Reading Diary B: Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

The Little Mermaid, by Anne Andersen (1920)

Link to image

The most lengthy tale in Hans Christian Andersen's collection is that of the Little Mermaid. It starts out with a description of the Sea King and his kingdom. It also paints a picturesque image of his little daughters, with one being more beautiful than all the others. The grandmother of the princesses promised the prettiest princess, who was all curious about the world above the sea, that once she reached her 15th birthday, she could see that world.
Once that day came, the first thing she saw was a ship. On this boat, she spots a handsome prince, whose birthday the crew were celebrating. But after the celebration, the princes ship encounters bad weather, wrecking the vessel. The prince had fallen into the sea, from which the little mermaid rescued him. She brought him to shore, but once he recovered he didn't know she had been his savior.
This caused the little mermaid to become quite silent, but soon the secret was out that she was in love with a human. The little mermaid often went to see the prince after that, and also hearing news of him by the sailors that passed by. One day, her grandmother let the little mermaid onto how she could be with the prince: the prince must love her and only her. To get help she seeks out the counsel and guidance of a sea witch...

Link to unit