`ve got a question.
Ursula: I know what you want. I can help you.
Ariel: Really? Is that true?
Ursula: Yes. Listen to me. You want to have legs and feet… and Prince Eric…
Ariel: Yes…
Ursula: OK. Take this. And drink. Oh, one more thing! How will you pay me?
Ariel: Pay? Yes, of course. But, but … what can I give you? I`m just a little mermaid…
Ursula: Give me your lovely voice!
Ariel: Well… take my voice and give me two feet!
Ursula: Are you sure?

Ariel: Yes, I love him more than my life!

Ursula : Sing!

(Ведьма превращает русалочку в человека. Ее голос оказывается в ракушке на шее у Урсулы!!!)

Ursula: Now you magic voice is mine. I will be able to keep it here into this shell!!!

Scene 5

( Русалочка сидит на берегу .)

Fish 1: Ariel! What’s the matter with you? You look so strange…

Fish 2: Where is your tail!?

Fish 3: Look! She has human legs!

Fish 4: Shhh, somebody’s coming, let’s hide!

(Появляется Принц Эрик)

Prince Eric: Oh, oh… My heart is beating so fast! ( обращаясь к Ариэль ) I think, I`ve seen you! I don`t remember where! I know your eyes! Who are you? Have we met before?

Ariel: ( кивает )

Prince Eric: What’s wrong? You can’t speak? I feel bad because I don’t know your name, let me guess. ..Diana? Mildred? Rachel?

Flounder: Ariel!

Prince Eric: Ariel!

Ariel: ( кивает )

Prince Eric: What a beautiful name! If only I could hear your voice!

But I think… It`s you! You saved my life !

(Принц берет ее за руку и ведет во дворец. Им навстречу идёт переодетая Урсула и поёт голосом Русалочки)

Vanessa : Eric , do you recognize me ?

Prince Eric: It’s you, my only and true love! Come to the palace, will you marry me?

Vanessa: Hurry up, my future husband! The wedding will be in the evening, it’s my wish!

Prince Eric: I’ll do everything you want!

(Принц и Ванесса уходят. Ариэль плачет.)

Fish 1: Ariel! Do you know who this woman is!

Fish 2: She’s Ursula, the witch!

Fish 3: We must stop the wedding.

Fish 4: Hurry up !!!

(Свадьба – танец, во время которого разбивается ракушка Урсулы.)

Ariel: Eric!

Prince Eric: You –you can talk…It was you-all the time…

Ariel: I wanted to tell you all the time. You wanted to marry this witch! I am your real savior.

Prince Eric: Forgive me! It’s all my fault! But now we can be together at last. Will you…?

Ariel: Oh, yes! It’s my wish!

Narrator: So our story has come to an end. Don’t forget that miracles can happen every moment of your life!

На английском языке

The Little Mermaid

Far out in the ocean the water is as blue as the petals of the loveliest cornflower, and as clear as the purest glass. But it is very deep too. It goes down deeper than any anchor rope will go, and many, many steeples would have to be stacked one on top of another to reach from the bottom to the surface of the sea. It is down there that the sea folk live.

Now don"t suppose that there are only bare white sands at the bottom of the sea. No indeed! The most marvelous trees and flowers grow down there, with such pliant stalks and leaves that the least stir in the water makes them move about as though they were alive. All sorts of fish, large and small, dart among the branches, just as birds flit through the trees up here. From the deepest spot in the ocean rises the palace of the sea king. Its walls are made of coral and its high pointed windows of the clearest amber, but the roof is made of mussel shells that open and shut with the tide. This is a wonderful sight to see, for every shell holds glistening pearls, any one of which would be the pride of a queen"s crown.

The sea king down there had been a widower for years, and his old mother kept house for him. She was a clever woman, but very proud of her noble birth. Therefore she flaunted twelve oysters on her tail while the other ladies of the court were only allowed to wear six. Except for this she was an altogether praiseworthy person, particularly so because she was extremely fond of her granddaughters, the little sea princesses. They were six lovely girls, but the youngest was the most beautiful of them all. Her skin was as soft and tender as a rose petal, and her eyes were as blue as the deep sea, but like all the others she had no feet. Her body ended in a fish tail.

The whole day long they used to play in the palace, down in the great halls where live flowers grew on the walls. Whenever the high amber windows were thrown open the fish would swim in, just as swallows dart into our rooms when we open the windows. But these fish, now, would swim right up to the little princesses to eat out of their hands and let themselves be petted.

Outside the palace was a big garden, with flaming red and deep-blue trees. Their fruit glittered like gold, and their blossoms flamed like fire on their constantly waving stalks. The soil was very fine sand indeed, but as blue as burning brimstone. A strange blue veil lay over everything down there. You would have thought yourself aloft in the air with only the blue sky above and beneath you, rather than down at the bottom of the sea. When there was a dead calm, you could just see the sun, like a scarlet flower with light streaming from its calyx.

Each little princess had her own small garden plot, where she could dig and plant whatever she liked. One of them made her little flower bed in the shape of a whale, another thought it neater to shape hers like a little mermaid, but the youngest of them made hers as round as the sun, and there she grew only flowers which were as red as the sun itself. She was an unusual child, quiet and wistful, and when her sisters decorated their gardens with all kinds of odd things they had found in sunken ships, she would allow nothing in hers except flowers as red as the sun, and a pretty marble statue. This figure of a handsome boy, carved in pure white marble, had sunk down to the bottom of the sea from some ship that was wrecked. Beside the statue she planted a rose-colored weeping willow tree, which thrived so well that its graceful branches shaded the statue and hung down to the blue sand, where their shadows took on a violet tint, and swayed as the branches swayed. It looked as if the roots and the tips of the branches were kissing each other in play.

Nothing gave the youngest princess such pleasure as to hear about the world of human beings up above them. Her old grandmother had to tell her all she knew about ships and cities, and of people and animals. What seemed nicest of all to her was that up on land the flowers were fragrant, for those at the bottom of the sea had no scent. And she thought it was nice that the woods were green, and that the fish you saw among their branches could sing so loud and sweet that it was delightful to hear them. Her grandmother had to call the little birds "fish," or the princess would not have known what she was talking about, for she had never seen a bird.

"When you get to be fifteen," her grandmother said, "you will be allowed to rise up out of the ocean and sit on the rocks in the moonlight, to watch the great ships sailing by. You will see woods and towns, too."

Next year one of her sisters would be fifteen, but the others - well, since each was a whole year older than the next the youngest still had five long years to wait until she could rise up from the water and see what our world was like. But each sister promised to tell the others about all that she saw, and what she found most marvelous on her first day. Their grandmother had not told them half enough, and there were so many thing that they longed to know about.

The most eager of them all was the youngest, the very one who was so quiet and wistful. Many a night she stood by her open window and looked up through the dark blue water where the fish waved their fins and tails. She could just see the moon and stars. To be sure, their light was quite dim, but looked at through the water they seemed much bigger than they appear to us. Whenever a cloud-like shadow swept across them, she knew that it was either a whale swimming overhead, or a ship with many human beings aboard it. Little did they dream that a pretty young mermaid was down below, stretching her white arms up toward the keel of their ship.

The eldest princess had her fifteenth birthday, so now she received permission to rise up out of the water. When she got back she had a hundred things to tell her sisters about, but the most marvelous thing of all, she said, was to lie on a sand bar in the moonlight, when the sea was calm, and to gaze at the large city on the shore, where the lights twinkled like hundreds of stars; to listen to music; to hear the chatter and clamor of carriages and people; to see so many church towers and spires; and to hear the ringing bells. Because she could not enter the city, that was just what she most dearly longed to do.

Oh, how intently the youngest sister listened. After this, whenever she stood at her open window at night and looked up through the dark blue waters, she thought of that great city with all of its clatter and clamor, and even fancied that in these depths she could hear the church bells ring.

The next year, her second sister had permission to rise up to the surface and swim wherever she pleased. She came up just at sunset, and she said that this spectacle was the most marvelous sight she had ever seen. The heavens had a golden glow, and as for the clouds - she could not find words to describe their beauty. Splashed with red and tinted with violet, they sailed over her head. But much faster than the sailing clouds were wild swans in a flock. Like a long white veil trailing above the sea, they flew toward the setting sun. She too swam toward it, but down it went, and all the rose-colored glow faded from the sea and sky.

The following year, her third sister ascended, and as she was the boldest of them all she swam up a broad river that flowed into the ocean. She saw gloriously green, vine-colored hills. Palaces and manor houses could be glimpsed through the splendid woods. She heard all the birds sing, and the sun shone so brightly that often she had to dive under the water to cool her burning face. In a small cove she found a whole school of mortal children, paddling about in the water quite naked. She wanted to play with them, but they took fright and ran away. Then along came a little black animal - it was a dog, but she had never seen a dog before. It barked at her so ferociously that she took fright herself, and fled to the open sea. But never could she forget the splendid woods, the green hills, and the nice children who could swim in the water although they didn"t wear fish tails.

The fourth sister was not so venturesome. She stayed far out among the rough waves, which she said was a marvelous place. You could see all around you for miles and miles, and the heavens up above you were like a vast dome of glass. She had seen ships, but they were so far away that they looked like sea gulls. Playful dolphins had turned somersaults, and monstrous whales had spouted water through their nostrils so that it looked as if hundreds of fountains were playing all around them.

Now the fifth sister had her turn. Her birthday came in the wintertime, so she saw things that none of the others had seen. The sea was a deep green color, and enormous icebergs drifted about. Each one glistened like a pearl, she said, but they were more lofty than any church steeple built by man. They assumed the most fantastic shapes, and sparkled like diamonds. She had seated herself on the largest one, and all the ships that came sailing by sped away as soon as the frightened sailors saw her there with her long hair blowing in the wind.

In the late evening clouds filled the sky. Thunder cracked and lightning darted across the heavens. Black waves lifted those great bergs of ice on high, where they flashed when the lightning struck.

On all the ships the sails were reefed and there was fear and trembling. But quietly she sat there, upon her drifting iceberg, and watched the blue forked lightning strike the sea.

Each of the sisters took delight in the lovely new sights when she first rose up to the surface of the sea. But when they became grown-up girls, who were allowed to go wherever they liked, they became indifferent to it. They would become homesick, and in a month they said that there was no place like the bottom of the sea, where they felt so completely at home.

On many an evening the older sisters would rise to the surface, arm in arm, all five in a row. They had beautiful voices, more charming than those of any mortal beings. When a storm was brewing, and they anticipated a shipwreck, they would swim before the ship and sing most seductively of how beautiful it was at the bottom of the ocean, trying to overcome the prejudice that the sailors had against coming down to them. But people could not understand their song, and mistook it for the voice of the storm. Nor was it for them to see the glories of the deep. When their ship went down they were drowned, and it was as dead men that they reached the sea king"s palace.

On the evenings when the mermaids rose through the water like this, arm in arm, their youngest sister stayed behind all alone, looking after them and wanting to weep. But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more.

"Oh, how I do wish I were fifteen!" she said. "I know I shall love that world up there and all the people who live in it."

And at last she too came to be fifteen.

"Now I"ll have you off my hands," said her grandmother, the old queen dowager. "Come, let me adorn you like your sisters." In the little maid"s hair she put a wreath of white lilies, each petal of which was formed from half of a pearl. And the old queen let eight big oysters fasten themselves to the princess"s tail, as a sign of her high rank.

"But that hurts!" said the little mermaid.

"You must put up with a good deal to keep up appearances," her grandmother told her.

Oh, how gladly she would have shaken off all these decorations, and laid aside the cumbersome wreath! The red flowers in her garden were much more becoming to her, but she didn"t dare to make any changes. "Good-by," she said, and up she went through the water, as light and as sparkling as a bubble.

The sun had just gone down when her head rose above the surface, but the clouds still shone like gold and roses, and in the delicately tinted sky sparkled the clear gleam of the evening star. The air was mild and fresh and the sea unruffled. A great three-master lay in view with only one of all its sails set, for there was not even the whisper of a breeze, and the sailors idled about in the rigging and on the yards. There was music and singing on the ship, and as night came on they lighted hundreds of such brightly colored lanterns that one might have thought the flags of all nations were swinging in the air.

The little mermaid swam right up to the window of the main cabin, and each time she rose with the swell she could peep in through the clear glass panes at the crowd of brilliantly dressed people within. The handsomest of them all was a young Prince with big dark eyes. He could not be more than sixteen years old. It was his birthday and that was the reason for all the celebration. Up on deck the sailors were dancing, and when the Prince appeared among them a hundred or more rockets flew through the air, making it as bright as day. These startled the little mermaid so badly that she ducked under the water. But she soon peeped up again, and then it seemed as if all the stars in the sky were falling around her. Never had she seen such fireworks. Great suns spun around, splendid fire-fish floated through the blue air, and all these things were mirrored in the crystal clear sea. It was so brilliantly bright that you could see every little rope of the ship, and the people could be seen distinctly. Oh, how handsome the young Prince was! He laughed, and he smiled and shook people by the hand, while the music rang out in the perfect evening.

It got very late, but the little mermaid could not take her eyes off the ship and the handsome Prince. The brightly colored lanterns were put out, no more rockets flew through the air, and no more cannon boomed. But there was a mutter and rumble deep down in the sea, and the swell kept bouncing her up so high that she could look into the cabin.

Now the ship began to sail. Canvas after canvas was spread in the wind, the waves rose high, great clouds gathered, and lightning flashed in the distance. Ah, they were in for a terrible storm, and the mariners made haste to reef the sails. The tall ship pitched and rolled as it sped through the angry sea. The waves rose up like towering black mountains, as if they would break over the masthead, but the swan-like ship plunged into the valleys between such waves, and emerged to ride their lofty heights. To the little mermaid this seemed good sport, but to the sailors it was nothing of the sort. The ship creaked and labored, thick timbers gave way under the heavy blows, waves broke over the ship, the mainmast snapped in two like a reed, the ship listed over on its side, and water burst into the hold.

Now the little mermaid saw that people were in peril, and that she herself must take care to avoid the beams and wreckage tossed about by the sea. One moment it would be black as pitch, and she couldn"t see a thing. Next moment the lightning would flash so brightly that she could distinguish every soul on board. Everyone was looking out for himself as best he could. She watched closely for the young Prince, and when the ship split in two she saw him sink down in the sea. At first she was overjoyed that he would be with her, but then she recalled that human people could not live under the water, and he could only visit her father"s palace as a dead man. No, he should not die! So she swam in among all the floating planks and beams, completely forgetting that they might crush her. She dived through the waves and rode their crests, until at length she reached the young Prince, who was no longer able to swim in that raging sea. His arms and legs were exhausted, his beautiful eyes were closing, and he would have died if the little mermaid had not come to help him. She held his head above water, and let the waves take them wherever the waves went.

At daybreak, when the storm was over, not a trace of the ship was in view. The sun rose out of the waters, red and bright, and its beams seemed to bring the glow of life back to the cheeks of the Prince, but his eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his high and shapely forehead. As she stroked his wet hair in place, it seemed to her that he looked like that marble statue in her little garden. She kissed him again and hoped that he would live.

She saw dry land rise before her in high blue mountains, topped with snow as glistening white as if a flock of swans were resting there. Down by the shore were splendid green woods, and in the foreground stood a church, or perhaps a convent; she didn"t know which, but anyway it was a building. Orange and lemon trees grew in its garden, and tall palm trees grew beside the gateway. Here the sea formed a little harbor, quite calm and very deep. Fine white sand had been washed up below the cliffs. She swam there with the handsome Prince, and stretched him out on the sand, taking special care to pillow his head up high in the warm sunlight.

The bells began to ring in the great white building, and a number of young girls came out into the garden. The little mermaid swam away behind some tall rocks that stuck out of the water. She covered her hair and her shoulders with foam so that no one could see her tiny face, and then she watched to see who would find the poor Prince.

In a little while one of the young girls came upon him. She seemed frightened, but only for a minute; then she called more people. The mermaid watched the Prince regain consciousness, and smile at everyone around him. But he did not smile at her, for he did not even know that she had saved him. She felt very unhappy, and when they led him away to the big building she dived sadly down into the water and returned to her father"s palace.

She had always been quiet and wistful, and now she became much more so. Her sisters asked her what she had seen on her first visit up to the surface, but she would not tell them a thing.

Many evenings and many mornings she revisited the spot where she had left the Prince. She saw the fruit in the garden ripened and harvested, and she saw the snow on the high mountain melted away, but she did not see the Prince, so each time she came home sadder than she had left. It was her one consolation to sit in her little garden and throw her arms about the beautiful marble statue that looked so much like the Prince. But she took no care of her flowers now. They overgrew the paths until the place was a wilderness, and their long stalks and leaves became so entangled in the branches of the tree that it cast a gloomy shade.

Finally she couldn"t bear it any longer. She told her secret to one of her sisters. Immediately all the other sisters heard about it. No one else knew, except a few more mermaids who told no one - except their most intimate friends. One of these friends knew who the Prince was. She too had seen the birthday celebration on the ship. She knew where he came from and where his kingdom was.

"Come, little sister!" said the other princesses. Arm in arm, they rose from the water in a long row, right in front of where they knew the Prince"s palace stood. It was built of pale, glistening, golden stone with great marble staircases, one of which led down to the sea. Magnificent gilt domes rose above the roof, and between the pillars all around the building were marble statues that looked most lifelike. Through the clear glass of the lofty windows one could see into the splendid halls, with their costly silk hangings and tapestries, and walls covered with paintings that were delightful to behold. In the center of the main hall a large fountain played its columns of spray up to the glass-domed roof, through which the sun shone down on the water and upon the lovely plants that grew in the big basin.

Now that she knew where he lived, many an evening and many a night she spent there in the sea. She swam much closer to shore than any of her sisters would dare venture, and she even went far up a narrow stream, under the splendid marble balcony that cast its long shadow in the water. Here she used to sit and watch the young Prince when he thought himself quite alone in the bright moonlight.

On many evenings she saw him sail out in his fine boat, with music playing and flags a-flutter. She would peep out through the green rushes, and if the wind blew her long silver veil, anyone who saw it mistook it for a swan spreading its wings.

On many nights she saw the fishermen come out to sea with their torches, and heard them tell about how kind the young Prince was. This made her proud to think that it was she who had saved his life when he was buffeted about, half dead among the waves. And she thought of how softly his head had rested on her breast, and how tenderly she had kissed him, though he knew nothing of all this nor could he even dream of it.

Increasingly she grew to like human beings, and more and more she longed to live among them. Their world seemed so much wider than her own, for they could skim over the sea in ships, and mount up into the lofty peaks high over the clouds, and their lands stretched out in woods and fields farther than the eye could see. There was so much she wanted to know. Her sisters could not answer all her questions, so she asked her old grandmother, who knew about the "upper world," which was what she said was the right name for the countries above the sea.

"If men aren"t drowned," the little mermaid asked, "do they live on forever? Don"t they die, as we do down here in the sea?"

"Yes," the old lady said, "they too must die, and their lifetimes are even shorter than ours. We can live to be three hundred years old, but when we perish we turn into mere foam on the sea, and haven"t even a grave down here among our dear ones. We have no immortal soul, no life hereafter. We are like the green seaweed - once cut down, it never grows again. Human beings, on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, long after their bodies have turned to clay. It rises through thin air, up to the shining stars. Just as we rise through the water to see the lands on earth, so men rise up to beautiful places unknown, which we shall never see."

"Why weren"t we given an immortal soul?" the little mermaid sadly asked. "I would gladly give up my three hundred years if I could be a human being only for a day, and later share in that heavenly realm."

"You must not think about that," said the old lady. "We fare much more happily and are much better off than the folk up there."

"Then I must also die and float as foam upon the sea, not hearing the music of the waves, and seeing neither the beautiful flowers nor the red sun! Can"t I do anything at all to win an immortal soul?"

"No," her grandmother answered, "not unless a human being loved you so much that you meant more to him than his father and mother. If his every thought and his whole heart cleaved to you so that he would let a priest join his right hand to yours and would promise to be faithful here and throughout all eternity, then his soul would dwell in your body, and you would share in the happiness of mankind. He would give you a soul and yet keep his own. But that can never come to pass. The very thing that is your greatest beauty here in the sea - your fish tail - would be considered ugly on land. They have such poor taste that to be thought beautiful there you have to have two awkward props which they call legs."

The little mermaid sighed and looked unhappily at her fish tail.

"Come, let us be gay!" the old lady said. "Let us leap and bound throughout the three hundred years that we have to live. Surely that is time and to spare, and afterwards we shall be glad enough to rest in our graves. - We are holding a court ball this evening."

This was a much more glorious affair than is ever to be seen on earth. The walls and the ceiling of the great ballroom were made of massive but transparent glass. Many hundreds of huge rose-red and grass-green shells stood on each side in rows, with the blue flames that burned in each shell illuminating the whole room and shining through the walls so clearly that it was quite bright in the sea outside. You could see the countless fish, great and small, swimming toward the glass walls. On some of them the scales gleamed purplish-red, while others were silver and gold. Across the floor of the hall ran a wide stream of water, and upon this the mermaids and mermen danced to their own entrancing songs. Such beautiful voices are not to be heard among the people who live on land. The little mermaid sang more sweetly than anyone else, and everyone applauded her. For a moment her heart was happy, because she knew she had the loveliest voice of all, in the sea or on the land. But her thoughts soon strayed to the world up above. She could not forget the charming Prince, nor her sorrow that she did not have an immortal soul like his. Therefore she stole out of her father"s palace and, while everything there was song and gladness, she sat sadly in her own little garden.

Then she heard a bugle call through the water, and she thought, "That must mean he is sailing up there, he whom I love more than my father or mother, he of whom I am always thinking, and in whose hands I would so willingly trust my lifelong happiness. I dare do anything to win him and to gain an immortal soul. While my sisters are dancing here, in my father"s palace, I shall visit the sea witch of whom I have always been so afraid. Perhaps she will be able to advise me and help me."

The little mermaid set out from her garden toward the whirlpools that raged in front of the witch"s dwelling. She had never gone that way before. No flowers grew there, nor any seaweed. Bare and gray, the sands extended to the whirlpools, where like roaring mill wheels the waters whirled and snatched everything within their reach down to the bottom of the sea. Between these tumultuous whirlpools she had to thread her way to reach the witch"s waters, and then for a long stretch the only trail lay through a hot seething mire, which the witch called her peat marsh. Beyond it her house lay in the middle of a weird forest, where all the trees and shrubs were polyps, half animal and half plant. They looked like hundred-headed snakes growing out of the soil. All their branches were long, slimy arms, with fingers like wriggling worms. They squirmed, joint by joint, from their roots to their outermost tentacles, and whatever they could lay hold of they twined around and never let go. The little mermaid was terrified, and stopped at the edge of the forest. Her heart thumped with fear and she nearly turned back, but then she remembered the Prince and the souls that men have, and she summoned her courage. She bound her long flowing locks closely about her head so that the polyps could not catch hold of them, folded her arms across her breast, and darted through the water like a fish, in among the slimy polyps that stretched out their writhing arms and fingers to seize her. She saw that every one of them held something that it had caught with its hundreds of little tentacles, and to which it clung as with strong hoops of steel. The white bones of men who had perished at sea and sunk to these depths could be seen in the polyps" arms. Ships" rudders, and seamen"s chests, and the skeletons of land animals had also fallen into their clutches, but the most ghastly sight of all was a little mermaid whom they had caught and strangled.

She reached a large muddy clearing in the forest, where big fat water snakes slithered about, showing their foul yellowish bellies. In the middle of this clearing was a house built of the bones of shipwrecked men, and there sat the sea witch, letting a toad eat out of her mouth just as we might feed sugar to a little canary bird. She called the ugly fat water snakes her little chickabiddies, and let them crawl and sprawl about on her spongy bosom.

"I know exactly what you want," said the sea witch. "It is very foolish of you, but just the same you shall have your way, for it will bring you to grief, my proud princess. You want to get rid of your fish tail and have two props instead, so that you can walk about like a human creature, and have the young Prince fall in love with you, and win him and an immortal soul besides." At this, the witch gave such a loud cackling laugh that the toad and the snakes were shaken to the ground, where they lay writhing.

"You are just in time," said the witch. "After the sun comes up tomorrow, a whole year would have to go by before I could be of any help to you. J shall compound you a draught, and before sunrise you must swim to the shore with it, seat yourself on dry land, and drink the draught down. Then your tail will divide and shrink until it becomes what the people on earth call a pair of shapely legs. But it will hurt; it will feel as if a sharp sword slashed through you. Everyone who sees you will say that you are the most graceful human being they have ever laid eyes on, for you will keep your gliding movement and no dancer will be able to tread as lightly as you. But every step you take will feel as if you were treading upon knife blades so sharp that blood must flow. I am willing to help you, but are you willing to suffer all this?"

"Yes," the little mermaid said in a trembling voice, as she thought of the Prince and of gaining a human soul.

"Remember!" said the witch. "Once you have taken a human form, you can never be a mermaid again. You can never come back through the waters to your sisters, or to your father"s palace. And if you do not win the love of the Prince so completely that for your sake he forgets his father and mother, cleaves to you with his every thought and his whole heart, and lets the priest join your hands in marriage, then you will win no immortal soul. If he marries someone else, your heart will break on the very next morning, and you will become foam of the sea."

"I shall take that risk," said the little mermaid, but she turned as pale as death.

"Also, you will have to pay me," said the witch, "and it is no trifling price that I"m asking. You have the sweetest voice of anyone down here at the bottom of the sea, and while I don"t doubt that you would like to captivate the Prince with it, you must give this voice to me. I will take the very best thing that you have, in return for my sovereign draught. I must pour my own blood in it to make the drink as sharp as a two-edged sword."

"But if you take my voice," said the little mermaid, "what will be left to me?"

"Your lovely form," the witch told her, "your gliding movements, and your eloquent eyes. With these you can easily enchant a human heart. Well, have you lost your courage? Stick out your little tongue and I shall cut it off. I"ll have my price, and you shall have the potent draught."

"Go ahead," said the little mermaid.

The witch hung her caldron over the flames, to brew the draught. "Cleanliness is a good thing," she said, as she tied her snakes in a knot and scoured out the pot with them. Then she pricked herself in the chest and let her black blood splash into the caldron. Steam swirled up from it, in such ghastly shapes that anyone would have been terrified by them. The witch constantly threw new ingredients into the caldron, and it started to boil with a sound like that of a crocodile shedding tears. When the draught was ready at last, it looked as clear as the purest water.

"There"s your draught," said the witch. And she cut off the tongue of the little mermaid, who now was dumb and could neither sing nor talk.

"If the polyps should pounce on you when you walk back through my wood," the witch said, "just spill a drop of this brew upon them and their tentacles will break in a thousand pieces." But there was no need of that, for the polyps curled up in terror as soon as they saw the bright draught. It glittered in the little mermaid"s hand as if it were a shining star. So she soon traversed the forest, the marsh, and the place of raging whirlpools.

She could see her father"s palace. The lights had been snuffed out in the great ballroom, and doubtless everyone in the palace was asleep, but she dared not go near them, now that she was stricken dumb and was leaving her home forever. Her heart felt as if it would break with grief. She tip-toed into the garden, took one flower from each of her sisters" little plots, blew a thousand kisses toward the palace, and then mounted up through the dark blue sea.

The sun had not yet risen when she saw the Prince"s palace. As she climbed his splendid marble staircase, the moon was shining clear. The little mermaid swallowed the bitter, fiery draught, and it was as if a two-edged sword struck through her frail body. She swooned away, and lay there as if she were dead. When the sun rose over the sea she awoke and felt a flash of pain, but directly in front of her stood the handsome young Prince, gazing at her with his coal-black eyes. Lowering her gaze, she saw that her fish tail was gone, and that she had the loveliest pair of white legs any young maid could hope to have. But she was naked, so she clothed herself in her own long hair.

The Prince asked who she was, and how she came to be there. Her deep blue eyes looked at him tenderly but very sadly, for she could not speak. Then he took her hand and led her into his palace. Every footstep felt as if she were walking on the blades and points of sharp knives, just as the witch had foretold, but she gladly endured it. She moved as lightly as a bubble as she walked beside the Prince. He and all who saw her marveled at the grace of her gliding walk.

Once clad in the rich silk and muslin garments that were provided for her, she was the loveliest person in all the palace, though she was dumb and could neither sing nor speak. Beautiful slaves, attired in silk and cloth of gold, came to sing before the Prince and his royal parents. One of them sang more sweetly than all the others, and when the Prince smiled at her and clapped his hands, the little mermaid felt very unhappy, for she knew that she herself used to sing much more sweetly.

"Oh," she thought, "if he only knew that I parted with my voice forever so that I could be near him."

Graceful slaves now began to dance to the most wonderful music. Then the little mermaid lifted her shapely white arms, rose up on the tips of her toes, and skimmed over the floor. No one had ever danced so well. Each movement set off her beauty to better and better advantage, and her eyes spoke more directly to the heart than any of the singing slaves could do.

She charmed everyone, and especially the Prince, who called her his dear little foundling. She danced time and again, though every time she touched the floor she felt as if she were treading on sharp-edged steel. The Prince said he would keep her with him always, and that she was to have a velvet pillow to sleep on outside his door.

He had a page"s suit made for her, so that she could go with him on horseback. They would ride through the sweet scented woods, where the green boughs brushed her shoulders, and where the little birds sang among the fluttering leaves.

She climbed up high mountains with the Prince, and though her tender feet bled so that all could see it, she only laughed and followed him on until they could see the clouds driving far below, like a flock of birds in flight to distant lands.

At home in the Prince"s palace, while the others slept at night, she would go down the broad marble steps to cool her burning feet in the cold sea water, and then she would recall those who lived beneath the sea. One night her sisters came by, arm in arm, singing sadly as they breasted the waves. When she held out her hands toward them, they knew who she was, and told her how unhappy she had made them all. They came to see her every night after that, and once far, far out to sea, she saw her old grandmother, who had not been up to the surface this many a year. With her was the sea king, with his crown upon his head. They stretched out their hands to her, but they did not venture so near the land as her sisters had.

Day after day she became more dear to the Prince, who loved her as one would love a good little child, but he never thought of making her his Queen. Yet she had to be his wife or she would never have an immortal soul, and on the morning after his wedding she would turn into foam on the waves.

"Don"t you love me best of all?" the little mermaid"s eyes seemed to question him, when he took her in his arms and kissed her lovely forehead.

"Yes, you are most dear to me," said the Prince, "for you have the kindest heart. You love me more than anyone else does, and you look so much like a young girl I once saw but never shall find again. I was on a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple, where many young girls performed the rituals. The youngest of them found me beside the sea and saved my life. Though I saw her no more than twice, she is the only person in all the world whom I could love. But you are so much like her that you almost replace the memory of her in my heart. She belongs to that holy temple, therefore it is my good fortune that I have you. We shall never part."

"Alas, he doesn"t know it was I who saved his life," the little mermaid thought. "I carried him over the sea to the garden where the temple stands. I hid behind the foam and watched to see if anyone would come. I saw the pretty maid he loves better than me." A sigh was the only sign of her deep distress, for a mermaid cannot cry. "He says that the other maid belongs to the holy temple. She will never come out into the world, so they will never see each other again. It is I who will care for him, love him, and give all my life to him."

Now rumors arose that the Prince was to wed the beautiful daughter of a neighboring King, and that it was for this reason he was having such a superb ship made ready to sail. The rumor ran that the Prince"s real interest in visiting the neighboring kingdom was to see the King"s daughter, and that he was to travel with a lordly retinue. The little mermaid shook her head and smiled, for she knew the Prince"s thoughts far better than anyone else did.

"I am forced to make this journey," he told her. "I must visit the beautiful Princess, for this is my parents" wish, but they would not have me bring her home as my bride against my own will, and I can never love her. She does not resemble the lovely maiden in the temple, as you do, and if I were to choose a bride, I would sooner choose you, my dear mute foundling with those telling eyes of yours." And he kissed her on the mouth, fingered her long hair, and laid his head against her heart so that she came to dream of mortal happiness and an immortal soul.

"I trust you aren"t afraid of the sea, my silent child " he said, as they went on board the magnificent vessel that was to carry them to the land of the neighboring King. And he told her stories of storms, of ships becalmed, of strange deep-sea fish, and of the wonders that divers have seen. She smiled at such stories, for no one knew about the bottom of the sea as well as she did.

In the clear moonlight, when everyone except the man at the helm was asleep, she sat on the side of the ship gazing down through the transparent water, and fancied she could catch glimpses of her father"s palace. On the topmost tower stood her old grandmother, wearing her silver crown and looking up at the keel of the ship through the rushing waves. Then her sisters rose to the surface, looked at her sadly, and wrung their white hands. She smiled and waved, trying to let them know that all went well and that she was happy. But along came the cabin boy, and her sisters dived out of sight so quickly that the boy supposed the flash of white he had seen was merely foam on the sea.

Next morning the ship came in to the harbor of the neighboring King"s glorious city. All the church bells chimed, and trumpets were sounded from all the high towers, while the soldiers lined up with flying banners and glittering bayonets. Every day had a new festivity, as one ball or levee followed another, but the Princess was still to appear. They said she was being brought up in some far-away sacred temple, where she was learning every royal virtue. But she came at last.

The little mermaid was curious to see how beautiful this Princess was, and she had to grant that a more exquisite figure she had never seen. The Princess"s skin was clear and fair, and behind the long, dark lashes her deep blue eyes were smiling and devoted.

"It was you!" the Prince cried. "You are the one who saved me when I lay like a dead man beside the sea." He clasped the blushing bride of his choice in his arms. "Oh, I am happier than a man should be!" he told his little mermaid. "My fondest dream - that which I never dared to hope - has come true. You will share in my great joy, for you love me more than anyone does."

The little mermaid kissed his hand and felt that her heart was beginning to break. For the morning after his wedding day would see her dead and turned to watery foam.

All the church bells rang out, and heralds rode through the streets to announce the wedding. Upon every altar sweet-scented oils were burned in costly silver lamps. The priests swung their censers, the bride and the bridegroom joined their hands, and the bishop blessed their marriage. The little mermaid, clothed in silk and cloth of gold, held the bride"s train, but she was deaf to the wedding march and blind to the holy ritual. Her thought turned on her last night upon earth, and on all she had lost in this world.

That same evening, the bride and bridegroom went aboard the ship. Cannon thundered and banners waved. On the deck of the ship a royal pavilion of purple and gold was set up, and furnished with luxurious cushions. Here the wedded couple were to sleep on that calm, clear night. The sails swelled in the breeze, and the ship glided so lightly that it scarcely seemed to move over the quiet sea. All nightfall brightly colored lanterns were lighted, and the mariners merrily danced on the deck. The little mermaid could not forget that first time she rose from the depths of the sea and looked on at such pomp and happiness. Light as a swallow pursued by his enemies, she joined in the whirling dance. Everyone cheered her, for never had she danced so wonderfully. Her tender feet felt as if they were pierced by daggers, but she did not feel it. Her heart suffered far greater pain. She knew that this was the last evening that she ever would see him for whom she had forsaken her home and family, for whom she had sacrificed her lovely voice and suffered such constant torment, while he knew nothing of all these things. It was the last night that she would breathe the same air with him, or look upon deep waters or the star fields of the blue sky. A never-ending night, without thought and without dreams, awaited her who had no soul and could not get one. The merrymaking lasted long after midnight, yet she laughed and danced on despite the thought of death she carried in her heart. The Prince kissed his beautiful bride and she toyed with his coal-black hair. Hand in hand, they went to rest in the magnificent pavilion.

A hush came over the ship. Only the helmsman remained on deck as the little mermaid leaned her white arms on the bulwarks and looked to the east to see the first red hint of daybreak, for she knew that the first flash of the sun would strike her dead. Then she saw her sisters rise up among the waves. They were as pale as she, and there was no sign of their lovely long hair that the breezes used to blow. It had all been cut off.

"We have given our hair to the witch," they said, "so that she would send you help, and save you from death tonight. She gave us a knife. Here it is. See the sharp blade! Before the sun rises, you must strike it into the Prince"s heart, and when his warm blood bathes your feet they will grow together and become a fish tail. Then you will be a mermaid again, able to come back to us in the sea, and live out your three hundred years before you die and turn into dead salt sea foam. Make haste! He or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother is so grief-stricken that her white hair is falling fast, just as ours did under the witch"s scissors. Kill the Prince and come back to us. Hurry! Hurry! See that red glow in the heavens! In a few minutes the sun will rise and you must die." So saying, they gave a strange deep sigh and sank beneath the waves.

The little mermaid parted the purple curtains of the tent and saw the beautiful bride asleep with her head on the Prince"s breast. The mermaid bent down and kissed his shapely forehead. She looked at the sky, fast reddening for the break of day. She looked at the sharp knife and again turned her eyes toward the Prince, who in his sleep murmured the name of his bride. His thoughts were all for her, and the knife blade trembled in the mermaid"s hand. But then she flung it from her, far out over the waves. Where it fell the waves were red, as if bubbles of blood seethed in the water. With eyes already glazing she looked once more at the Prince, hurled herself over the bulwarks into the sea, and felt her body dissolve in foam.

The sun rose up from the waters. Its beams fell, warm and kindly, upon the chill sea foam, and the little mermaid did not feel the hand of death. In the bright sunlight overhead,she saw hundreds of fair ethereal beings. They were so transparent that through them she could see the ship"s white sails and the red clouds in the sky. Their voices were sheer music, but so spirit-like that no human ear could detect the sound, just as no eye on earth could see their forms. Without wings, they floated as light as the air itself. The little mermaid discovered that she was shaped like them, and that she was gradually rising up out of the foam.

"Who are you, toward whom I rise?" she asked, and her voice sounded like those above her, so spiritual that no music on earth could match it.

"We are the daughters of the air," they answered. "A mermaid has no immortal soul, and can never get one unless she wins the love of a human being. Her eternal life must depend upon a power outside herself. The daughters of the air do not have an immortal soul either, but they can earn one by their good deeds. We fly to the south, where the hot poisonous air kills human beings unless we bring cool breezes. We carry the scent of flowers through the air, bringing freshness and healing balm wherever we go. When for three hundred years we have tried to do all the good that we can, we are given an immortal soul and a share in mankind"s eternal bliss. You, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do this too. Your suffering and your loyalty have raised you up into the realm of airy spirits, and now in the course of three hundred years you may earn by your good deeds a soul that will never die."

The little mermaid lifted her clear bright eyes toward God"s sun, and for the first time her eyes were wet with tears.

On board the ship all was astir and lively again. She saw the Prince and his fair bride in search of her. Then they gazed sadly into the seething foam, as if they knew she had hurled herself into the waves. Unseen by them, she kissed the bride"s forehead, smiled upon the Prince, and rose up with the other daughters of the air to the rose-red clouds that sailed on high.

"This is the way that we shall rise to the kingdom of God, after three hundred years have passed."

"We may get there even sooner," one spirit whispered. "Unseen, we fly into the homes of men, where there are children, and for every day on which we find a good child who pleases his parents and deserves their love, God shortens our days of trial. The child does not know when we float through his room, but when we smile at him in approval one year is taken from our three hundred. But if we see a naughty, mischievous child we must shed tears of sorrow, and each tear adds a day to the time of our trial."

На русском языке

Русалочка

В открытом море вода совсем синяя, как лепестки хорошеньких васильков, и прозрачная, как хрусталь, — но зато и глубоко там! Ни один якорь не достанет до дна: на дно моря пришлось бы поставить одну на другую много-много колоколен, чтобы они могли высунуться из воды. На самом дне живут русалки.

Не подумайте, что там, на дне, один голый белый песок; нет, там растут удивительнейшие деревья и цветы с такими гибкими стебельками и листьями, что они шевелятся, как живые, при малейшем движении воды. Между ветвями их шныряют маленькие и большие рыбки, точь-в-точь как у нас здесь птицы. В самом глубоком месте стоит коралловый дворец морского царя с большими остроконечными окнами из чистейшего янтаря и с крышей из раковин, которые то открываются, то закрываются, смотря по приливу и отливу; выходит очень красиво, так как в середине каждой раковины лежит по жемчужине такой красоты, что и одна из них украсила бы корону любой королевы.

Морской царь давным-давно овдовел, и хозяйством у него заправляла его старуха мать — женщина умная, но очень гордая своим родом; она носила на хвосте целую дюжину устриц, тогда как вельможи имели право носить только по шести. Вообще же она была особа достойная, особенно потому, что очень любила своих маленьких внучек. Все шесть принцесс были прехорошенькими русалочками, но лучше всех была самая младшая, нежная и прозрачная, как лепесток розы, с глубокими, синими, как море, глазами. Но и у нее, как у других русалок, не было ножек, а только рыбий хвост.

День-деньской играли принцессы в огромных дворцовых залах, где по стенам росли живые цветы. В открытые янтарные окна вплывали рыбки, как у нас, бывает, влетают ласточки; рыбки подплывали к маленьким принцессам, ели из их рук и позволяли себя гладить.

Возле дворца был большой сад; там росло много огненно-красных и темно-голубых деревьев с вечно колеблющимися ветвями и листьями; плоды их при этом движении сверкали, как золото, а цветы — как огоньки. Сама земля была усыпана мелким голубоватым, как серное пламя, песком; на дне морском на всем лежал какой-то удивительный голубоватый отблеск — можно было, скорее, подумать, что витаешь высоко-высоко в воздухе, причем небо у тебя не только над головой, но и под ногами. В безветрие можно было также видеть солнце; оно смотрело пурпуровым цветком, из чашечки которого лился свет.

У каждой принцессы было в саду свое местечко; тут они могли копать и сажать что хотели. Одна сделала себе цветочную грядку в виде кита, другой захотелось, чтобы ее грядка была похожа на русалочку, а самая младшая сделала себе грядку круглую, как солнышко, и засадила ее такими же ярко-красными цветами. Странное дитя была эта русалочка: такая тихая, задумчивая... Другие сестры украшали себя разными разностями, которые доставлялись им с разбитых кораблей, а она любила только свои красные, как солнышко, цветочки да прекрасного белого мраморного мальчика, упавшего на дно моря с какого-то погибшего корабля. Русалочка посадила у статуи красную плакучую иву, которая чудесно разрослась; ветви ее перевешивались через статую и клонились на голубой песок, где колебалась их фиолетовая тень: вершина и корни точно играли и целовались друг с другом!

Больше всего любила русалочка слушать рассказы о людях, живущих наверху, на земле. Старуха бабушка должна была рассказывать ей все, что только знала, о кораблях и городах, о людях и о животных. Особенно занимало и удивляло русалочку, что цветы на земле пахли, — не то что тут, в море! — что леса там были зеленого цвета, а рыбки, которые жили в ветвях, чудесно пели. Бабушка называла рыбками птичек, иначе внучки не поняли бы ее: они ведь сроду не видывали птиц.

— Когда вам исполнится пятнадцать лет, — говорила бабушка, — вам тоже можно будет всплывать на поверхность моря, сидеть, при свете месяца, на скалах и смотреть на плывущие мимо огромные корабли, на леса и города!

В этот год старшей принцессе как раз должно было исполниться пятнадцать лет, но другим сестрам — а они все были погодки — приходилось еще ждать, и дольше всех — целых пять лет — самой младшей. Но каждая обещала рассказать остальным сестрам о том, что ей больше всего понравится в первый день: рассказы бабушки мало удовлетворяли их любопытство, им хотелось знать обо всем поподробнее.

Никого не тянуло так на поверхность моря, как самую младшую, тихую, задумчивую русалочку, которой приходилось ждать дольше всех. Сколько ночей провела она у открытого окна, вглядываясь в синеву моря, где шевелили своими плавниками и хвостами целые стаи рыбок! Она могла разглядеть сквозь воду месяц и звезды; они, конечно, блестели не так ярко, но зато казались гораздо больше, чем кажутся нам. Случалось, что под ними скользило как будто большое облако, и русалочка знала, что это или проплывал над нею кит, или проходил корабль с сотнями людей; они и не думали о хорошенькой русалочке, что стояла там, в глубине моря, и протягивала к килю корабля свои белые ручки.

Но вот старшей принцессе исполнилось пятнадцать лет, и ей было позволено всплыть на поверхность моря.

Вот было рассказов, когда она вернулась назад! Лучше же всего, по ее словам, было лежать в тихую погоду на песчаной отмели и нежиться, при свете месяца, любуясь раскинувшимся по берегу городом: там, точно сотни звездочек, горели огоньки, слышалась музыка, шум и грохот экипажей, виднелись башни со шпицами, звонили колокола. Да, именно потому, что ей нельзя было попасть туда, ее больше всего и манило это зрелище.

Как жадно слушала ее рассказы самая младшая сестрица. Стоя вечером у открытого окна и вглядываясь в морскую синеву, она только и думала что о большом шумном городе, и ей казалось даже, что она слышит звон колоколов.

Через год и вторая сестра получила позволение подниматься на поверхность моря и плыть куда хочет. Она вынырнула из воды как раз в ту минуту, когда солнце садилось, и нашла, что лучше этого зрелища ничего и быть не может. Небо сияло, как расплавленное золото, рассказывала она, а облака... да тут у нее уж и слов не хватало! Окрашенные в пурпуровые и фиолетовые цвета, они быстро неслись по небу, но еще быстрее них неслась к солнцу, точно длинная белая вуаль, стая лебедей; русалочка тоже поплыла было к солнцу, но оно опустилось в море, и по небу и воде разлилась розовая вечерняя заря.

Еще через год всплыла на поверхность моря третья принцесса; эта была смелее всех и проплыла в широкую реку, которая впадала в море. Тут она увидала зеленые холмы, покрытые виноградниками, дворцы и дома, окруженные чудесными рощами, где пели птицы; солнышко светило и грело так, что ей не раз приходилось нырять в воду, чтобы освежить свое пылающее лицо. В маленькой бухте она увидела целую толпу голеньких человечков, которые плескались в воде; она хотела было поиграть с ними, но они испугались ее и убежали, а вместо них появился какой-то черный зверек и так страшно принялся на нее тяфкать, что русалка перепугалась и уплыла назад в море; зверек этот была собака, но русалка ведь никогда еще не видала собак.

И вот принцесса все вспоминала эти чудные леса, зеленые холмы и прелестных детей, которые умели плавать, хоть у них и не было рыбьего хвоста!

Четвертая сестра не была такою смелой; она держалась больше в открытом море и рассказывала, что это было лучше всего: куда ни оглянись, на много-много миль вокруг — одна вода да небо, опрокинувшееся над водой, точно огромный стеклянный купол; вдали, как морские чайки, проносились большие корабли, играли и кувыркались забавные дельфины и пускали из ноздрей сотни фонтанов огромные киты.

Потом пришла очередь предпоследней сестры; ее день рождения приходился зимой, и потому она увидала в первый раз то, чего не видели другие: море было зеленоватого цвета, повсюду плавали большие ледяные горы: ни дать ни взять жемчужины, рассказывала она, но такие огромные, выше самых высоких колоколен! Некоторые из них были очень причудливой формы и блестели, как алмазные. Она уселась на самую большую, ветер развевал ее длинные волосы, а моряки испуганно обходили гору подальше. К вечеру небо покрылось тучами, засверкала молния, загремел гром и темное море стало бросать ледяные глыбы из стороны в сторону, а они так и сверкали при блеске молнии. На кораблях убирали паруса, люди метались в страхе и ужасе, а она спокойно плыла себе на ледяной горе и смотрела, как огненные зигзаги молнии, прорезав небо, падали в море.

Вообще, каждая из сестер была в восторге от того, что видела в первый раз: все было для них ново и потому нравилось; но, получив, как взрослые девушки, позволение плавать повсюду, они скоро присмотрелись ко всему и через месяц стали уже говорить, что везде хорошо, а дома лучше.

Часто по вечерам все пять сестер сплетались руками и поднимались на поверхность воды; у всех были чудеснейшие голоса, каких не бывает у людей на земле, и вот, когда начиналась буря и они видели, что кораблям грозит опасность, они подплывали к ним, пели о чудесах подводного царства и просили моряков не бояться опуститься на дно; но моряки не могли разобрать слов; им казалось, что это просто шумит буря; да им все равно не удалось бы увидать на дне никаких чудес: если корабль погибал, люди тонули и приплывали ко дворцу морского царя уже мертвыми.

Младшая же русалочка, в то время как сестры ее всплывали рука об руку на поверхность моря, оставалась одна-одинешенька и смотрела им вслед, готовая заплакать, но русалки не могут плакать, и оттого ей было еще тяжелее.

— Ах, когда же мне будет пятнадцать лет? — говорила она. — Я знаю, что очень полюблю и тот свет, и людей, которые там живут!

Наконец и ей исполнилось пятнадцать лет!

— Ну вот, вырастили и тебя! — сказала бабушка, вдовствующая королева. — Поди сюда, надо и тебя принарядить, как других сестер!

И она надела русалочке на голову венец из белых жемчужных лилий — каждый лепесток был половинкой жемчужины, потом, для обозначения высокого сана принцессы, приказала прицепиться к ее хвосту восьмерым устрицам.

— Да это больно! — сказала русалочка.

— Ради красоты приходится и потерпеть немножко! — сказала старуха.

Ах, с каким удовольствием скинула бы с себя русалочка все эти уборы и тяжелый венец: красненькие цветочки из ее садика шли ей куда больше, но делать нечего!

— Прощайте! — сказала она и легко и плавно, точно прозрачный водяной пузырь, поднялась на поверхность.

Солнце только что село, но облака еще сияли пурпуром и золотом, тогда как в красноватом небе уже зажигались чудесные ясные вечерние звездочки; воздух был мягок и свеж, а море лежало, как зеркало. Неподалеку от того места, где вынырнула русалочка, стоял трехмачтовый корабль всего лишь с одним поднятым парусом: не было ведь ни малейшего ветерка; на вантах и мачтах сидели матросы, с палубы неслись звуки музыки и песен; когда же совсем стемнело, корабль осветился сотнями разноцветных фонариков; казалось, что в воздухе замелькали флаги всех наций. Русалочка подплыла к самым окнам каюты и, когда волны слегка приподнимали ее, она могла заглянуть в каюту. Там было множество разодетых людей, но лучше всех был молодой принц с большими черными глазами. Ему, наверное, было не больше шестнадцати лет; в тот день праздновалось его рождение, оттого на корабле и шло такое веселье. Матросы плясали на палубе, а когда вышел туда молодой принц, кверху взвились сотни ракет, и стало светло как днем, так что русалочка совсем перепугалась и нырнула в воду, но скоро опять высунула головку, и ей показалось, что все звездочки небесные попадали к ней в море. Никогда еще не видела она такой огненной потехи: большие солнца вертелись колесом, великолепные огненные рыбы крутили в воздухе хвостами, и все это отражалось в тихой, ясной воде. На самом корабле было так светло, что можно было различить каждую веревку, а людей и подавно. Ах, как хорош был молодой принц! Он пожимал людям руки, улыбался и смеялся, а музыка все гремела и гремела в тишине чудной ночи.

Становилось уже поздно, но русалочка глаз не могла оторвать от корабля и от красавца принца. Разноцветные огоньки потухли, ракеты больше не взлетали в воздух, не слышалось и пушечных выстрелов, зато загудело и застонало самое море. Русалочка качалась на волнах рядом с кораблем и все заглядывала в каюту, а корабль несся все быстрее и быстрее, паруса развертывались один за другим, ветер крепчал, заходили волны, облака сгустились, и засверкала молния. Начиналась буря! Матросы принялись убирать паруса; огромный корабль страшно качало, а ветер так и мчал его по бушующим волнам; вокруг корабля вставали высокие водяные горы, грозившие сомкнуться над мачтами корабля, но он нырял между водяными стенами, как лебедь, и снова взлетал на гребень волн. Русалочку буря только забавляла, но морякам приходилось плохо: корабль трещал, толстые бревна разлетались в щепки, волны перекатывались через палубу, мачты ломались, как тростинки, корабль перевернулся набок, и вода хлынула в трюм. Тут русалочка поняла опасность — ей и самой приходилось остерегаться бревен и обломков, носившихся по волнам. На минуту сделалось вдруг так темно, хоть глаз выколи; но вот опять блеснула молния, и русалочка вновь увидела всех бывших на корабле людей; каждый спасался, как умел. Русалочка отыскала глазами принца и увидела, как он погрузился в воду, когда корабль разбился на части. Сначала русалочка очень обрадовалась тому, что он попадет теперь к ним на дно, но потом вспомнила, что люди не могут жить в воде и что он может приплыть во дворец ее отца только мертвым. Нет, нет, он не должен умирать! И она поплыла между бревнами и досками, совсем забывая, что они во всякую минуту могут раздавить ее самое. Приходилось то нырять в самую глубину, то взлетать кверху вместе с волнами; но вот наконец она настигла принца, который уже почти совсем выбился из сил и не мог больше плыть по бурному морю; руки и ноги отказались ему служить, а прелестные глаза закрылись; он умер бы, не явись ему на помощь русалочка. Она приподняла над водой его голову и предоставила волнам нести их обоих куда угодно.

К утру непогода стихла; от корабля не осталось и щепки; солнце опять засияло над водой, и его яркие лучи как будто вернули щекам принца их живую окраску, но глаза его все еще не открывались.

Русалочка откинула со лба принца волосы и поцеловала его в высокий красивый лоб; ей показалось, что он похож на мраморного мальчика, что стоял у нее в саду; она поцеловала его еще раз и от души пожелала, чтобы он остался жив.

Наконец она завидела твердую землю и высокие, уходящие в небо горы, на вершинах которых, точно стаи лебедей, белели снега. У самого берега зеленела чудная роща, а повыше стояло какое-то здание, вроде церкви или монастыря. В роще росли апельсиновые и лимонные деревья, а у ворот здания — высокие пальмы. Море врезывалось в белый песчаный берег небольшим заливом, где вода была очень тиха, но глубока; сюда-то приплыла русалочка и положила принца на песок, позаботившись о том, чтобы голова его лежала повыше и на самом солнышке.

В это время в высоком белом здании зазвонили колокола и в сад высыпала целая толпа молодых девушек. Русалочка отплыла подальше за высокие камни, которые торчали из воды, покрыла себе волосы и грудь морскою пеной — теперь никто не различил бы в этой пене ее беленького личика — и стала ждать, не придет ли кто на помощь бедному принцу.

Ждать пришлось недолго: к принцу подошла одна из молодых девушек и сначала очень испугалась, но скоро собралась с духом и позвала на помощь людей

Хочется не секунду вернуться в детство? Существует проверенный способ – пересмотрите любимые мультфильмы. Тем более что, кроме ярких картинок и приятных воспоминаний, это еще и отличный способ подтянуть английский. Заинтриговали? Тогда давайте начнем прямо сейчас с мультика «Русалочка» (The little mermaid) и послушаем зажигательную композицию в исполнении Краба Себастьяна.

История песни «В мире морском»

Краб Себастьян рассказывает русалочке Ариэль о том, как хорошо жить в океане. У него это получилось настолько удачно, что в 1989 году данная композиция была удостоена премии «Оскар», как лучшая песня к мультфильму. Авторами шедевра являются Алан Менкен и Говард Ашман. У Алана Менкена даже есть своя звезда на Голливудском бульваре. Оно и не удивительно, ведь этот человек писал музыку ко многим композициям из мультфильмов Диснея: Алладин, Красавица и Чудовище, Белоснежка и другие.

Эту мелодию до сих пор исполняют в парках Диснея, на нее пишут пародии и включают во всевозможные выступления.

Текст песни «В мире морском»

(Ariel, listen to me.
The human world, it"s a mess.
Life under the sea
is better than anything they got up there.)

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else"s lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin" for?

Under the sea (2 times)
Darling it"s better
Down where it"s wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin"
Full time to floatin"
Under the sea

Down here all the fish is happy
As off through the waves they roll
The fish on the land ain"t happy
They sad "cause they in their bowl
But fish in the bowl is lucky
They in for a worser fate
One day when the boss get hungry
Guess who"s gon" be on the plate

Under the sea (2 times)
Nobody beat us
Fry us and eat us
In fricassee
We what the land folks loves to cook
Under the sea we off the hook
We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under the sea (2 times)
Since life is sweet here
We got the beat here
Naturally
Even the sturgeon an" the ray
They get the urge "n" start to play
We got the spirit
You got to hear it
Under the sea

The newt play the flute
The carp play the harp
The plaice play the bass
And they soundin" sharp
The bass play the brass
The chub play the tub
The fluke is the duke of soul
(Yeah)
The ray he can play
The lings on the strings
The trout rockin" out
The blackfish she sings
The smelt and the sprat
They know where it"s at
An" oh that blowfish blow

Under the sea (2 times)
When the sardine
Begin the beguine
It"s music to me
What do they got? A lot of sand
We got a hot crustacean band
Each little clam here
know how to jam here
Under the sea
Each little slug here
Cuttin" a rug here
Under the sea
Each little snail here
Know how to wail here
That"s why it"s hotter
Under the water
Ya we in luck here
Down in the muck here
Under the sea

Слова и выражения на английском для перевода песни «В мире морском»

Хотя эта песня и для детей, но придется приложить немало усилий, чтобы ее перевести. И поверьте, оно того стоит! Ведь вы сможете не только обогатить свой лексикон интересными идиомами и выражениями, но и зарядиться позитивом краба Себастьяна, который так усиленно пытается помочь Ариэль.

• It"s a mess – Это бардак. Это беспорядок
  Вообще существует довольно много любопытных выражений со словом “mess”. К примеру, to be in a mess – «иметь неприятности, быть в беспорядке», а to clean up a mess – выяснять недоразумение, разобраться.
• Under the Sea – в мире морском, в толще воды. Конечно, формально это можно перевести как «под океаном». Но на самом деле речь идет о том, что творится в глубокой воде, «под водой», как сказали бы мы. Ну а переводчики этого фильма Диснея когда-то решили, что эта песня будет называться «В мире морском». Так она и известна по сей день.
• The seaweed is always greener In somebody else"s lake – Водоросли всегда зеленее, в чьем-то другом озере
  На самом деле, Краб Себастьян так перефразировал на океанский мотив всем известную пословицу “Grass is always greened on the other side of the fence”. То есть «Трава всегда зеленее по ту сторону забора». Ну или как бы сказали мы «Хорошо там, где нас нет».
• Ocean floor – океанский пол, то есть океанское дно. Еще мы можем сказать “floor of the ocean” или “bottom of the sea”
• Wetter – более мокрый. Тут нам надо вспомнить степень сравнения прилагательных : wet(мокрый) – wetter (более мокрый) – the wettest (самый мокрый)
• Take it from me – Поверь мне (как бы «возьми эту информацию от меня»)
• To slave – работать как раб, slave – раб
• To devote – посвящать себя чему-то
• To float – держаться на поверхности воды, плавать
• All the fish is happy – Все рыбы счастливы.
  Обратите внимание, что слово fish едет в единственном числе. И это не опечатка. Запомните, что fish всегда выглядит так, не важно о каком количестве водоплавающих идет речь. Иногда (очень редко) может встречаться вариант fishies, но это приемлемо только для маленьких-маленьких деток. Но, так как мы с вами уже взрослые, нам не стоит употреблять этот вариант.
• Bowl –круглый аквариум
• Worser fate – худшая судьба
  А тут Себастьян допускает ошибку. Как мы знаем, правильные степени сравнения прилагательных это bad-worse-the worst. Но все-таки поющий на английском краб может позволить себе некие нечеткости.
• Fricassee – фрикасе, то есть блюдо, приготовленное из мелко нарезанного жареного мяса или рыбы в соусе с приправами.
• Land folks – люди на суше.
• Off the hook – быть не на крючке (hook – крюк)
  Так как поют у нас жители моря, то они действительно имеют ввиду рыболовную снасть, на которой их могли бы поймать. Но не удивляйтесь, если услышите эту фразу не от жителей морей и океанов. В зависимости от контекста существует множество значений слова hook в английском языке . Чаще всего “off the hook” означает «выпутаться из неприятной ситуации». А если вы только оказались в таком непростом положении, то запомните фразу “on the hook” (быть в щекотливом положении).
• Urge – импульс, побуждение. Get the urge – сильно захотеть
• Muck – жижа, грязь, навоз

Виды рыбы на английском

Благодаря этой мелодии из мультфильма можно быстро и легко выучить названия рыб и других водных обитателей. Всего лишь слушайте, о чем поет наш друг с клешнями. Кстати, сам исполнитель этой композиции на английском будет crab. А вот если бы он был бы раком, то мы бы назвали его cancer или crawfish.

Sturgeon – осетр
Ray – скат
Newt - тритон
Carp - карп
Plaice - камбала
Bass - окунь
Chub – голавль (да, и такое тоже существует)
Fluke – палтус
Ling – щука
Trout – форель
Blackfish – даллия (и это тоже рыба)
Smelt - корюшка
Sprat – килька, шпрота
Blowfish - иглобрюх
Sardine – сардина
Crustacean – ракообразные
Clam – моллюск
Slug - слизняк
Snail – улитка

Виды музыки и танцев на английском

Все эти жители океана хотят “to rock out”, то есть зажигать, отрываться. Но каждый из них это делает так, как умеет.

Harp – арфа, play the harp – играть на арфе
Bass – может быть и «окунем» и «басом», play the bass – играть на басу
Brass – медный духовой инструмент
Tub – бочонок, play the tub – играть на бочонке
Soul – мы знаем, что это может переводиться как «душа». Но оказывается, это может означать и определенный вид негритянской музыки
Strings – струны, то есть в данном контексте – «играть на струнных»
Beguine – бегуэн, один из типов танцев Южной Америки

Вот такая веселая жизнь бьет ключом в мире морском. Мы надеемся, что путешествие в детство подняло вам настроение и помогло запомнить много новых английских выражений. Ну а если вам хочется послушать еще песен из мультфильмов, то обратите внимание на песню Акуна Матата из мультика «Король Лев».

Шутикова Анна