The story of “The Little Mermaid” is a classic fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Here is a brief summary in English:
Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid who lived in the ocean with her family. She was the youngest of her sisters and loved to dance and sing. The little mermaid had a longing for adventure and to see the world beyond the ocean.
One day, she met a prince who was shipwrecked on the coast. The little mermaid fell in love with him at first sight. She helped the prince back to his ship and promised to wait for him at the shore.
The little mermaid’s sisters warned her that humans are not worth loving, but she was determined to win the prince’s heart. She made a deal with the sea witch to trade her voice for legs that could walk on land. The sea witch agreed, but warned her that if the prince did not love her in return, she would turn to sea foam and disappear forever.
The little mermaid transformed into a human and went to the prince’s kingdom. She worked hard to become part of the royal family and win the prince’s affection. However, the prince fell in love with another woman, who was a princess from a nearby land.
Heartbroken, the little mermaid remembered the sea witch’s warning. She returned to the sea witch, who offered her a chance to win the prince’s love if she agreed to kill him and bring his blood to her. But the little mermaid refused, realizing that true love is not about power or control.
Instead, she chose to die and return to the ocean, where she was transformed into a spirit. The little mermaid was able to see the prince and the princess together, and she knew that she had made the right choice. She was happy for them, and her love for the prince had been enough to make her soul pure and free.
And so, the little mermaid lived happily ever after in the ocean, her love for the prince remembered by all who heard her story.
This summary captures the essence of the fairy tale, which has been adapted into various forms of media, including animated films and stage productions.
