Русалочка

           Beyondthisstoodherhouse,inthecentreofastrangeforest,inwhichallthetreesandflowerswerepolypi,halfanimalsandhalfplants;theylookedlikeserpentswithahundredheadsgrowingoutoftheground. Thebrancheswerelongslimyarms,withfingerslikeflexibleworms,movinglimbafterlimbfromtheroottothetop. Allthatcouldbereachedintheseatheyseizedupon,andheldfast,sothatitneverescapedfromtheirclutches. Thelittlemermaidwassoalarmedatwhatshesaw,thatshestoodstill,andherheartbeatwithfear,andshewasverynearlyturningback; butshethoughtoftheprince,andofthehumansoulforwhichshelonged,andhercouragereturned. Shefastenedherlongflowinghairroundherhead,sothatthepolypimightnotseizeholdofit. Shelaidherhandstogetheracrossherbosom,andthenshedartedforwardasafishshootsthroughthewater,betweenthesupplearmsandfingersoftheuglypolypi,whichwerestretchedoutoneachsideofher. Shesawthateachheldinitsgraspsomethingithadseizedwithitsnumerouslittlearms,asiftheywereironbands. Thewhiteskeletonsofhumanbeingswhohadperishedatsea,andhadsunkdownintothedeepwaters,skeletonsoflandanimals,oars,rudders,andchestsofshipswerelyingtightlygraspedbytheirclingingarms;evenalittlemermaid, whomtheyhadcaughtandstrangled; andthisseemedthemostshockingofalltothelittleprincess.