dotheyneverdieaswedohereinthesea?"

"yes,"repliedtheoldlady,"theymustalsodie,andtheirtermoflifeisevenshorterthanours.wesometimeslivetothreehundredyears,butwhenweceasetoexisthereweonlybecomethefoamonthesurfaceofthewater,andwehavenotevenagravedownhereofthosewelove.wehavenotimmortalsouls,weshallneverliveagain;but,likethegreensea-weed,whenonceithasbeencutoff,wecanneverflourishmore.humanbeings,onthecontrary,haveasoulwhichlivesforever,livesafterthebodyhasbeenturnedtorisesupthroughtheclear,pureairbeyondtheglitteringsweriseoutofthewater,andbeholdallthelandoftheearth,sodotheyrisetounknownandgloriousregionswhichweshallneversee."

"whyhavenotweanimmortalsoul?"askedthelittlemermaidmournfully;"iwouldgivegladlyallthehundredsofyearsthatihavetolive,tobeahumanbeingonlyforoneday,andtohavethehopeofknowingthehappinessofthatgloriousworldabovethestars."

"youmustnotthinkofthat,"saidtheoldwoman;"wefeelourselvestobemuchhappierandmuchbetteroffthanhumanbeings."

"soishalldie,"saidthelittlemermaid,"andasthefoamoftheseaishallbedrivenaboutneveragaintohearthemusicofthewaves,ortoseetheprettyflowersnortheredsun.isthereanythingicandotowinanimmortalsoul?"

"no,"saidtheoldwoman,"unlessamanweretoloveyousomuchthatyouweremoretohimthanhisfatherormother;andifallhisthoughtsandallhislovewerefixeduponyou,andthepriestplacedhisrighthandinyours,andhepromisedtobetruetoyouhereandhereafter,thenhissoulwouldglideintoyourbodyandyouwouldobtainashareinthefuturehappinessofmankind.hewouldgiveasoultoyouandretainhisownaswell;butthiscanneverhappen.yourfish'stail,whichamongstusisconsideredsobeautiful,isthoughtonearthtobequiteugly;theydonotknowanybetter,andtheythinkitnecessarytohavetwostoutprops,whichtheycalllegs,inordertobehandsome."

thenthelittlemermaidsighed,andlookedsorrowfullyatherfish'stail."letusbehappy,"saidtheoldlady,"anddartandspringaboutduringthethreehundredyearsthatwehavetolive,whichisreallyquitelongenough;afterthatwecanrestourselvesallthebetter.thiseveningwearegoingtohaveacourtball."

itisoneofthosesplendidsightswhichwecanneverseeonearth.thewallsandtheceilingofthelargeball-roomwereofthick,buttransparentcrystal.mayhundredsofcolossalshells,someofadeepred,othersofagrassgreen,stoodoneachsideinrows,withbluefireinthem,whichlightedupthewholesaloon,andshonethroughthewalls,sothattheseawasalsoilluminated.innumerablefishes,greatandsmall,swampastthecrystalwalls;onsomeofthemthescalesglowedwithapurplebrilliancy,andonotherstheyshonelikesilverandgold.throughthehallsflowedabroadstream,andinitdancedthemermenandthemermaidstothemusicoftheirownsweetsinging.nooneonearthhassuchalovelyvoiceaslittlemermaidsangmoresweetlythanthemall.thewholecourtapplaudedherwithhandsandtails;andforamomentherheartfeltquitegay,forsheknewshehadtheloveliestvoiceofanyonearthorinthesea.butshesoonthoughtagainoftheworldaboveher,forshecouldnotforgetthecharmingprince,norhersorrowthatshehadnotanimmortalsoullikehis;thereforeshecreptawaysilentlyoutofherfather'spalace,andwhileeverythingwithinwasgladnessandsong,shesatinherownlittlegardensorrowfulandalone.thensheheardthebuglesoundingthroughthewater,andthought-"heiscertainlysailingabove,heonwhommywishesdepend,andinwhosehandsishouldliketoplacethehappinessofmylife.iwillventureallforhim,andtowinanimmortalsoul,whilemysistersaredancinginmyfather'spalace,iwillgototheseawitch,ofwhomihavealwaysbeensomuchafraid,butshecangivemecounselandhelp."

andthenthelittlemermaidwentoutfromhergarden,andtooktheroadtothefoamingwhirlpools,behindwhichthesorceresslived.shehadneverbeenthatwaybefore:neitherflowersnorgrassgrewthere;nothingbutbare,gray,sandygroundstretchedouttothewhirlpool,wherethewater,likefoamingmill-wheels,whirledroundeverythingthatitseized,andcastitintothefathomlessroughthemidstofthesecrushingwhirlpoolsthelittlemermaidwasobligedtopass,toreachthedominionsoftheseawitch;andalsoforalongdistancetheonlyroadlayrightacrossaquantityofwarm,bubblingmire,calledbythewitchherturfmoor.beyondthisstoodherhouse,inthecentreofastrangeforest,inwhichallthetreesandflowerswerepolypi,halfanimalsandhalfplants;theylookedlikeserpentswithahundredheadsgrowingoutoftheground.thebrancheswerelongslimyarms,withfingerslikeflexibleworms,movinglimbafterlimbfromtheroottothetop.allthatcouldbereachedintheseatheyseizedupon,andheldfast,sothatitneverescapedfromtheirclutches.thelittlemermaidwassoalarmedatwhatshesaw,thatshestoodstill,andherheartbeatwithfear,andshewasverynearlyturningback;butshethoughtoftheprince,andofthehumansoulforwhichshelonged,andhercouragereturned.shefastenedherlongflowinghairroundherhead,sothatthepolypimightnotseizeholdofit.shelaidherhandstogetheracrossherbosom,andthenshedartedforwardasafishshootsthroughthewater,betweenthesupplearmsandfingersoftheuglypolypi,whichwerestretchedoutoneachsideofher.shesawthateachheldinitsgraspsomethingithadseizedwithitsnumerouslittlearms,asiftheywereironbands.thewhiteskeletonsofhumanbeingswhohadperishedatsea,andhadsunkdownintothedeepwaters,skeletonsoflandanimals,oars,rudders,andchestsofshipswerelyingtightlygraspedbytheirclingingarms;evenalittlemermaid,whomtheyhadcaughtandstrangled;andthisseemedthemostshockingofalltothelittleprincess.

shenowcametoaspaceofmarshygroundinthewood,wherelarge,fatwater-snakeswererollinginthemire,andshowingtheirugly,drab-coloredbodies.inthemidstofthisspotstoodahouse,builtwiththebonesofshipwreckedhumanbeings.theresattheseawitch,allowingatoadtoeatfromhermouth,justaspeoplesometimesfeedacanarywithapieceofsugar.shecalledtheuglywater-snakesherlittlechickens,andallowedthemtocrawlalloverherbosom.

"iknowwhatyouwant,"saidtheseawitch;"itisverystupidofyou,butyoushallhaveyourway,anditwillbringyoutosorrow,myprettyprincess.youwanttogetridofyourfish'stail,andtohavetwosupportsinsteadofit,likehumanbeingsonearth,sothattheyoungprincemayfallinlovewithyou,andthatyoumayhaveanimmortalsoul."andthenthewitchlaughedsoloudanddisgustingly,thatthetoadandthesnakesfelltotheground,andlaytherewrigglingabout."youarebutjustintime,"saidthewitch;"foraftersunriseto-morrowishouldnotbeabletohelpyoutilltheendofanotheryear.iwillprepareadraughtforyou,withwhichyoumustswimtolandtomorrowbeforesunrise,andsitdownontheshoreanddrinkit.yourtailwillthendisappear,andshrinkupintowhatmankindcallslegs,andyouwillfeelgreatpain,asifaswordwerepassingthroughyou.butallwhoseeyouwillsaythatyouaretheprettiestlittlehumanbeingtheyeversaw.youwillstillhavethesamefloatinggracefulnessofmovement,andnodancerwillevertreadsolightly;butateverystepyoutakeitwillfeelasifyouweretreadinguponsharpknives,andthatthebloodmustyouwillbearallthis,iwillhelpyou."

"yes,iwill,"saidthelittleprincessinatremblingvoice,asshethoughtoftheprinceandtheimmortalsoul.

"butthinkagain,"saidthewitch;"forwhenonceyourshapehasbecomelikeahumanbeing,youcannomorebeamermaid.youwillneverreturnthroughthewatertoyoursisters,ortoyourfather'spalaceagain;andifyoudonotwintheloveoftheprince,sothatheiswillingtoforgethisfatherandmotherforyoursake,andtoloveyouwithhiswholesoul,andallowthepriesttojoinyourhandsthatyoumaybemanandwife,thenyouwillneverhaveanimmortalsoul.thefirstmorningafterhemarriesanotheryourheartwillbreak,andyouwillbecomefoamonthecrestofthewaves."

"iwilldoit,"saidthelittlemermaid,andshebecamepaleasdeath.

"butimustbepaidalso,"saidthewitch,"anditisnotatriflethatiask.youhavethesweetestvoiceofanywhodwellhereinthedepthsofthesea,andyoubelievethatyouwillbeabletocharmtheprincewithitalso,butthisvoiceyoumustgivetome;thebestthingyoupossesswillihaveforthepriceofmydraught.myownbloodmustbemixedwithit,thatitmaybeassharpasatwo-edgedsword."

"butifyoutakeawaymyvoice,"saidthelittlemermaid,"whatisleftforme?"