Far beneath the sea, in a shimmering palace of coral and seashells, lived the Sea King and his six daughters. The youngest was the Little Mermaid, who was the most curious of all. She had a sweet voice, eyes bright as the sea, and a longing heart. While her sisters loved to sing and play, she dreamed of the world above the waves.
On her fifteenth birthday, she was finally allowed to rise to the surface. She swam up and gazed at a grand ship, where a handsome prince stood on deck. The Little Mermaid watched him with wonder. That night, a storm broke out. Waves crashed, the ship split apart, and the prince was thrown into the sea. The Little Mermaid rescued him and carried him to the shore, where she left him safely before anyone saw her.
From that moment, she could not forget him. She asked her grandmother about the world of humans and learned that unlike mermaids, humans had immortal souls. To be with the prince and share his world, she longed for legs.
At last, the Little Mermaid visited the Sea Witch, who lived in a dark cave with slimy eels and potions bubbling in cauldrons. The witch agreed to give her a potion that would turn her tail into legs. But the price was heavy: the mermaid must give up her beautiful voice, and if the prince married another, her heart would break, and she would turn into sea foam.
The Little Mermaid drank the potion. She felt terrible pain as her tail split into legs, but when she woke, the prince found her and smiled. Unable to speak, she followed him everywhere. He grew fond of her, but he did not know she was the one who had saved him.
In time, the prince fell in love with another princess. On the day of his wedding, the Little Mermaid’s heart ached. Her sisters brought her a dagger from the Sea Witch. If she killed the prince, she could return to the sea. But she could not harm him, for she loved him too deeply. At dawn, she threw herself into the waves and dissolved into sea foam.
Yet instead of vanishing, she rose into the sky as a spirit of the air. The winds carried her gently, and she learned she could earn an immortal soul by doing good deeds for humankind. Though she lost her prince, she found a new purpose filled with hope.
📖 Introduction
The Little Mermaid is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837.
It is a moving story of love, sacrifice, and the search for a soul. Unlike the cheerful versions told today, the original tale is bittersweet and teaches about courage, loss, and hope.
🎯 Themes / Takeaway
- True love means sacrifice, not selfishness.
- Courage often comes with pain and loss.
- Identity and purpose are discovered through struggle.
- Every ending can open the way to a new beginning.
🏡 How to Use This Story
🎤 Activity 1: Read Aloud
- Use a soft, dreamy voice for the underwater scenes and a dramatic tone for the storm.
- Pause at the witch’s warning to let children think about the choice.
- End with a gentle tone when she becomes a spirit of the air.
❓ Activity 2: Ask Children
- “Why did the Little Mermaid want to go to the human world?”
- “What did she give up to become human?”
- “Why didn’t she hurt the prince, even when her life was at risk?”
- “What do you think is more important—love, or being true to yourself?”
🎭 Activity 3: Role-Play
- Assign roles: Little Mermaid, Prince, Sea Witch, Sisters.
- Act out three scenes: saving the prince, meeting the Sea Witch, and the final farewell.
- Encourage children to show emotions—hope, fear, sadness, and bravery.
🎨 Activity 4: Creative Expression
- Drawing: Paint the sea palace, the storm, or the final sunrise.
- Craft: Make a seashell necklace or paper waves.
- Music: Let children create a song for the mermaid since she gave up her own voice.
💡 Activity 5: Connect to Real Life
- “Have you ever given up something important for someone you care about?”
- “Why is it hard to make choices between what we want and what is right?”
- “What can we learn about hope and new beginnings from the ending?”