“Today you will die.” In the evening, they got onto the ship. They were sailing back to the prince’s home. It was filled with food and music. On the deck, there were many colored lights. The mermaid thought, “Like the first time I saw the prince.” That night, she danced for the prince and his bride. She danced very elegantly. But her feet and her heart were in pain. The prince did not know about her pain. After that night, she would not see the prince again.  Everything on the ship became very quiet. The mermaid walked quietly along the deck. She looked out into the water. “This is my last night,” she thought. “In the morning, I will die.” Then, she saw something in the water. It was her sisters. They looked different. Their beautiful hair was gone. “We all cut our hair,” they said to her. “We sold it to the witch. We brought you something to help you.” “It was knife. Kill the prince. Then, you will not die. You can become a mermaid again. You can live with us again.” She took the knife from them. It was very, very sharp. She walked toward the prince’s room. She went to the prince and his bride.  They were sleeping peacefully. They were asleep in each other’s arms. The little mermaid leaned down, and kissed his check.  She looked at the knife. Then, she looked at the prince. No, she couldn’t kill the prince. She loved him. So she threw the knife through the window. It dropped into the sea. She watched it fall. She looked into the sky. The sun was rising. She quickly ran to the deck. She threw herself into the sea. She felt the cold water. “I am dying” she thought. Suddenly, the little mermaid felt herself above the water. She felt her body. She was in the air. She saw other beautiful beings. “Where am I?  Who are you? What is happening?” she asked them. “We are the daughters of the air,” they told her. “We give life to people. We carry the sweet smell of flowers and perfume. You are now a daughter of the air.” You were a mermaid,” they continued. “You tried so hard to earn a sold. The daughters of the air can live for three hundred years. But by doing good, we can earn a sold.” “I can earn a sold? This is wonderful.” She looked into the sky and thought, “Thank you. Thank you.” Now, she looked toward the ship. It was sailing calmly on the ocean. Then, she saw the prince and his bride. They were looked for her. Their faces were white. They looked into the sea. They looked so sad. The little mermaid went to them. Of course, they could not see her. She moved her body around them. They felt the cool air move around them. She kissed the prince and his bride. Then, she flew away. She joined her sisters in the air. They went for doing good together. Three hundred years from now, the little mermaid will get a soul.

    A short time later, she heard some news. The prince planned to marry a king’s daughter. “I must go to meet the king’s daughter,” he said to the mermaid. She felt very sad about this.”My parents want me to go. I do not want to marry her,” h said. This made her very happy.”Will you come with me? I want you to sail on the ship me,” he asked. At night, she sat on the deck of the ship. She looked out into the ocean. Suddenly, her sisters appeared. They swam close to ship. But they saw a boy on the deck. The sisters swam deep under the water. The little mermaid was so disappointed. Yet, she was happy. She could see her prince every day. The Boat reached a beautiful town. The king’s daughter lived this town. Many people came to the ship, and welcome the prince. There was festival all day in the town. All day, the king’s daughter did not appear. But that night she came. The prince saw her face. He knew her face. “You!” he cried out. “It was you! You saved my life.” The prince looked at the litter mermaid. He said,”Oh! I am so happy now. Everything is perfect. I love this woman so much. And you are beside me. My life is complete.” The mermaid smiled at him. But her heart broke in two. His wedding meant one thing. She must die. For the prince and the king’s daughter’s wedding, the little mermaid wore a golden dress. She walked behind the bride in the church. There was joyful music everywhere. But she didn’t hear the music. She heard only one thing inside her head.

After the party, she was always with the prince. She rode with him on a horse. They rode through fresh forests together. They walked beside the calm ocean. They were always together. But it was always painful for her. Her feet often bled. She always tried to ignore the pain. Sometimes, at night, she went to the ocean. She put her feet in the sea. It always felt so good. At those times, she thought of her family. She thought, I hope they are happy. I hope they are well. I hope they understand me.” One night, the little mermaid went to the sea. She put her feet in the cool water. Suddenly, she saw the sisters. “Sisters!” she called out. But she couldn’t make any sound. So, she waved at them to get their attention. Finally they turned and saw her. “You are not dead,” the sisters said. “We looked and looked for you. We cried so much for you. We are so happy to see you.” “I am so happy to see you too,” the little mermaid wanted to say. Every night, they went to see each other. The mermaid fell in love with the prince. The prince also loved the mermaid. But is was different. He loved her like a sister. He did not think of her like a wife. This bothered her very much. The prince told her a story. “Once, I was on a ship. There was a storm. The ship turned over into the sea. The waves threw me onto a beach. A young girl found me on the beach. She saved my life.” “I love only her. But you look like her. Maybe, she sent you to me,” he said. The little mermaid felt very said. “I saved you. But you don’t know,” she thought.

In the morning, the little mermaid woke up, and looked at her body. Her tail was gone. Now, she had two legs and two feet. Then she saw a She looked up. The prince was standing over her, and staring at her face. The prince asked her, “Who are you? Where are you from?” But she could not speak. So, she just looked deeply into his eyes. At that moment, the prince had very strong feelings for her. The prince said,”You must come inside. You must be very cold.” She stood up. She felt very strong pains in her legs and feet. But she ignored the pain. The prince took her inside the palace, and also gave her a beautiful dress. She was the most beautiful girl. A few days later, there was a singing contest. So many beautiful women came to sing. They all sang so well. This time was very difficult for the princess. She thought,” I want to sing for the prince. My voice is more beautiful.” But later, there was dancing. Now, the mermaid could dance for the prince. She danced so beautifully. Her hands expressed so much. Her eyes expressed even more. Everyone clapped and shouted, “Beautiful! Beautiful!” The prince couldn’t stop watching her.

   The little mermaid went to look for the witch.She swam to a very dark place.She saw many whirlpools.She had to be careful.After some time, she saw the witch’s house. She swam toward the house. She saw a young mermaid lying dead. This shocked the little mermaid very much. Again, the little mermaid wanted to leave.But the witch came out of the door, and said “Don’t go! I know why you came”. The little mermaid followed witch into the bone house.” You are a stupid girl. Your family will be very sad. But I will give you your wish,” said the witch.I will give you something to drink. You must take it with you. Tomorrow morning, before sunrise you must swim to land.Sit down on the beach. Then, drink the medicine.You will grow two legs.But it will be very painful.It will be like knives in your legs and feet.But you will move beautifully.You will dance so well.Can you bear the pain? The mermaid said to the witch, I can do it.The witch looked at her carefully Are you sure? she asked. You can never see your father or grandmother again.The prices must marry you.Then,you can have a soul.But you will die when he marries another girl. But she was so scared. Then, you must pay me said the witch ” I want your voice”. The prices will love your beauty. The witch started to make the medicine. She used many awful things in the medicine.She put the fish stomach, crab eyes. It smelled terrible.The witch cut the  tongue’s princess. It was very painful. The witch spoke to her. Tomorrow morning, before sunrise do as I said. She couldn’t speak. So, she only nodded her head.She quickly went back home. Everyone was sleeping. She could not say one word. Now, she felt great sorrow. she wanted to cry. She took flowers from her sisters’s gardens. She swam close to the prince’s palace.She reach the beach, and lay down there. Then, she drank the medicine Suddenly, She felt very sick.It was like a knife in her body. She fell down in the sand.

The little mermaid finally become fifteen. “I am fifteen! I am fifteen” She shouted excitedly.Her grandmother put some White flowers in her hair. Then, she swam to the top of the sea.The sun was setting now. It was full of red And orange clouds. “How beautiful” She thought.She could see a ship Sailing on the sea.She swam close to the ship.She heard music and laughing.There was also a young man. He was a prince. Everyone was having a Birthday party for him. They all looked very happy. The little mermaid watched the prince for hours.

Suddenly, astorm came. The sky was very angry, and the wind was very strong.The waves were becoming very rough.But the little mermaid was not secaret . It was great fun for her to swim in the storm,but not for the ship.

Sunddenly, the wind broke the ship’s mast. Afew seconds later, the ship turned over into the sea.The little mermaid could see many people swimming in the rough sea. “”People cannot swim very well. Where is the prince? I must help him,” thought she.

After some searching, she found the prince. He was sinking deep into the ocean. She took him to the top of the sea, and looked into his handsome face all night long.

By morning, the storm was finished. In the sunlight, the prince looked more handsome.

His eyes were still closed. “Please don’t die you must live,” she said Close to the beach, there was a small building. She took the prince very close to the building.She laid him on the beach.

Suddenly, some bells began to ring. Some young girls came out of the building.

One of the young girls saw the prince on the beach.She came to him. Then she ran to get help. After a few minutes, many people took the young prince away. The mermaid suddenly felt very sad. After returning home, her sisters cried, “What did you see?!   What did you see?”

But the little mermaid said nothing. She was too sad to speak.

One day, she finally told her sisters. One of the sisters took her to his palace. She found her prince again. Now she thought, “I can come here at any time.” She spent many evenings there.

After some time, she had so many questions about people. She decided to ask her grandmother. “Grandmother, can people live forever?” she asked. “No, they can’t. They don’t live very long. But people have souls.Their souls live forever. We can live for three hundred years. Then, we become the foam in the ocean.”

“I want to have a soul. I want to live like a person,” said the little mermaid. “Can I never have a soul?” she asked her grandmother. Grandmother said, “There is only one way.

A man must fall in love with you. Then, you must marry him.” “But this is impossible”

You have beautiful t all. But people think it is ugly No man will want to marry a mermaid. Do not dream of the world above the sea anymore. You will only be sad. “She looked at her tail and thought, “I hate it. I want to have two legs. Iwant to marry the prince. ” “Just be happy,” Grandmother finally said. “ Live happily for three hundred years.This evening, there will be a big party. You will fell better then.” The party in the deep sea castle was fantastic

Many different kinds of shells decorated the walls. The mermaids and themermen danced together in the ballroom. And they sang together They all had beautiful voices.But the little mermaid sang the best. Everyone loved her singing. For short time, the little mermaid felt happy.Then, she thought of the prince. She became sad again. Sadly, she left the party. She went to her own place-her garden. There, she could cry in peace. She thought, “ I love him. I will do anything for him. And I want to have a soul. I will go to the sea witch.She can help me.”

The ocean was a wonderful place.The water was a very beautiful blue.At the bottom of the ocean was an even more amazing world.There were so many wonderful sea creatures.There was also a Sea King.He lived in a castle at the bottom of the sea.This castle was more fantastic than castle on land.The Sea King lived with six sea princesses.His wife died many years ago.Their grandmother,a very wise woman, took care of them all.All day,the beautiful princesses swam together.They also played with the fish in the ocean.The fish in the ocean were like the bird in the sky.Each sea princesses was very special.But the youngest was the pretties Her skin was so white and clear,and her long hair flew smoothly in the sea.She seemed like other girls on land.But she had a tail like a fish.Every day the little mermaid liked to sty in her garden,and grew red flower.She never went out of the see.One day,a statue fell to the bottom of the ocean.It look like a beautiful boy.She asked her grandmother,”It is like the people above us,”said her grandmother.The little mermaid loved the statue.She planted some beautiful tree near it.The branches floated around the statue’s face.He was always smiling in the deep,deep ocean.The little mermaid loved stories about the land.She always said to her grandmother,”Tell me story about beautiful ships,town,and the people above.“Really? The flowers have perfume?The fish in the tree can sing?” she asked.She didn’t know about birds.“I want to see the people, the fish,And the flowers,” she said.“You can go when you are fifteen,”Her grandmother said.“Fifteen!” thought the mermaid.“I am only nine now. It is such a long time to wait.”The little mermaid swam to her oldest sister.“sister!” she said.Tell me all about the land above.”At last, it was her oldest sister’s birthday.“I saw so many things.I lay on a beach in the moonlight.I saw a town and some people.It was so exciting.”The little mermaid Listened carefully. One year passed by quickly.Now, it was the second sister’s turn.She swam up a river.She saw palaces, and green hills.She saw people laughing,And children playing.“ It was interesting,” she said.“I want to go again tomorrow.”Again, the little mermaid felt envious. Every year, each sister had to tell the other sisters about the world above.They loved to see new things,But quickly became bored. But the little mermaid wanted to see everything.She said to her sisters, “Tell me another story.”“We told you everything.We have no more stories.It isn’t interesthing anymore,” they said. Every night, she looked up, and thought“When will my turn come?” “I went to be fifteen.My sister don’t care about the world above the ocean.I will love it forever,”she said to herself.