安徒生童话-第142章

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white　veil；　those　who　saw　it　believed　it　to　bea　swan；　spreading　out　its　wings。　On　many　a　night；　too；　when　thefishermen；　with　their　torches；　were　out　at　sea；　she　heard　themrelate　so　many　good　things　about　the　doings　of　the　young　prince；that　she　was　glad　she　had　saved　his　life　when　he　had　been　tossed　abouthalf…dead　on　the　waves。　And　she　remembered　that　his　head　had　rested　onher　bosom；　and　how　heartily　she　had　kissed　him；　but　he　knew　nothing　ofall　this；　and　could　not　even　dream　of　her。　She　grew　more　and　more　fondof　human　beings；　and　wished　more　and　more　to　be　able　to　wander　aboutwith　those　whose　world　seemed　to　be　so　much　larger　than　her　own。They　could　fly　over　the　sea　in　ships；　and　mount　the　high　hills　whichwere　far　above　the　clouds；　and　the　lands　they　possessed；　their　woodsand　their　fields；　stretched　far　away　beyond　the　reach　of　her　sight。There　was　so　much　that　she　wished　to　know；　and　her　sisters　were　unableto　answer　all　her　questions。　Then　she　applied　to　her　oldgrandmother；　who　knew　all　about　the　upper　world；　which　she　veryrightly　called　the　lands　above　the　sea。

〃If　human　beings　are　not　drowned；〃　asked　the　little　mermaid；〃can　they　live　forever？　do　they　never　die　as　we　do　here　in　the　sea？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　old　lady；　〃they　must　also　die；　and　their　termof　life　is　even　shorter　than　ours。　We　sometimes　live　to　threehundred　years；　but　when　we　cease　to　exist　here　we　only　bee　the　foamon　the　surface　of　the　water；　and　we　have　not　even　a　grave　down　here　ofthose　we　love。　We　have　not　immortal　souls；　we　shall　never　liveagain；　but；　like　the　green　sea…weed；　when　once　it　has　been　cut　off；　wecan　never　flourish　more。　Human　beings；　on　the　contrary；　have　a　soulwhich　lives　forever；　lives　after　the　body　has　been　turned　to　dust。It　rises　up　through　the　clear；　pure　air　beyond　the　glittering　stars。As　we　rise　out　of　the　water；　and　behold　all　the　land　of　the　earth；so　do　they　rise　to　unknown　and　glorious　regions　which　we　shall　neversee。〃

〃Why　have　not　we　an　immortal　soul？〃　asked　the　little　mermaidmournfully；　〃I　would　give　gladly　all　the　hundreds　of　years　that　I　haveto　live；　to　be　a　human　being　only　for　one　day；　and　to　have　the　hope　ofknowing　the　happiness　of　that　glorious　world　above　the　stars。〃

〃You　must　not　think　of　that；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃we　feelourselves　to　be　much　happier　and　much　better　off　than　human　beings。〃

〃So　I　shall　die；〃　said　the　little　mermaid；　〃and　as　the　foam　of　thesea　I　shall　be　driven　about　never　again　to　hear　the　music　of　thewaves；　or　to　see　the　pretty　flowers　nor　the　red　sun。　Is　there　anythingI　can　do　to　win　an　immortal　soul？〃

〃No；〃　said　the　old　woman；　〃unless　a　man　were　to　love　you　so　muchthat　you　were　more　to　him　than　his　father　or　mother；　and　if　all　histhoughts　and　all　his　love　were　fixed　upon　you；　and　the　priest　placedhis　right　hand　in　yours；　and　he　promised　to　be　true　to　you　here　andhereafter；　then　his　soul　would　glide　into　your　body　and　you　wouldobtain　a　share　in　the　future　happiness　of　mankind。　He　would　give　asoul　to　you　and　retain　his　own　as　well；　but　this　can　never　happen。Your　fish's　tail；　which　amongst　us　is　considered　so　beautiful；　isthought　on　earth　to　be　quite　ugly；　they　do　not　know　any　better；　andthey　think　it　necessary　to　have　two　stout　props；　which　they　call　legs；in　order　to　be　handsome。〃

Then　the　little　mermaid　sighed；　and　looked　sorrowfully　at　herfish's　tail。　〃Let　us　be　happy；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃and　dart　andspring　about　during　the　three　hundred　years　that　we　have　to　live；which　is　really　quite　long　enough；　after　that　we　can　rest　ourselvesall　the　better。　This　evening　we　are　going　to　have　a　court　ball。〃

It　is　one　of　those　splendid　sights　which　we　can　never　see　onearth。　The　walls　and　the　ceiling　of　the　large　ball…room　were　of　thick；but　transparent　crystal。　May　hundreds　of　colossal　shells；　some　of　adeep　red；　others　of　a　grass　green；　stood　on　each　side　in　rows；　withblue　fire　in　them；　which　lighted　up　the　whole　saloon；　and　shohrough　the　walls；　so　that　the　sea　was　also　illuminated。　Innumerablefishes；　great　and　small；　swam　past　the　crystal　walls；　on　some　ofthem　the　scales　glowed　with　a　purple　brilliancy；　and　on　others　theyshone　like　silver　and　gold。　Through　the　halls　flowed　a　broad　stream；and　in　it　danced　the　mermen　and　the　mermaids　to　the　music　of　their　ownsweet　singing。　No　one　on　earth　has　such　a　lovely　voice　as　theirs。The　little　mermaid　sang　more　sweetly　than　them　all。　The　whole　courtapplauded　her　with　hands　and　tails；　and　for　a　moment　her　heart　feltquite　gay；　for　she　knew　she　had　the　loveliest　voice　of　any　on　earth　orin　the　sea。　But　she　soon　thought　again　of　the　world　above　her；　for　shecould　not　forget　the　charming　prince；　nor　her　sorrow　that　she　hadnot　an　immortal　soul　like　his；　therefore　she　crept　away　silently　outof　her　father's　palace；　and　while　everything　within　was　gladness　andsong；　she　sat　in　her　own　little　garden　sorrowful　and　alone。　Then　sheheard　the　bugle　sounding　through　the　water；　and　thought…　〃He　iscertainly　sailing　above；　he　on　whom　my　wishes　depend；　and　in　whosehands　I　should　like　to　place　the　happiness　of　my　life。　I　willventure　all　for　him；　and　to　win　an　immortal　soul；　while　my　sisters　aredancing　in　my　father's　palace；　I　will　go　to　the　sea　witch；　of　whom　Ihave　always　been　so　much　afraid；　but　she　can　give　me　counsel　andhelp。〃

And　then　the　little　mermaid　went　out　from　her　garden；　and　took　theroad　to　the　foaming　whirlpools；　behind　which　the　sorceress　lived。She　had　never　been　that　way　before：　neither　flowers　nor　grass　grewthere；　nothing　but　bare；　gray；　sandy　ground　stretched　out　to　thewhirlpool；　where　the　water；　like　foaming　mill…wheels；　whirled　roundeverything　that　it　seized；　and　cast　it　into　the　fathomless　deep。Through　the　midst　of　these　crushing　whirlpools　the　little　mermaidwas　obliged　to　pass；　to　reach　the　dominions　of　the　sea　witch；　and　alsofor　a　long　distance　the　only　road　lay　right　across　a　quantity　of　warm；bubbling　mire；　called　by　the　witch　her　turfmoor。　Beyond　this　stood　herhouse；　in　the　centre　of　a　strange　forest；　in　which　all　the　trees　andflowers　were　polypi；　half　animals　and　half　plants；　they　looked　likeserpents　with　a　hundred　heads　growing　out　of　the　ground。　Thebranches　were　long　slimy　arms；　with　fingers　like　flexible　worms；moving　limb　after　limb　from　the　root　to　the　top。　All　that　could　bereached　in　the　sea　they　seized　upon；　and　held　fast；　so　that　it　neverescaped　from　their　clutches。　The　little　mermaid　was　so　alarmed　at　whatshe　saw；　that　she　stood　still；　and　her　heart　beat　with　fear；　and　shewas　very　nearly　turning　back；　but　she　thought　of　the　prince；　and　ofthe　human　soul　for　which　she　longed；　and　her　courage　returned。　Shefastened　her　long　flowing　hair　round　her　head；　so　that　the　polypimight　not　seize　hold　of　it。　She　laid　her　hands　together　across　herbosom；　and　then　she　darted　forward　as　a　fish　shoots　through　the　water；between　the　supple　arms　and　fingers　of　the　ugly　polypi；　which　werestretched　out　on　each　side　of　her。　She　saw　that　each　held　in　its　graspsomething　it　had　seized　with　its　numerous　little　arms；　as　if　they　wereiron　bands。　The　white　skeletons　of　human　beings　who　had　perished　atsea；　and　had　sunk　down　into　the　deep　waters；　skeletons　of　landanimals；　oars；　rudders；　and　chests　of　ships　were　lying　tightly　graspedby　their　clinging　arms；　even　a　little　mermaid；　whom　the