The Little Mermaid

Mermaids and mermaids live deep at the bottom of the sea. There are six sisters living there, all of them princesses, the youngest of whom is quieter and more caring than her older sisters. Each of the mermaids has her own little garden under the water, but while others decorate it with all sorts of things rescued from sunken ships that are drifting at the bottom of the sea, the little mermaid has only a few roses and a statuette of a beautiful boy. They are all intrigued by the world beyond the sea, but the younger sister - the little mermaid from the title of the story - is more interested in the world above the sea than the other sisters. The sisters are looked after by their grandmother, who tells them that when a mermaid reaches the age of fifteen, she can rise to the surface of the water and explore the surface world. In turn, each of the sisters reaches this age and rises to the surface, returning under the water to tell the sisters about what she saw. When the little mermaid's turn finally comes, she notices the ship on which the royals are. People on the ship celebrate the birthday of a handsome prince. The little mermaid is instantly attracted to him. A storm starts and the ship sinks. The little mermaid at first rejoices when she sees that the prince is submerged under the water - after all, this means that he can join her - but then she remembers that people cannot survive underwater, so she rescues him and takes him ashore to the temple, where several novices appear, and one of them leads the prince to consciousness. The mermaid is submerged again, and the prince does not know about her existence, nor that she saved his life.