THE SIX LITTLE SEA-MAIDS.
Deep down in the sea, there was a beautiful red and yellow castle. Its roof was made of shells which opened and shut to let the water in and out.
There the sea king lived with his six daughters. They were pretty little girls, with long, golden hair, and blue eyes. They had no feet, but they had tails like fishes.
The sea-maids were very happy playing all day deep down in the water.
Sometimes the fish would swim through the windows of the castle. They often ate out of the hands of the little sea-maids.
Outside the castle, the sisters had a garden, where flowers grew in the blue sand.
On her fifteenth birthday, each of the little sea-maids went up through the water for the first time. The sisters promised to tell what they liked best in the world above.
The oldest sister came down to the castle and said, “I liked best to watch the lights on the land, and to hear the bells ring.”
When the second sister was fifteen years old, she went up through the water at sunset.
“I think the golden clouds are the most beautiful things in the world,” said the second sister.
The third sister went up a wide river, with green woods and hills along the shore. “I watched some children in the water,” said the sea-maid. “How can they swim? Children have no fish tails.”
The fourth sister said, “The sea is more beautiful than the land. There are white ships, and large fishes, and many strange things to be seen here.”
The birthday of the fifth sister came in the winter. The sea was green. There were large pieces of ice in it, which seemed to frighten the sailors.
The sea-maid sat down on a piece of ice, and let the wind play with her long hair.
The youngest sister wanted to see the world above more than any of her sisters.
When she went up through the water, she saw a large white ship filled with people.
A young prince was on the ship. It was his birthday, so there were fireworks, and music, and dancing.
The little sea-maid had never seen men and women before. So she rode on the high waves and watched them.
By and by there was a storm, and the people on the ship were frightened. Soon the ship parted, and the sea-maid saw the young prince fall into the water.
She knew that he could not live in the water. So the sea-maid went up to him and held his head above the waves. When the storm was over, she laid him down on the yellow sand.
Soon the prince opened his eyes. He was very glad to be on the land once more. He did not know that he had been saved by a little sea-maid.
Often at evening the six little sisters joined hands and went up through the water. They sang to the sailors in the ships.
“Do not be afraid,” sang the sea-maids. “It is very beautiful far down under the blue water.”
But the sailors could not hear what the sea-maids were saying. They thought the sweet music was the sound of the wind.
Hans Christian Andersen’s“A Little Sea-maid” (Adapted).