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1、ARoutintheocean,wherethewaterisasblueastheprettiestcornflower,andasclearascrystal,itisvery,verydeep;sodeep,indeed,thatnocablecouldfathomit:manychurchsteeples,piledoneuponanother,wouldnotreachfromthegroundbeneathtothesurfaceofthewaterabove.TheredwelltheSeaKingandhissubjects.Wemustnotimaginethattherei
2、snothingatthebottomoftheseabutbareyellowsand.No,indeed;themostsingularflowersandplantsgrowthere;theleavesandstemsofwhicharesopliant,thattheslightestagitationofthewatercausesthemtostirasiftheyhadlife.Fishes,bothlargeandsmall,glidebetweenthebranches,asbirdsflyamongthetreeshereuponland.Inthedeepestspot
3、ofall,standsthecastleoftheSeaKing.Itswallsarebuiltofcoral,andthelong,gothicwindowsareoftheclearestamber.Theroofisformedofshells,thatopenandcloseasthewaterflowsoverthem.Theirappearanceisverybeautiful,forineachliesaglitteringpearl,whichwouldbefitforthediademofaqueen. TheSeaKinghadbeenawidowerformanyye
4、ars,andhisagedmotherkepthouseforhim.Shewasaverywisewoman,andexceedinglyproudofherhighbirth;onthataccountsheworetwelveoystersonhertail;whileothers,alsoofhighrank,wereonlyallowedtowearsix.Shewas,however,deservingofverygreatpraise,especiallyforhercareofthelittlesea-princesses,hergrand-daughters.Theywer
5、esixbeautifulchildren;buttheyoungestwastheprettiestofthemall;herskinwasasclearanddelicateasarose-leaf,andhereyesasblueasthedeepestsea;but,likealltheothers,shehadnofeet,andherbodyendedinafishstail.Alldaylongtheyplayedinthegreathallsofthecastle,oramongthelivingflowersthatgrewoutofthewalls.Thelargeambe
6、rwindowswereopen,andthefishswamin,justastheswallowsflyintoourhouseswhenweopenthewindows,exceptingthatthefishesswamuptotheprincesses,ateoutoftheirhands,andallowedthemselvestobestroked.Outsidethecastletherewasabeautifulgarden,inwhichgrewbrightredanddarkblueflowers,andblossomslikeflamesoffire;thefruitg
7、litteredlikegold,andtheleavesandstemswavedtoandfrocontinually.Theearthitselfwasthefinestsand,butblueastheflameofburningsulphur.Overeverythinglayapeculiarblueradiance,asifitweresurroundedbytheairfromabove,throughwhichtheblueskyshone,insteadofthedarkdepthsofthesea.Incalmweatherthesuncouldbeseen,lookin
8、glikeapurpleflower,withthelightstreamingfromthecalyx.Eachoftheyoungprincesseshadalittleplotofgroundinthegarden,whereshemightdigandplantasshepleased.Onearrangedherflower-bedintotheformofawhale;anotherthoughtitbettertomakeherslikethefigureofalittlemermaid;butthatoftheyoungestwasroundlikethesun,andcont
9、ainedflowersasredashisraysatsunset.Shewasastrangechild,quietandthoughtful;andwhilehersisterswouldbedelightedwiththewonderfulthingswhichtheyobtainedfromthewrecksofvessels,shecaredfornothingbutherprettyredflowers,likethesun,exceptingabeautifulmarblestatue.Itwastherepresentationofahandsomeboy,carvedout
10、ofpurewhitestone,whichhadfallentothebottomoftheseafromawreck.Sheplantedbythestatuearose-coloredweepingwillow.Itgrewsplendidly,andverysoonhungitsfreshbranchesoverthestatue,almostdowntothebluesands.Theshadowhadaviolettint,andwavedtoandfrolikethebranches;itseemedasifthecrownofthetreeandtherootwereatpla
11、y,andtryingtokisseachother.Nothinggavehersomuchpleasureastohearabouttheworldabovethesea.Shemadeheroldgrandmothertellherallsheknewoftheshipsandofthetowns,thepeopleandtheanimals.Toheritseemedmostwonderfulandbeautifultohearthattheflowersofthelandshouldhavefragrance,andnotthosebelowthesea;thatthetreesof
12、theforestshouldbegreen;andthatthefishesamongthetreescouldsingsosweetly,thatitwasquiteapleasuretohearthem.Hergrandmothercalledthelittlebirdsfishes,orshewouldnothaveunderstoodher;forshehadneverseenbirds.Whenyouhavereachedyourfifteenthyear,saidthegrand-mother,youwillhavepermissiontoriseupoutofthesea,to
13、sitontherocksinthemoonlight,whilethegreatshipsaresailingby;andthenyouwillseebothforestsandtowns. Inthefollowingyear,oneofthesisterswouldbefifteen:butaseachwasayearyoungerthantheother,theyoungestwouldhavetowaitfiveyearsbeforeherturncametoriseupfromthebottomoftheocean,andseetheearthaswedo.However,eachpromisedtotelltheotherswhatshesawonherfirstvisit,andwhatshethoughtthemostbeautiful;fortheirgrandmothercouldnottellthemenough;thereweresomanythingsonwhic
