"A Fairy Tale by H CH Andersen" "THE LITTLE MERMAID" "Far out in the ocean the water is as blue as the loveliest cornflower and as clear as the purest glass." "But very deep, deeper than any anchor rope will go." "You'd have to pile up many steeples, to get from the sea floor right up to the surface." "There are many people living at the bottom of the sea." "From the deepest spot in the ocean, rises the palace of the sea king." "whose empire stretches from north to south and from east to west, in fact, everywhere." " The loser must sing a song." " What song?" "Something terribly sad." "But you mustn't laugh... whilst you're singing, if you want to win." "Bells ring" "In the darkest night" "And now the bride..." " Stop it." " She's a poor loser, Daddy." " She lost and won't sing." " When you lose..." "Bells ring" "In the darkest night" "And now the bride" "Must bring" "A veil of sea foam" "Because she marries the King" "Sing little mermaid." "I'll listen to you." "The King can smile" "But his wife sadly sighs." "It was such a sad love" "A castle ball" "The lamps are burning" "Sweet wine" "From foreign lands" "Flows like a river" "The bride waiting in vain" "Up on deck!" "Goodbye my lady" "It was such a sad love." "The dam collapses" "The waves push the ship" "Into their nets" "Man the boats!" "It's too late, sir!" "Crying eyes have never been kissed" "The widow's beauty quietly fades" "It was such a sad love." "Such a beautiful voice, my little mermaid." "Whoever hears it will never forget it." "Look." "What is it?" "My gift." "For your birthday." " I can't wait till it's my birthday." " For the prince?" "Yes." "Let's go to the celebration." "How ugly!" "He has eyes like us, but otherwise..." "Don't touch him!" "You know what grandmother said." "They eat fish." "And kill each other." "Isn't this fun?" "It's full of little yellow circles." "Look." "And here too!" "I've found a human flower." "Here you are." "How beautiful you'll be." "When you meet the Prince..." "There's 8 people for you." "Look, a singing fish." "D'you want it?" "And what about us?" "Sisters" "The King and Queen of the Red Sea!" "Daddy!" "Is it a boy?" "When he grows up, he'll marry Princess Coral Sea." "King and Queen of the Yellow Sea." "Children are a problem." "Remember when you were young?" "A terrible journey." "Three sea battles." "Now humans have invented blazing arrows and fireballs." "I don't like fires." "Water is best." "Crown Prince of the Sargasso Sea!" "Crown Prince of the Sunset Sea!" "Hurry up!" "You too." "Do you want to keep the Prince waiting?" "Your husband." "When the time comes, little mermaid." " He looks like a red-brown frog." " Red-brown is now in fashion." " All the Princes..." " Of course, yours too." "Don't argue!" "Queen Sargasso Sea..." "Where is it Granny?" "The Sargasso Sea?" " Do you know the Gulf of Blue Stars?" " Just imagine, yesterday, my husband..." "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." "Granny, look out!" " My crab!" " But I didn't take it." " You stepped on his claw!" " Claw?" "You can't say that." "What an upbringing?" " Such improper words for a child." " Please..." "They're building dams where we live." "My husband pulls them down at night." "We haven't slept in days." "You should have seen my birthday and wedding!" "I swam to the surface." "The fishermen caught an eel in their nets." " I got tangled up in it..." " What did you do?" "I drowned them." "Should I have let them eat me?" " But I know cases where..." " What?" "There's nothing more beautiful than the sun." " The sun?" " The sun." "There is." "The aurora." "Blue, which turns into purple." "Wait until it's your birthday, then you'll see." " I'd like to go with you." " I'm frightened." "And on the shore great flowers grow, called trees." "And above them, in the air, colourful, singing, flying fish." "You have eyes just like your mother." "You never tell us what happened to her." "Mermaids and Queens live 300 years." "Let the festivities begin!" "River ice is best." "I bring it all the way from Europe, but I never regret it." "Today I've added this to my collection." "Poseidon" " Neptune, King of the seas." "Please look at this part." "They believe that we look like fish." "And I invoke and calm storms with this trident." "How impractical!" "I like to collect human follies." "Some are from my father, but most I've gathered myself." " How naive these people are." " What do you think?" "I have no opinion on the subject." "In essence it's an optical illusion." "The sun sinks down into the sea." "But objectively, it doesn't fit." "The earth and waters orbit at great distance around the sun." "I've read scientific works from the Academy scientists, regarding this problem, because you understand..." " You can imagine..." " Yes..." "The name The Sunset Sea cannot be changed." "Habit is a straightjacket." "Better abolish the Academy of Science." "I don't understand." "Mermaids aren't meant to understand." "As daughter of the Sea King..." "Architecture and sculpture... perhaps." "Look at the care they've taken to decorate these weapons." "I don't like it either." "Cruel, insidious, barbarous." "They kill each other" "The only decent thing they invented, was wine." "And even that they water down." "Is this the cave?" "They say there's a window through which your father the King sees everything, that happens on sea and land." "Therefore no one may enter." "He knows he must give way to someone younger." "They also say that of all his daughters, you are the favourite." "It's time." "Goodbye until next year little mermaid." "I'm afraid." "Everyone is afraid the first time." "I'll go with you." "Now it is night up there." "In a moment the sun will rise." "Don't worry, I won't punish you, little mermaid." "Even though I should." "Your eyes." "So much like hers." "Foolish, inquisitive eyes." "She gave me 6 daughters, and became more beautiful with each one." "I didn't know there was a statue." "I thought there was a window, looking out on the world." "Seeing everything that happens." "Who told you that?" "Your Prince?" "He probably heard it from his idiot father." "The world, people..." "All useless." "There's no logic." "They achieve nothing, in the water or out." "Their books are full of blood, of words which mean nothing." "Which just confuse." "Passion, love, friendship..." "And really..." "How beautiful!" "What a happy smile." "Better get some sleep." "You know what happens to mermaids who get too inquisitive?" "They melt like sea foam." "And on the shore great flowers grow, called trees." " Your face feels hot." " I feel wonderful." "Tell me about the sun." "The sun is at the very top, above the trees." "And in the air flying, colourful fish flap their wings and sing." "But you've told me that already." "Do you remember when it was your birthday?" "That's a long time ago." "Nearly 280 years." "I ran away from home, swam almost to the shore, even though it was forbidden." "And there on the cliff above the sea sat a small, barefoot Prince..." " feeding some strange animals." " Dolphins?" "Not dolphins nor seals." "They had tusks like a walrus, but upwards." "And round their necks were strings with little bells on them." "The Prince was playing a flute and the little bells were jingling." " What happened?" " Well," "I got scared." "Because the Prince ran towards me shouting:" "Don't go away beautiful mermaid!" "I only want to kiss you." "But I fled, because it was awfully dangerous." "They say, in moments like these, you forget about everything." "Who you are, where you come from..." "Where did you find that stone?" "Isn't it beautiful?" "I got it from my mother when I was little." "She said it will calm storms." "And there are only 2 like it in the whole world." "I have one and she the other." "I found this at the bottom of a sea volcano." "This I took from a sea witch." "She didn't see me." "Nor I her." "But I heard her sing such a strange song." "This is it:" "First, a white stone" "With her hand grows" "Second, a red stone" "Seals her lips" "Third, a black stone" "In her heart remained" "And by that third stone" "Herself was stone forever" "Stop playing!" "First, a white stone" "With her hand grows" "Hear that?" "Like someone singing far away." "They say it's the singing rocks of the Sea King." "Nobody goes near them." "We do!" "Change direction!" "North north west!" "Rudder to starboard!" "I want to see her sing!" "If she's as beautiful as her voice." "And by that third stone" "Was stone herself forever" "That's all." "It's just a short song." "It's better that way." "A strong theme and dramatic finale." "I hate long lyrics without any focus." "Perhaps it's because I'm getting old." "Maybe you young see things differently." " I wouldn't dare." " So I've heard." "Hurry, the stars will be out soon." "It will be most pleasant to swim to the surface now." "Don't worry, I'll take you." "Hold my hand..." "Little mermaid." " Are those stars?" " No, fireworks." "In honour of the Prince's birthday." "The same as yours." " He's hurrying to see you." " Me?" "We'll see it all from the cliffs." "His ship will be wrecked on the rocks." "It's yours." " And everything in it." " Thank you Daddy." "Look at the beautiful sails and flags." "He's at the helm, the Prince." "Even without the mast... the current will force them onto the rocks." "And there's no reason to invoke a storm anyway." "They're lowering the last of the boats." "Lower the boats!" "How pale and handsome!" "He's dead." "He's been dead from the moment he heard you sing." "You didn't tell me." "I saw her going under." "Her white hands, then nothing." "It was dark." "This is the sun, look!" "Don't sleep, wake up!" "People shouldn't sleep in the sea." "I could take you to our palace, but that would kill you." "Wake!" "Don't sleep." "Somewhere near will be the shore with great flowers on it." "And above, fish that sing." "It was lucky you were there." "He was yours and you gave him life." "That was your right." "But though he belongs to you, you'll never see him again." "You know everything." "Or almost everything." "Where is he now?" "He's alive." "Another ship is taking him home." "Where is his country?" "You asked about him now?" "Want some?" "Greek wine smells of resin." "The human Prince is in the hold." "His eyes closed, but not asleep." "He thinks of the dark haired girl, who bent over him on the shore." "Maybe you remember." "Were you out to sea when he said:" " Did you save me?" " It's not... true!" "I never lied to you even when you were little... and wanted to know things children shouldn't know." "May I... ask another question?" "Tell me the truth." "If people don't drown, do they live forever?" "Really live maybe 20 or 30 years, then they fade away." "If someone lived 100 years that would be special." "You will live 300 years." "Don't think of them." "I have considered everything." "Your foolish escape, which insulted everyone, will be forgotten by winter." "The Prince will remain here as my successor, and you will become Queen of all the Seas." "You'll see that you'll be happy here." "Queen of all the Seas..." "That sounds nice." "But still," "I'd trade my 300 years for a single human day." "To see him once more." " To tell him..." " What?" "It wasn't her, it was me!" "I saved you, held you through the night in my arms." "And laid you on the sand." "But had to go back to the sea." "Foolish little mermaid, who'd melt into sea foam." "She'll forget with marriage." "Children, new worries..." "I've been waiting 3 days." "Just one more day." "Maybe I'm just superstitious, but I lost the stone from my necklace." "From my mummy." "The stone that calms storms." " There are only two in the world." " Yesterday you said you lost the stone, from the volcano." "I've found that one, but lost the other." "It was scarlet and shone in the dark." "Just one day." "What harm would it do?" "The celebrations will last a month." "Everyone will want to celebrate the new king and queen." "You should have gone after her!" "What did she make up today?" " Another stone?" " The scarlet one." "Red as blood." "Find her!" "Bring me the little Mermaid!" "Prepare the wedding ceremony!" "What should I do, mummy?" "Should I go back?" "What would you do, Queen of all the seas?" "Should I return?" "Or give up everything and hope that I will see him once more?" "Little sister!" "Don't kill me, Sea Witch!" "I'm here to see you, I've brought you gifts." "Silly children's toys." "But thanks for them anyway." "They will serve our purpose splendidly." "Do you know what I want?" "What can a mermaid want from a witch?" "You want to be like humans." "To have the prince you saved fall in love with you." "It's a silly idea." "But have it your own way, beautiful princess." "This idea will bring your downfall." "I'll make you a drink." "And when it's drunk, you will resemble humans so much, that you can touch the ground without melting." "But you still won't be human." "No dancer will be more graceful than you." "But with every step you'll feel pain, like sharp knives stabbing your feet." "But if you can bear this, I'll help you." "I want it." "I must find him no matter what pain..." "Don't be hasty!" "That's not all." "Once you touch the ground, there will be no way back." "You can never become a mermaid again." "Never descend to the bottom of the sea, to your sisters, your father's castle." "And if you don't win the prince's love, your heart will break the morning after his wedding to another." "And you'll melt, drifting as sea foam forever." "Unless you'd kill them both." "But you're too stupid to do that." "I want it all." "I'll give you everything I have for the drink." "This necklace..." "Junk." "The only thing of value is this stone that can calm storms." "But I have one like it already and I've never used it." " This stone..." " The worst trade I've ever done." "I won't make the same mistake twice." "You have the most beautiful voice of all." "A voice that can charm a prince." "But you'll give that voice to me." "In return for my magic drink, I want your most precious gift." "But what will I have left?" "Your beauty." "Your eyes." "Eyes that can enchant the prince's heart." "Sing!" "I've taught you my song." "Once you finish it, you'll become mute." "But everyone who sees you, will think you the most beautiful girl they've ever seen." "First, a white stone" "With her hand grows" "Second, a red stone" "Seals her lips" "First, a white stone" "With her hand grows" "The third daughter, of the Spanish king." " A dowry of 300,000 ducats." " Only a half of that would save us." "Dance, prince, dance!" "Since you tried to sail through the sea king's cliffs," " our ships no longer return to port." " The sea is taking our lands." " It's flooding our fields." " We'll build dams." " You need money for that." " In white is the princess of a country, where precious stones lie in the sand." "What I need are rocks, manpower and wood that won't rot in the water." "Timbers withstanding the greatest wave." "Huge logs, not the splinters we have." "You can't leave now!" "Third, a black stone" "In her heart remained" "You should have told him we had to borrow money even for the splinters." "You'd better think of a way to excuse him." "Urgent government business, which unfortunately..." "Dams!" "He wants to gain control of the sea!" "I was invited to the King of Spain's court." "Are you staying here?" "Are you going to wait for the sea to engulf us?" "First, a white stone with her hand grows" "Second, a red stone," "Seals her lips" "Who are you?" "You look like a little mermaid, but... no mermaid could be as beautiful as you are." "Though I once saw a girl as beautiful." "Where are you from?" "What is your name?" "Don't worry, the sea can't harm you now." "Where is everybody?" "Bring wine!" "And a dress for the little mermaid!" " Who is that princess?" " I don't know, mum." "She was washed up by the sea." "I asked for her name, but she can't speak." "Perhaps the shipwreck made her mute." "She is more beautiful than all the princesses in the garden below." "Her jewels are finer than those of any queen." "Her father must be the king of a mighty realm." "Why aren't you playing?" "First dance for the prince!" "I don't understand." "No ships have entered the harbor." "It's as if she came with the storm." "We'll leave in the morning." "You swore that the prince..." "Urgent government business?" "Even yesterday's fireworks were pathetic." "I'm sure she's a princess." "Look how wonderfully she dances." "But if I give you all these things, what then will I have left?" "Your beauty, your eyes." "No dancer will be as graceful as you." "But with every step you'll feel pain, like sharp knives stabbing your feet." "I want it!" "It was I, held you in my arms all night so you wouldn't drown, my darling." "I looked for you everywhere." "Try to understand me." "Hear what I'm saying." "Even though I gave my voice to a witch." "The only way to be here with you now." "To dance with you." "Beatrice?" "Maybe you're Susanna." "Helena?" "Eva?" " Who's the princess?" " A little mermaid." "Soon they'll believe." "It's an old story that you'll hear wherever you go." "The cliffs I wanted to sail through..." "and the sea taking everything from us." "Crops, dams." "People are moving to the mountains." "I'm not surprised they believe in the Sea King's revenge." "They bring flowers and shells to appease him." "So their nets will be full of fish again." "Why do you want to ruin him, daddy, King of all Seas?" "Just because I love him?" "Help me!" "My heart aches that I left you." "But what else could I do?" "." "That's not a reflection of the sun." "It's as if someone mixed the water with blood." "Pull up the nets!" "She hasn't eaten since yesterday." "She has to eat something." "Pay the creditors, buy wood." "Wood that'll survive the stormiest seas." "Good news!" "Three ships have come back to port, and with their cargoes intact." "You've brought me luck." "We'll take stone from these rocks." "Chop down these trees and plant new ones." "Have orchards in the valley." "We'll change the whole country." "No more worries of floods." "An apple" "Take a bite." "These are apple trees." "Perhaps they don't grow where you came from." "Apples?" "How my teeth tremble after eating them." "When I look into your eyes, I understand what you're saying, even if you don't speak." "You just said:" "It's nice here." "The best fishing is down below." "Of course you're afraid, but you feel so wonderful." "Swimming through worlds you never dreamt of." "Jellyfish hovering above your head, shoals of tiny fish, darting here and there." "Some are silver, some gold, others change their colours like a rainbow." "I'll tell you about the sea one day." "I like it, even though it almost killed me." "Careful, don't burn yourself!" "Fish must be eaten whilst hot." "Don't you like fish?" "But I caught this one just for you." "I love you." "I'd do anything for you." "I love you" "Don't talk." "Just try to hear what I'm saying." "Perhaps if you put your head on my heart you'd hear better." "I like being with you." "Perhaps because you look so much like the girl who saved me." "When we were shipwrecked, waves carried me out to sea." "It was me!" "Remember!" "I told you:" "Wake up, humans can't sleep in the sea." "And then..." "I opened my eyes and saw her." "She had long hair, she was bending over me, just like you." "And I realized she was the only one in the whole world who I could love." "I never saw her again." "Some schoolgirls arrived." "Maybe it's fate." "In place of her, the sea brought me you." "Who are they dad?" "That's the Prince and the Little Mermaid." "The one who enchanted the nets, so they'd be full of fish?" "D'you hear?" "Already they're telling fairy-tales about you." "They've added a new ending to the old tale of the beautiful Sea Queen who fell in love with a poor fisherman and left everything, the sea, the King, even her six daughters." "You're the sixth daughter." "A princess of the sea." "And you came to save us." "And we're going to get married, and live happily ever after." "And we'll have lots of children, the fishermen, nets full of fish," "And in every third shell, a pearl." "Why are you crying?" "It's a nice fairy-tale, at least I like it." "Only, my guardians don't." "To have a mute queen, and no one knows where she came from." "They've a different fairy-tale for me." "Beyond the Sargasso Sea, lives a king with an only daughter." "And when he dies, our empire will enclose the entire Sargasso." "Don't worry, I don't want the daughter or the empire." "You're going to sail with me." "We'll give our gifts to the king, and when we come back, in every third shell a pearl." "And we'll have lots of children and live happily ever after." "You're even more beautiful than she who found me." "Help me once more, daddy, the King of all Seas." "Give him something to make him forget her." "How pale you are." "You shouldn't have sailed with us, It's not for women." "The horrors I've seen from the depths would terrify you." "A two headed serpent, or an octopus, which sucks on human blood." "15 ships." "The Princess's dowry." "The king's whole fleet is 96 ships." "Twelve battleships." "Whose turn now?" " Ah, the Prince's." "You throw." "The pearl." "All sixes." "But now you've lost." "They're sailing to meet us!" "Get out the flags!" "Fire a salvo!" "The King awaits you." "The throne is 154 steps from the door." "Present the gifts quickly." "The Princess is tired." "She's just returned from school where she's being educated." "Short steps if possible, and then the fanfares." "The King sits in the middle, the Queen on the right and the Princess, left." "The Prince of the Southern Empire and his attendants." "Is it you?" "I remember how I you found you on shore." " Did you save me?" " I found you." "I looked for you everywhere." "You hid?" "I saw, you go home, and since then..." "Southern Prince." " It's so lovely." " I didn't want to come." "You were the first to kiss me." "I didn't want to see you either, but they persuaded me." "Gifts for the King, Queen and Princess!" "Highest honors of the Southern Empire!" "Gold necklaces, gold roses!" "A collection of the rarest animals!" "Such beasts!" "Exotic birds!" "This is your girls' school where a man sees a woman, kisses her first, and then asks for her hand." "You have a knife, with which to kill." "Or after the wedding, your heart will break." "and you will dissolve into sea foam." "Now you know everything." "Of course you're happy for us." "As you like!" "How she loved him." "Hurry." "Whilst they are asleep." "Let them perish." "You see the redness in the fog?" "With the sunrise, it's all over." "You have the knife." "You can still return." "A single drop of his heart's blood is enough." "Bells ring" "In the darkest night" "And now the bride" "Must bring" "A veil of sea foam" "Because she marries the King" "The King can smile" "But his wife sadly sighs" "It was such..." "Where are you little mermaid?" "...a sad love" "A sea of flowers!" "The dam collapses" "The waves push the ship" "Into their nets Man the boats!" "It's too late Sir!" "Crying eyes have never been kissed" "The widow's beauty quietly fades" "It was such a sad love" "Subtitles: haggahagga and Corvusalbus"