Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Little Mermaid


The Little Mermaid is a statue depicting a mermaid, in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, The statue sits on a rock in the harbour off Langelinie promenade. It has become a popular target for defacement by vandals and political activists. It has a height of 1.25 metres and weighs 175 kilograms.


Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet.
His initial attempts at writing fairy tales were rewrites of stories that he heard as a child. It was during 1835 that Andersen published the first installment of his immortal Fairy Tales. The collection consists of nine tales that includes The Tinderbox, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes. The quality of these stories was not immediately recognized, and they sold poorly.


The Little Mermaid tale (summary):
Under The Sea
The little mermaid is the daughter of the mer-king, who lives in a castle under the sea. She is the youngest of six sisters. The mer-king is a widower and his mother keeps house for him and the children. The little mermaid, the most beautiful of the king's six daughters, has a quiet nature.
Meeting the Prince
The king allows the princesses to go to the surface of the sea on the occasion of their 15th birthdays. They all look forward to this special occasion, with the older ones who have had a glimpse sharing their stories with the younger mermaids. When it is the little mermaid's turn to swim to the surface, she sees a ship with a prince on it, celebrating his birthday. The ship sinks and the mermaid rescues the prince and takes him to shore, returning to the water before humans see her.
The Sea Witch's Potion
After this brief encounter with the prince, the little mermaid starts to yearn to become human and win his love. She goes to a sea witch to ask for help. The sea witch gives her a potion to rid herself of her tail and grow legs, which the witch warns her will cause her great pain to walk on. In return, the little mermaid gives up her voice to the sea witch. If the little mermaid can get the prince to return her love and marry her, she will gain a human soul. Otherwise, the little mermaid will die and not live the normal mermaid lifespan of 300 years.
Finale
The little mermaid swims to the surface and goes to the prince's castle. The prince sees her as a foundling and befriends her. She charms the whole court with her dancing, but cannot communicate except with her eyes and gestures. Ultimately, the prince finds himself a human bride and the little mermaid loses her life. She becomes a spirit daughter of the air who will gain an immortal soul after 300 years by performing good deeds for humans.

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