The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in 1837 — his own original story, not a folktale. The original ending is deeply moving: the little mermaid doesn't win the prince's love and turns into sea foam, but her kindness transforms her into a daughter of the air.
Far beneath the sea lived a sea king with his six daughters, and the youngest was the most beautiful of all.
Their grandmother told them about the world above, and how humans have souls that live forever.
When she turned fifteen, she swam up to the surface and saw a grand ship full of lights.
A terrible storm broke the ship, and the little mermaid saved the sinking prince.
She carried him to the beach, then hid behind the rocks when people came.
She loved the prince so much that she went to the sea witch to trade her voice for legs.
She drank the witch's potion, and her fish tail split into two legs.
The prince found her on the beach and took her into his palace, where she danced for him.
Then came sad news: the prince had to sail away to marry a princess.
The bride was the temple girl — the one the prince believed had saved him.
At midnight her sisters rose from the sea with a knife, but she could not hurt the prince.
But she did not die — she rose up as a daughter of the air, full of hope.
