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At last she reached her fifteenth year. “Well, now, you are grown up,”
said the old dowager, her grandmother; “so you must let me adorn you
like your other sisters;” and she placed a wreath of white lilies in her
hair, and every flower leaf was half a pearl. Then the old lady ordered
eight great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the princess to
show her high rank.
“But they hurt me so,” said the little mermaid.
“Pride must suffer pain,” replied the old lady. Oh, how gladly she
would have shaken off all this grandeur, and laid aside the heavy
wreath! The red flowers in her own garden would have suited her much
better, but she could not help herself: so she said, “Farewell,” and rose
as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water. The sun had just set
as she raised her head above the waves; but the clouds were tinted
with crimson and gold, and through the glimmering twilight beamed the
evening star in all its beauty. The sea was calm, and the air mild and
fresh. A large ship, with three masts, lay becalmed on the water, with
only one sail set; for not a breeze stiffed, and the sailors sat idle on
deck or amongst the rigging. There was music and song on board; and,
as darkness came on, a hundred colored lanterns were lighted, as if the
flags of all nations waved in the air. The little mermaid swam close to
the cabin windows; and now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she
could look in through clear glass window-panes, and see a number of
well-dressed people within. Among them was a young prince, the most
beautiful of all, with large black eyes; he was sixteen years of age, and
his birthday was being kept with much rejoicing. The sailors were
dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the cabin, more than
a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day. The little
mermaid was so startled that she dived under water; and when she
again stretched out her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven
were falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks before.
Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew into the blue air,
and everything was reflected in the clear, calm sea beneath. The ship
itself was so brightly illuminated that all the people, and even the
smallest rope, could be distinctly and plainly seen. And how handsome
the young prince looked, as he pressed the hands of all present and
smiled at them, while the music resounded through the clear night air.
It was very late; yet the little mermaid could not take her eyes from
the ship, or from the beautiful prince. The colored lanterns had been
extinguished, no more rockets rose in the air, and the cannon had
ceased firing; but the sea became restless, and a moaning, grumbling
sound could be heard beneath the waves: still the little mermaid
remained by the cabin window, rocking up and down on the water,
which enabled her to look in. After a while, the sails were quickly
unfurled, and the noble ship continued her passage; but soon the
waves rose higher, heavy clouds darkened the sky, and lightning
appeared in the distance. A dreadful storm was approaching; once more
the sails were reefed, and the great ship pursued her flying course over
the raging sea. The waves rose mountains high, as if they would have
overtopped the mast; but the ship dived like a swan between them,
and then rose again on their lofty, foaming crests. To the little mermaid
this appeared pleasant sport; not so to the sailors. At length the ship
groaned and creaked; the thick planks gave way under the lashing of
the sea as it broke over the deck; the mainmast snapped asunder like a
reed; the ship lay over on her side; and the water rushed in. The little
mermaid now perceived that the crew were in danger; even she herself
was obliged to be careful to avoid the beams and planks of the wreck
which lay scattered on the water. At one moment it was so pitch dark
that she could not see a single object, but a flash of lightning revealed
the whole scene; she could see every one who had been on board
excepting the prince; when the ship parted, she had seen him sink into
the deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would now be
with her; and then she remembered that human beings could not live in
the water, so that when he got down to her father's palace he would
be quite dead. But he must not die. So she swam about among the
beams and planks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting that
they could crush her to pieces. Then she dived deeply under the dark
waters, rising and falling with the waves, till at length she managed to
reach the young prince, who was fast losing the power of swimming in
that stormy sea. His limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were
closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his
assistance. She held his head above the water, and let the waves drift
them where they would.
In the morning the storm had ceased; but of the ship not a single
fragment could be seen. The sun rose up red and glowing from the
water, and its beams brought back the hue of health to the prince's
cheeks; but his eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his high,
smooth forehead, and stroked back his wet hair; he seemed to her like
the marble statue in her little garden, and she kissed him again, and
wished that he might live. Presently they came in sight of land; she saw
lofty blue mountains, on which the white snow rested as if a flock of
swans were lying upon them. Near the coast were beautiful green
forests, and close by stood a large building, whether a church or a
convent she could not tell. Orange and citron trees grew in the garden,
and before the door stood lofty palms. The sea here formed a little bay,
in which the water was quite still, but very deep; so she swam with the
handsome prince to the beach, which was covered with fine, white
sand, and there she laid him in the warm sunshine, taking care to raise
his head higher than his body. Then bells sounded in the large white
building, and a number of young girls came into the garden. The little
mermaid swam out farther from the shore and placed herself between
some high rocks that rose out of the water; then she covered her head
and neck with the foam of the sea so that her little face might not be
seen, and watched to see what would become of the poor prince. She
did not wait long before she saw a young girl approach the spot where
he lay. She seemed frightened at first, but only for a moment; then she
fetched a number of people, and the mermaid saw that the prince came
to life again, and smiled upon those who stood round him. But to her he
sent no smile; he knew not that she had saved him. This made her very
unhappy, and when he was led away into the great building, she dived
down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her father's castle.
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