Русалочка

           Hewouldgiveasoultoyouandretainhisownaswell;butthiscanneverhappen. Yourfish’stail,whichamongstusisconsideredsobeautiful,isthoughtonearthtobequiteugly; theydonotknowanybetter,andtheythinkitnecessarytohavetwostoutprops,whichtheycalllegs,inordertobehandsome." 

           Thenthelittlemermaidsighed,andlookedsorrowfullyatherfish’stail. "Letusbehappy,"saidtheoldlady, "anddartandspringaboutduringthethreehundredyearsthatwehavetolive,whichisreallyquitelongenough;afterthatwecanrestourselvesallthebetter. Thiseveningwearegoingtohaveacourtball." 

           Itisoneofthosesplendidsightswhichwecanneverseeonearth. Thewallsandtheceilingofthelargeball-roomwereofthick,buttransparentcrystal. Mayhundredsofcolossalshells,someofadeepred,othersofagrassgreen,stoodoneachsideinrows,withbluefireinthem,whichlightedupthewholesaloon,andshonethroughthewalls,sothattheseawasalsoilluminated. Innumerablefishes,greatandsmall,swampastthecrystalwalls;onsomeofthemthescalesglowedwithapurplebrilliancy,andonotherstheyshonelikesilverandgold. Throughthehallsflowedabroadstream,andinitdancedthemermenandthemermaidstothemusicoftheirownsweetsinging. Nooneonearthhassuchalovelyvoiceastheirs.