海的女兒（十一）

She saw that in her father’s palace the torches in the ballroom were extinguished， and all within asleep； but she did not venture to go in to them， for now she was dumb and going to leave them forever， she felt as if her heart would break. She stole into the garden， took a flower from the flower-beds of each of her sisters， kissed her hand a thousand times towards the palace， and then rose up through the dark blue waters.

The sun had not risen when she came in sight of the prince’s palace， and approached the beautiful marble steps， but the moon shone clear and bright. Then the little mermaid drank the magic draught， and it seemed as if a two-edged sword went through her delicate body： she fell into a swoon， and lay like one dead. When the sun arose and shone over the sea， she recovered， and felt a sharp pain； but just before her stood the handsome young prince. He fixed his coal-black eyes upon her so earnestly that she cast down her own， and then became aware that her fish’s tail was gone， and that she had as pretty a pair of white legs and tiny feet as any little maiden could have； but she had no clothes， so she wrapped herself in her long， thick hair. The prince asked her who she was， and where she came from， and she looked at him mildly and sorrowfully with her deep blue eyes； but she could not speak. Every step she took was as the witch had said it would be， she felt as if treading upon the points of needles or sharp knives； but she bore it willingly， and stepped as lightly by the prince’s side as a soap-bubble， so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful-swaying movements.

She was very soon arrayed in costly robes of silk and muslin， and was the most beautiful creature in the palace； but she was dumb， and could neither speak nor sing.

Beautiful female slaves， dressed in silk and gold， stepped forward and sang before the prince and his royal parents： one sang better than all the others， and the prince clapped his hands and smiled at her. This was great sorrow to the little mermaid； she knew how much more sweetly she herself could sing once， and she thought， “Oh if he could only know that！I have given away my voice forever， to be with him.”

The slaves next performed some pretty fairy-like dances， to the sound of beautiful music. Then the little mermaid raised her lovely white arms， stood on the tips of her toes， and glided over the floor， and danced as no one yet had been able to dance. At each moment her beauty became more revealed， and her expressive eyes appealed more directly to the heart than the songs of the slaves.

Every one was enchanted， especially the prince， who called her his little foundling； and she danced again quite readily， to please him， though each time her foot touched the floor it seemed as if she trod on sharp knives.

The prince said she should remain with him always， and she received permission to sleep at his door， on a velvet cushion.

He had a page’s dress made for her， that she might accompany him on horseback. They rode together through the sweet-scented woods， where the green boughs touched their shoulders， and the little birds sang among the fresh leaves. She climbed with the prince to the tops of high mountains； and although her tender feet bled so that even her steps were marked， she only laughed， and followed him till they could see the clouds beneath them looking like a flock of birds travelling to distant lands.

她可以看到她父親的宮殿了。那寬大的跳舞廳里的火把已經滅了，無疑地，里面的人已經入睡了。不過她不敢再去看他們，因為她現在已經是一個啞巴，而且就要永遠離開他們。她的心痛苦得似乎要裂成碎片。她偷偷地走進花園，從每個姐姐的花壇上摘下一朵花，對著皇宮用手指飛了一千個吻，然后她就浮出這深藍色的海。

當她看到那王子的宮殿的時候，太陽還沒有升起來。她莊嚴地走上那大理石臺階。月亮照得透明，非常美麗。小人魚喝下那服強烈的藥劑。她馬上覺到好像有一柄兩面都快的刀子劈開了她纖細的身體。她馬上昏了。倒下來好像死去一樣。當太陽照到海上的時候，她才醒過來，她感到一陣劇痛。這時有一位年輕貌美的王子正立在她的面前。他烏黑的眼珠正在望著她，弄得她不好意思地低下頭來。這時她發現她的魚尾已經沒有了，而獲得一雙只有少女才有的、最美麗的小小白腿。可是她沒有穿衣服，所以她用她濃密的長頭發來掩住自己的身體。王子問她是誰，怎樣到這兒來的。她用她深藍色的眼睛溫柔而又悲哀地望著他，因為她現在已經不會講話了。他挽著她的手，把她領進宮殿里去。正如那巫婆以前跟她講過的一樣，她覺得每一步都好像是在錐子和利刀上行走。可是她情愿忍受這苦痛。她挽著王子的手臂，走起路來輕盈得像一個水泡。他和所有的人望著她這文雅輕盈的步子，感到驚奇。

現在她穿上了絲綢和細紗做的貴重衣服。……