The little mermaid drew back the crimson curtain of the tent， and beheld the fair bride with her head resting on the princes breast. She bent down and kissed his fair brow， then looked at the sky on which the rosy dawn grew brighter and brighter； then she glanced at the sharp knife， and again fixed her eyes on the prince， who whispered the name of his bride in his dreams. She was in his thoughts， and the knife trembled in the hand of the little mermaid： then she flung it far away from her into the waves； the water turned red where it fell， and the drops that spurted up looked like blood. She cast one more lingering， half-fainting glance at the prince， and then threw herself from the ship into the sea， and thought her body was dissolving into foam.

The sun rose above the waves， and his warm rays fell on the cold foam of the little mermaid， who did not feel as if she were dying. She saw the bright sun， and all around her floated hundreds of transparent beautiful beings； she could see through them the white sails of the ship， and the red clouds in the sky； their speech was melodious， but too ethereal to be heard by mortal ears， as they were also unseen by mortal eyes. The little mermaid perceived that she had a body like theirs， and that she continued to rise higher and higher out of the foam.

“Where am I？” asked she， and her voice sounded ethereal， as the voice of those who were with her； no earthly music could imitate it.

“Among the daughters of the air，” answered one of them. “A mermaid has not an immortal soul， nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the power of another hangs her eternal destiny. But the daughters of the air， although they do not possess an immortal soul， can， by their good deeds， procure one for themselves. We fly to warm countries， and cool the sultry air that destroys mankind with the pestilence. We carry the perfume of the flowers to spread health and restoration. After we have striven for three hundred years to all the good in our power， we receive an immortal soul and take part in the happiness of mankind. You， poor little mermaid， have tried with your whole heart to do as we are doing； you have suffered and endured and raised yourself to the spirit-world by your good deeds； and now， by striving for three hundred years in the same way， you may obtain an immortal soul.”

The little mermaid lifted her glorified eyes towards the sun， and felt them， for the first time， filling with tears.

On the ship， in which she had left the prince， there were life and noise； she saw him and his beautiful bride searching for her； sorrowfully they gazed at the pearly foam， as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves. Unseen she kissed the forehead of her bride， and fanned the prince， and then mounted with the other children of the air to a rosy cloud that floated through the aother.

“After three hundred years， thus shall we float into the kingdom of heaven，” said she.

“And we may even get there sooner，” whispered one of her companions. “Unseen we can enter the houses of men， where there are children， and for every day on which we find a good child， who is the joy of his parents and deserves their love， our time of probation is shortened. The child does not know， when we fly through the room， that we smile with joy at his good conduct， for we can count one year less of our three hundred years. But when we see a naughty or a wicked child， we shed tears of sorrow， and for every tear a day is added to our time of trial！”

小人魚把那帳篷上紫色的簾子掀開，看到那位美麗的新娘把頭枕在王子的懷里睡著了。她彎下腰，在王子清秀的眉毛上親了一下，于是他向天空凝視——朝霞漸漸地變得更亮了。她向尖刀看了一眼，接著又把眼睛調(diào)向這個王子；他正在夢中喃喃地念著他的新嫁娘的名字。他思想中只有她存在。刀子在小人魚的手里發(fā)抖。但是正在這時候，她把這刀子遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地向浪花里扔去。刀子沉下的地方，浪花就發(fā)出一道紅光，好像有許多血滴濺出了水面。她再一次把她迷糊的視線投向這王子，然后她就從船上跳到海里，她覺得她的身軀在融化成為泡沫。

現(xiàn)在太陽從海里升起來了。陽光柔和地、溫暖地照在冰冷的泡沫上。因?yàn)樾∪唆~并沒有感到滅亡。她看到光明的太陽，同時在她上面飛著無數(shù)透明的、美麗的生物。透過它們，她可以看到船上的白帆和天空的彩云。它們的聲音是和諧的音樂?？墒悄敲刺摕o縹緲，人類的耳朵簡直沒有辦法聽見，正如地上的眼睛不能看見它們一樣。它們沒有翅膀，只是憑它們輕飄的形體在空中浮動。小人魚覺得自己也獲得了它們這樣的形體，漸漸地從泡沫中升起來。

“我將向誰走去呢？”她問。她的聲音跟這些其他的生物一樣，顯得虛無縹緲，人世間的任何音樂部不能和它相比。

“到天空的女兒那兒去呀！”別的聲音回答說?！叭唆~是沒有不滅的靈魂的，而且永遠(yuǎn)也不會有這樣的靈魂，除非她獲得了一個凡人的愛情。她的永恒的存在要依靠外來的力量。天空的女兒也沒有永恒的靈魂，不過她們可以通過善良的行為而創(chuàng)造出一個靈魂。我們飛向炎熱的國度里去，那兒散布著病疫的空氣在傷害著人民，我們可以吹起清涼的風(fēng)，可以把花香在空氣中傳播，我們可以散布健康和愉快的精神。三百年以后，當(dāng)我們盡力做完了我們可能做的一切善行以后，我們就可以獲得一個不滅的靈魂，就可以分享人類一切永恒的幸福了。你，可憐的個人魚，像我們一樣，曾經(jīng)全心全意地為那個目標(biāo)而奮斗。你忍受過痛苦；你堅(jiān)持下去了；你已經(jīng)超升到精靈的世界里來了。通過你的善良的工作，在三百年以后，你就可以為你自己創(chuàng)造出一個不滅的靈魂?！?/p>

小人魚向太陽睜開亮晶晶的眼睛，她第一次感到要流出眼淚。

在那條船上，人聲和活動又開始了。她看到王子和他美麗的新娘在尋找她。他們悲悼地望著那翻騰的泡沫，好像他們知道她已經(jīng)跳到浪濤里去了似的。在冥冥中她吻著這位新嫁娘的前額，她對王子微笑。于是她就跟其他的空氣中的孩子們一道，騎上玫瑰色的云塊，升人天空里去了。

“這樣，三百年以后，我們就可以升入天國！”

“我們也許還不須等那么久！”一個聲音低語著?！拔覀儫o形無影地飛進(jìn)人類的住屋里去，那里面生活著一些孩子。每一天如果我們找到一個好孩子，如果他給他父母帶來快樂、值得他父母愛他的話，上帝就可以縮短我們考驗(yàn)的時間。當(dāng)我們飛過屋子的時候，孩子是不會知道的。當(dāng)我們幸福地對著他笑的時候，我們就可以在這三百年中減去一年；但當(dāng)我們看到一個頑皮和惡劣的孩子、而不得不傷心地哭出來的時候，那每一顆眼淚就使我們考驗(yàn)的日子多加一天。”