The Story Of The Young Mermaid

(With apologies to Hans Christian Anderson)

The young mermaid lived in a beautiful underwater kingdom, along with her father the king; her grandmother; and five elder sisters. When a young mermaid reaches the age of 15, she is allowed to swim to the surface and look at the wonders of the world above. Each of the sisters made the visit as they became old enough, and on their return the young mermaid listened intently to their tales and descriptions of the world they saw and also the humans found there.

When her turn came the young mermaid also swam up to the surface, almost at once she saw a handsome prince aboard a sailing ship and instantly fell in love with him. But the ship was struck by a violent storm and the prince was washed overboard. The young mermaid saved the prince from drowning and carried him safely to the shore. She left him unconscious near a temple and watched from a distance until a young girl found him. The prince never saw the young mermaid.

The young mermaids grandmother had told her that although merfolk live for 300 years, when they die they turn to into sea foam and cease to exist. The humans have a shorter life however, but they also have a soul that lives on forever in Heaven.

The young mermaid longed for the prince and also wanted an eternal soul. So she visited the Sea Witch who sold her a potion in exchange for her wonderful singing voice, that would give her two beautiful legs and the ability to dance exquisitely.

Unfortunately it would also forever feel like she was walking on broken glass and her feet would bleed terribly. Crucially, she would only receive a soul if the prince loved and married her. Otherwise at dawn on the day after he was wed to another woman, the young mermaid would die of a broken heart and disintegrate into sea foam.

The young mermaid drank the potion and arranged to meet the prince, he was at once attracted to her grace and beauty despite her not being able to speak. Above all he was enchanted by her dancing, and she danced and danced for him even though the pain she suffered was excruciating.

When his father arranged for him to marry the neighbouring king's daughter, the prince told the young mermaid that he did not love the princess and would not marry her. He also said that he could only love the woman who saved his life, the one who he thought was the girl from the temple. It was obvious that he was becoming fond of the young mermaid, but eventually it emerged that the woman at the temple really was the princess and the marriage was announced.

The wedding went ahead and the young mermaid’s heart was broken. She thought of all that she had given up and of the pain she had suffered. She despaired thinking of the death that awaited her.

However before the dawn, her sisters arrived with a knife that the Sea Witch had given them. If the young mermaid used it to kill the prince and let his blood drip on her feet, she would again become a mermaid, all her suffering would cease and she would live out her normal life.

The young mermaid could not bring herself to kill the prince as he lay peacefully sleeping with his bride. As the cold dawn was breaking she threw herself into the churning sea and her body dissolved into foam. But instead of ceasing to exist, she felt the warming rays of the sun on her face. She had been turned into a free spirit, a soaring daughter of the air.

The other daughters of the air told her she had become like them because she had striven with all her heart to gain an eternal soul. By doing good deeds, she had earned her soul and would eventually rise up to her rightful place in the kingdom of God.

And of course the Prince and Princess lived happily ever after :-))

Adapted by Ed Follet & Amourette Dubrovna

Locations:

Ambrose Island

Crossing Currents

Enchanted Isles

Haven of Rogues