海的女兒（十）

She now came to a space of marshy ground in the wood， where large， fat water-snakes were rolling in the mire， and showing their ugly， drab-colored bodies. In the midst of this spot stood a house， built with the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch， allowing a toad to eat from her mouth， just as people sometimes feed a canary with a piece of sugar. She called the ugly water-snakes her little chickens， and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom.

“I know what you want，” said the sea witch； “it is very stupid of you， but you shall have your way， and it will bring you to sorrow， my pretty princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail， and to have two supports instead of it， like human beings on earth， so that the young prince may fall in love with you， and that you may have an immortal soul.” And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly， that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground， and lay there wriggling about. “You are but just in time，” said the witch； “for after sunrise to-morrow I should not be able to help you till the end of another year. I will prepare a draught for you， with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise， and sit down on the shore and drink it. Your tail will then disappear， and shrink up into what mankind calls legs， and you will feel great pain， as if a sword were passing through you. But all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement， and no dancer will ever tread so lightly； but at every step you take it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives， and that the blood must flow. If you will bear all this， I will help you.”

“Yes， I will，” said the little princess in a trembling voice， as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul.

“But think again，” said the witch； “for when once your shape has become like a human being， you can no more be a mermaid. You will never return through the water to your sisters， or to your father’s palace again； and if you do not win the love of the prince， so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake， and to love you with his whole soul， and allow the priest to join your hands that you may be man and wife， then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another your heart will break， and you will become foam on the crest of the waves.”

“I will do it，” said the little mermaid， and she became pale as death.

“But I must be paid also，” said the witch， “and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea， and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also， but this voice you must give to me； the best thing you possess will I have for the price of my draught. My own blood must be mixed with it， that it may be as sharp as a two-edged sword.”

“But if you take away my voice，” said the little mermaid， “what is left for me？”

“Your beautiful form， your graceful walk， and your expressive eyes； surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart. Well， have you lost your courage？ Put out your little tongue that I may cut it off as my payment； then you shall have the powerful draught.”

“It shall be，” said the little mermaid.

Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire， to prepare the magic draught.

“Cleanliness is a good thing，” said she， scouring the vessel with snakes， which she had tied together in a large knot； then she pricked herself in the breast， and let the black blood drop into it. The steam that rose formed itself into such horrible shapes that no one could look at them without fear. Every moment the witch threw something else into the vessel， and when it began to boil， the sound was like the weeping of a crocodile. When at last the magic draught was ready， it looked like the clearest water.

“There it is for you，” said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid's tongue， so that she became dumb， and would never again speak or sing. “If the polypi should seize hold of you as you return through the wood，” said the witch， “throw over them a few drops of the potion， and their fingers will be torn into a thousand pieces.” But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this， for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the glittering draught， which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.

So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh， and between the rushing whirlpools.

現在她來到了森林中一塊粘糊糊的空地。這兒又大又肥的水蛇在翻動著，露出它們淡黃色的、奇丑的肚皮。在這塊地中央有一幢用死人的白骨砌成的房子。海的巫婆就正坐在這兒，用她的嘴喂一只癲蛤蟆，正如我們人用糖喂一只小金絲雀一樣。她把那些奇丑的、肥胖的水蛇叫做她的小雞，同時讓它們在她肥大的、松軟的胸口上爬來爬去。

“我知道你是來求什么的，”海的巫婆說。“你是一個傻東西！不過，我美麗的公主，我還是會讓你達到你的目的，因為這件事將會給你一個悲慘的結局。你想要去掉你的魚尾，生出兩根支柱，好叫你像人類一樣能夠行路。你想要叫那個王子愛上你，使你能得到他，因而也得到一個不滅的靈魂。”這時巫婆便可憎地大笑了一通，癲蛤蟆和水蛇都滾到地上來，在周圍爬來爬去。“你來得正是時候，”巫婆說。“明天太陽出來以后，我就沒有辦法幫助你了，只有等待一年再說。我可以煎一服藥給你喝。你帶著這服藥，在太陽出來以前，趕快游向陸地。你就坐在海灘上，把這服藥吃掉，于是你的尾巴就可以分做兩半，收縮成為人類所謂的漂亮腿了。可是這是很痛的——這就好像有一把尖刀砍進你的身體。凡是看到你的人，一定會說你是他們所見到的最美麗的孩子！你將仍舊會保持你像游泳似的步子，任何舞蹈家也不會跳得像你那樣輕柔。不過你的每一個步子將會使你覺得好像是在尖刀上行走，好像你的血在向外流。如果你能忍受得了這些苦痛的話，我就可以幫助你。……