The Little Mermaid

Page 1

Long ago, a little mermaid lived in the deep blue sea. She was the youngest daughter of the Sea King, and she lived in the king’s beautiful castle. She had five sisters, and all six of the mermaids were lovely. The Little Mermaid’s grandmother often visited the castle. Grandmother sometimes sat with The Little Mermaid in the garden. The Little Mermaid loved to hear Grandmother’s stories of the world above the sea. One day, Grandmother said, “You can swim up to the surface, and you can see the world above the sea. But you must wait until you are 15 years old.”

Page 2

Every year, when each sister turned 15 years old, they would swim up to the surface. Each sister who swam up to the surface would tell The Little Mermaid about the things she had seen. Finally, The Little Mermaid turned 15 years old and, as soon as she could, she swam up to the surface. On the surface of the sea, The Little Mermaid saw a big ship. The ship had many colorful lights, and people were playing music and dancing inside. The Little Mermaid swam close to the ship and looked in the windows.

Page 3

Inside, there was a handsome prince. It was his 16th birthday, and he was having a party. When the party was finished, the ship began to sail away. But suddenly, there was a storm! Strong waves and lightning were hitting the ship, and it soon broke apart and began to sink. The Little Mermaid saw the danger, and she swam quickly to help the prince. The prince was trying to swim, but he was very tired and cold. The Little Mermaid caught him, and she carried him carefully to the shore.

Page 4

In the morning, the storm was gone, and the prince was sleeping on the shore. The Little Mermaid was worried, but she could not help him anymore. Then, she saw a girl walking on the shore. The Little Mermaid hid under the water and watched. The girl saw the prince, and she called to her friends for help. They carefully carried the prince away. The prince was still weak, but he smiled at the girls who were helping him. The Little Mermaid saw that the prince was not hurt, so she was relieved. But he did not see her. When he was gone, The Little Mermaid sadly went back below the sea to her father’s castle.

Page 5

The Little Mermaid became sadder every day. Her sisters were worried because she did not talk. One day, her oldest sister asked, “Why are you always so sad?” The Little Mermaid told her sister that she was lonely, and that she wanted to see the prince again. Her sister smiled. She whispered, “Oh! I know where the prince lives. I can show you.” The Little Mermaid followed her sister to the prince's town. Now that she knew where the prince lived, she visited the town often.

Page 6

The Little Mermaid talked to Grandmother about the world above the sea. “I know that humans die if they fall into the sea. But if humans don’t fall into the sea, can they live forever?” asked The Little Mermaid. Grandmother said, “No, humans don’t live very long. But when they die, their souls live forever.” Then, The Little Mermaid asked, “Do I have a soul, too?” And Grandmother said, “No, we aren’t from the world above the sea. When we die, our bodies become salt for the sea.” The Little Mermaid wanted to have a soul. So Grandmother said, “If a human loves you and marries you, he will share his soul with you.”

Page 7

That night, there was a big party at the king’s castle. Many mermaids and mermen went to the castle to sing and dance. But The Little Mermaid did not want to sing and dance. She sat in the garden, sad and lonely. Finally, she decided that she wanted to spend her life with the prince in the world above the sea. And she knew who could help her – the Sea Witch.

Page 8

That very night, The Little Mermaid swam quickly to the home of the Sea Witch. The path was very scary and dangerous. There were no pretty flowers; the ground was empty, and it bubbled and boiled. There were also monsters and snakes. They would grab and eat anything that swam too close to them. The Little Mermaid was afraid, and she had to be very careful. Finally, she reached the house of the Sea Witch.

Page 9

When the Sea Witch saw The Little Mermaid, she said, “I know what you want, and I can give it to you.” The Sea Witch said, “I’ll make a potion. You’ll have legs and feet, but you’ll always feel much pain. Also, you’ll never be a mermaid again, and you’ll never be able to speak again. The potion gives legs to you, but it takes away your voice.”

Page 10

Then, the Sea Witch said, “You must make the prince love you and marry you. If he marries another girl, you will die the next day.” The Little Mermaid said that she still wanted to become a human, so the Sea Witch made the potion. She used her own black blood and many other terrible things. Soon, the potion was finished. The Sea Witch laughed an evil laugh when she gave the potion to The Little Mermaid.

Page 11

That night, The Little Mermaid swam to the prince’s country. When she was on the shore, she drank the potion. She felt a terrible pain shooting through her whole body. She tried to call for help, but she had no voice. The pain grew and grew until, finally, The Little Mermaid passed out. The next day, she woke up on the shore. She looked down and saw two legs. The potion had worked!

Page 12

Suddenly, the prince walked from behind a big rock on the shore. He was surprised to see a beautiful girl there. He asked, “Who are you?” But the girl was The Little Mermaid, and she could not answer because her voice was gone. The prince gave her a blanket, and he walked with her to his castle. At the castle, The Little Mermaid danced for the prince. He thought her dancing was very beautiful. Many days passed, and The Little Mermaid began to love the prince more and more.

Page 13

One day, the prince was getting ready to sail in a ship. He said, “I must go to another country to marry the princess there. Will you come with me?” This made The Little Mermaid sad. If the prince married another girl, The Little Mermaid would die. But she went with the prince because she loved him. The next day, the prince married the princess, and they sailed back to the prince’s country. The Little Mermaid was very sad because she knew that it was her last day to be alive.

Page 14

That night, The Little Mermaid sat on the ship’s deck, and she sadly looked at the sea where she used to live. Suddenly, her sisters came out of the water. They had no hair. The Little Mermaid’s oldest sister said, “We gave our beautiful hair to the Sea Witch, and she gave this knife to us. If you kill the prince with this knife, you’ll become a mermaid again, and you can live with us.” The sisters gave the knife to The Little Mermaid, and they went back under the sea.

Page 15

The Little Mermaid looked at the knife for a long time. It looked evil, and it had a black blade. Finally, she threw the knife into the sea. The Little Mermaid would not kill the prince because she loved him. Then, as the sun began to rise, The Little Mermaid died. But in death, she began to hear beautiful voices. One voice said to her, “Little Mermaid, you are now an air spirit. And in 300 years, you will become a soul, and you will be able to enter Heaven.”

Page 16

The Little Mermaid

Page 17

Long ago, a little mermaid lived in the deep blue sea. She was the youngest daughter of the Sea King, and she lived in the king’s beautiful castle. She had five sisters, and all six of the mermaids were lovely. The Little Mermaid’s grandmother often visited the castle. Grandmother sometimes sat with The Little Mermaid in the garden. The Little Mermaid loved to hear Grandmother’s stories of the world above the sea. One day, Grandmother said, “You can swim up to the surface, and you can see the world above the sea. But you must wait until you are 15 years old.”

Page 18

Every year, when each sister turned 15 years old, they would swim up to the surface. Each sister who swam up to the surface would tell The Little Mermaid about the things she had seen. Finally, The Little Mermaid turned 15 years old and, as soon as she could, she swam up to the surface. On the surface of the sea, The Little Mermaid saw a big ship. The ship had many colorful lights, and people were playing music and dancing inside. The Little Mermaid swam close to the ship and looked in the windows.

Page 19

Inside, there was a handsome prince. It was his 16th birthday, and he was having a party. When the party was finished, the ship began to sail away. But suddenly, there was a storm! Strong waves and lightning were hitting the ship, and it soon broke apart and began to sink. The Little Mermaid saw the danger, and she swam quickly to help the prince. The prince was trying to swim, but he was very tired and cold. The Little Mermaid caught him, and she carried him carefully to the shore.

Page 20

In the morning, the storm was gone, and the prince was sleeping on the shore. The Little Mermaid was worried, but she could not help him anymore. Then, she saw a girl walking on the shore. The Little Mermaid hid under the water and watched. The girl saw the prince, and she called to her friends for help. They carefully carried the prince away. The prince was still weak, but he smiled at the girls who were helping him. The Little Mermaid saw that the prince was not hurt, so she was relieved. But he did not see her. When he was gone, The Little Mermaid sadly went back below the sea to her father’s castle.

Page 21

The Little Mermaid became sadder every day. Her sisters were worried because she did not talk. One day, her oldest sister asked, “Why are you always so sad?” The Little Mermaid told her sister that she was lonely, and that she wanted to see the prince again. Her sister smiled. She whispered, “Oh! I know where the prince lives. I can show you.” The Little Mermaid followed her sister to the prince's town. Now that she knew where the prince lived, she visited the town often.