theredflowersinherowngardenwouldhavesuitedhermuchbetter,butshecouldnothelpherself:soshesaid,"farewell,"androseaslightlyasabubbletothesurfaceofthewater.thesunhadjustsetassheraisedherheadabovethewaves;butthecloudsweretintedwithcrimsonandgold,andthroughtheglimmeringtwilightbeamedtheeveningstarinallitsbeauty.theseawascalm,andtheairmildandfresh.alargeship,withthreemasts,laybecalmedonthewater,withonlyonesailset;fornotabreezestiffed,andthesailorssatidleondeckoramongsttherigging.therewasmusicandsongonboard;and,asdarknesscameon,ahundredcoloredlanternswerelighted,asiftheflagsofallnationswavedintheair.thelittlemermaidswamclosetothecabinwindows;andnowandthen,asthewavesliftedherup,shecouldlookinthroughclearglasswindow-panes,andseeanumberofwell-dressedpeoplewithin.amongthemwasayoungprince,themostbeautifulofall,withlargeblackeyes;hewassixteenyearsofage,andhisbirthdaywasbeingkeptwithmuchrejoicing.thesailorsweredancingondeck,butwhentheprincecameoutofthecabin,morethanahundredrocketsroseintheair,makingitasbrightasday.thelittlemermaidwassostartledthatshedivedunderwater;andwhensheagainstretchedoutherhead,itappearedasifallthestarsofheavenwerefallingaroundher,shehadneverseensuchfireworksbefore.greatsunsspurtedfireabout,splendidfirefliesflewintotheblueair,andeverythingwasreflectedintheclear,calmseabeneath.theshipitselfwassobrightlyilluminatedthatallthepeople,andeventhesmallestrope,couldbedistinctlyandplainlyseen.andhowhandsometheyoungprincelooked,ashepressedthehandsofallpresentandsmiledatthem,whilethemusicresoundedthroughtheclearnightair.

itwasverylate;yetthelittlemermaidcouldnottakehereyesfromtheship,orfromthebeautifulprince.thecoloredlanternshadbeenextinguished,nomorerocketsroseintheair,andthecannonhadceasedfiring;buttheseabecamerestless,andamoaning,grumblingsoundcouldbeheardbeneaththewaves:stillthelittlemermaidremainedbythecabinwindow,rockingupanddownonthewater,whichenabledhertolookin.afterawhile,thesailswerequicklyunfurled,andthenobleshipcontinuedherpassage;butsoonthewavesrosehigher,heavycloudsdarkenedthesky,andlightningappearedinthedistance.adreadfulstormwasapproaching;oncemorethesailswerereefed,andthegreatshippursuedherflyingcourseovertheragingsea.thewavesrosemountainshigh,asiftheywouldhaveovertoppedthemast;buttheshipdivedlikeaswanbetweenthem,andthenroseagainontheirlofty,foamingcrests.tothelittlemermaidthisappearedpleasantsport;notsotothesailors.atlengththeshipgroanedandcreaked;thethickplanksgavewayunderthelashingoftheseaasitbrokeoverthedeck;themainmastsnappedasunderlikeareed;theshiplayoveronherside;andthewaterrushedin.thelittlemermaidnowperceivedthatthecrewwereindanger;evensheherselfwasobligedtobecarefultoavoidthebeamsandplanksofthewreckwhichlayscatteredonthewater.atonemomentitwassopitchdarkthatshecouldnotseeasingleobject,butaflashoflightningrevealedthewholescene;shecouldseeeveryonewhohadbeenonboardexceptingtheprince;whentheshipparted,shehadseenhimsinkintothedeepwaves,andshewasglad,forshethoughthewouldnowbewithher;andthensherememberedthathumanbeingscouldnotliveinthewater,sothatwhenhegotdowntoherfather'spalacehewouldbequitedead.buthemustnotdie.sosheswamaboutamongthebeamsandplankswhichstrewedthesurfaceofthesea,forgettingthattheycouldcrushhertopieces.thenshediveddeeplyunderthedarkwaters,risingandfallingwiththewaves,tillatlengthshemanagedtoreachtheyoungprince,whowasfastlosingthepowerofswimminginthatstormysea.hislimbswerefailinghim,hisbeautifuleyeswereclosed,andhewouldhavediedhadnotthelittlemermaidcometohisassistance.sheheldhisheadabovethewater,andletthewavesdriftthemwheretheywould.

inthemorningthestormhadceased;butoftheshipnotasinglefragmentcouldbeseen.thesunroseupredandglowingfromthewater,anditsbeamsbroughtbackthehueofhealthtotheprince'scheeks;buthiseyesremainedclosed.themermaidkissedhishigh,smoothforehead,andstrokedbackhiswethair;heseemedtoherlikethemarblestatueinherlittlegarden,andshekissedhimagain,andwishedthathemightlive.presentlytheycameinsightofland;shesawloftybluemountains,onwhichthewhitesnowrestedasifaflockofswanswerelyinguponthem.nearthecoastwerebeautifulgreenforests,andclosebystoodalargebuilding,whetherachurchoraconventshecouldnottell.orangeandcitrontreesgrewinthegarden,andbeforethedoorstoodloftypalms.theseahereformedalittlebay,inwhichthewaterwasquitestill,butverydeep;sosheswamwiththehandsomeprincetothebeach,whichwascoveredwithfine,whitesand,andthereshelaidhiminthewarmsunshine,takingcaretoraisehisheadhigherthanhisbellssoundedinthelargewhitebuilding,andanumberofyounggirlscameintothegarden.thelittlemermaidswamoutfartherfromtheshoreandplacedherselfbetweensomehighrocksthatroseoutofthewater;thenshecoveredherheadandneckwiththefoamoftheseasothatherlittlefacemightnotbeseen,andwatchedtoseewhatwouldbecomeofthepoorprince.shedidnotwaitlongbeforeshesawayounggirlapproachthespotwherehelay.sheseemedfrightenedatfirst,butonlyforamoment;thenshefetchedanumberofpeople,andthemermaidsawthattheprincecametolifeagain,andsmileduponthosewhostoodroundhim.buttoherhesentnosmile;heknewnotthatshehadsavedhim.thismadeherveryunhappy,andwhenhewasledawayintothegreatbuilding,shediveddownsorrowfullyintothewater,andreturnedtoherfather'scastle.shehadalwaysbeensilentandthoughtful,andnowshewasmoresothanever.hersistersaskedherwhatshehadseenduringherfirstvisittothesurfaceofthewater;butshewouldtellthemnothing.manyaneveningandmorningdidsherisetotheplacewhereshehadlefttheprince.shesawthefruitsinthegardenripentilltheyweregathered,thesnowonthetopsofthemountainsmeltaway;butsheneversawtheprince,andthereforeshereturnedhome,alwaysmoresorrowfulthanbefore.itwasheronlycomforttositinherownlittlegarden,andflingherarmroundthebeautifulmarblestatuewhichwasliketheprince;butshegaveuptendingherflowers,andtheygrewinwildconfusionoverthepaths,twiningtheirlongleavesandstemsroundthebranchesofthetrees,sothatthewholeplacebecamedarkandgloomy.atlengthshecouldbearitnolonger,andtoldoneofhersistersallaboutit.thentheothersheardthesecret,andverysoonitbecameknowntotwomermaidswhoseintimatefriendhappenedtoknowwhotheprincewas.shehadalsoseenthefestivalonboardship,andshetoldthemwheretheprincecamefrom,andwherehispalacestood.

"come,littlesister,"saidtheotherprincesses;thentheyentwinedtheirarmsandroseupinalongrowtothesurfaceofthewater,closebythespotwheretheyknewtheprince'spalacestood.itwasbuiltofbrightyellowshiningstone,withlongflightsofmarblesteps,oneofwhichreachedquitedowntothesea.splendidgildedcupolasroseovertheroof,andbetweenthepillarsthatsurroundedthewholebuildingstoodlife-likestatuesofroughtheclearcrystaloftheloftywindowscouldbeseennoblerooms,withcostlysilkcurtainsandhangingsoftapestry;whilethewallswerecoveredwithbeautifulpaintingswhichwereapleasuretolookat.inthecentreofthelargestsaloonafountainthrewitssparklingjetshighupintotheglasscupolaoftheceiling,throughwhichthesunshonedownuponthewateranduponthebeautifulplantsgrowingroundthebasinofthefountain.nowthatsheknewwherehelived,shespentmanyaneveningandmanyanightonthewaternearthepalace.shewouldswimmuchnearertheshorethananyoftheothersventuredtodo;indeedonceshewentquiteupthenarrowchannelunderthemarblebalcony,whichthrewabroadshadowonthewater.hereshewouldsitandwatchtheyoungprince,whothoughthimselfquitealoneinthebrightmoonlight.shesawhimmanytimesofaneveningsailinginapleasantboat,withmusicplayingandflagswaving.shepeepedoutfromamongthegreenrushes,andifthewindcaughtherlongsilvery-whiteveil,thosewhosawitbelievedittobeaswan,spreadingoutitswings.onmanyanight,too,whenthefishermen,withtheirtorches,wereoutatsea,sheheardthemrelatesomanygoodthingsaboutthedoingsoftheyoungprince,thatshewasgladshehadsavedhislifewhenhehadbeentossedabouthalf-deadonthewaves.andsherememberedthathisheadhadrestedonherbosom,andhowheartilyshehadkissedhim;butheknewnothingofallthis,andcouldnotevendreamofher.shegrewmoreandmorefondofhumanbeings,andwishedmoreandmoretobeabletowanderaboutwiththosewhoseworldseemedtobesomuchlargerthanherycouldflyovertheseainships,andmountthehighhillswhichwerefarabovetheclouds;andthelandstheypossessed,theirwoodsandtheirfields,stretchedfarawaybeyondthereachofherrewassomuchthatshewishedtoknow,andhersisterswereunabletoanswerallherquestions.thensheappliedtoheroldgrandmother,whoknewallabouttheupperworld,whichsheveryrightlycalledthelandsabovethesea.

"ifhumanbeingsarenotdrowned,"askedthelittlemermaid,"cantheyliveforever?