On the same evening the bride and bridegroom went on board ship； cannons were roaring， flags waving， and in the centre of the ship a costly tent of purple and gold had been erected. It contained elegant couches， for the reception of the bridal pair during the night.

The ship， with swelling sails and a favorable wind， glided away smoothly and lightly over the calm sea. When it grew dark a number of colored lamps were lit， and the sailors danced merrily on the deck. The little mermaid could not help thinking of her first rising out of the sea， when she had seen similar festivities and joys； and she joined in the dance， poised herself in the air as a swallow when he pursues his prey， and all present cheered her with wonder. She had never danced so elegantly before. Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives， but she cared not for it； a sharper pang had pierced through her heart.

She knew this was the last evening she should ever see the prince， for whom she had forsaken her kindred and her home； she had given up her beautiful voice， and suffered unheard-of pain daily for him， while he knew nothing of it. This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air with him， or gaze on the starry sky and the deep sea； an eternal night， without a thought or a dream， awaited her： she had no soul and now she could never win one. All was joy and gayety on board ship till long after midnight； she laughed and danced with the rest， while the thoughts of death were in her heart. The prince kissed his beautiful bride， while she played with his raven hair， till they went arm-in-arm to rest in the splendid tent.

Then all became still on board the ship； the helmsman， alone awake， stood at the helm. The little mermaid leaned her white arms on the edge of the vessel， and looked towards the east for the first blush of morning， for that first ray of dawn that would bring her death. She saw her sisters rising out of the flood： they were as pale as herself； but their long beautiful hair waved no more in the wind， and had been cut off.

“We have given our hair to the witch，” said they， “to obtain help for you， that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife： here it is， see it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince； when the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again， and form into a fishs tail， and you will be once more a mermaid， and return to us to live out your three hundred years before you die and change into the salt sea foam. Haste， then； he or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother moans so for you， that her white hair is falling off from sorrow， as ours fell under the witchs scissors. Kill the prince and come back； hasten： do you not see the first red streaks in the sky？ In a few minutes the sun will rise， and you must die.”

And then they sighed deeply and mournfully， and sank down beneath the waves.

在同一天晚上，新郎和新娘來(lái)到船上。禮炮響起來(lái)了，旗幟在飄揚(yáng)著。一個(gè)金色和紫色的皇家?guī)づ裨诖醒爰芷饋?lái)了，里面陳設(shè)得有最美麗的墊子。在這兒，這對(duì)美麗的新婚夫婦將度過(guò)他們這清涼和寂靜的夜晚。

風(fēng)兒在鼓著船帆。船在這清亮的海上，輕柔地航行著，沒(méi)有很大的波動(dòng)。當(dāng)暮色漸漸垂下來(lái)的時(shí)候，彩色的燈光就亮起來(lái)了，水手們愉快地在甲板上跳起舞來(lái)。小人魚不禁想起她第一次浮到海面上來(lái)的情景，想起她那時(shí)看到的同樣華麗和歡樂(lè)的場(chǎng)面。她于是旋舞起來(lái)，飛翔著，正如一只被追逐的燕子在飛翔著一樣。大家都在喝采，稱贊她，她從來(lái)沒(méi)有跳得這么美麗?？炖牡蹲铀坪踉诳持募?xì)嫩的腳，但是她并不感覺(jué)到痛，因?yàn)樗男谋冗@還要痛。

她知道這是她看到他的最后一晚——為了他，她離開了她的族人和家庭，她交出了她美麗的聲音，她每天忍受著沒(méi)有止境的苦痛，然而他卻一點(diǎn)兒也不知道。這是她能和他在一起呼吸同樣空氣的最后一晚，這是她能看到深沉的海和布滿了星星的天空的最后一晚。同時(shí)一個(gè)沒(méi)有思想和夢(mèng)境的永恒的夜在等待著她——沒(méi)有靈魂、而且也得不到一個(gè)靈魂的她。一直到半夜過(guò)后，船上的一切還是歡樂(lè)和愉快的。她笑著，舞著，但是她心中懷著死的思想。王子吻著自己的美麗的新娘：新娘撫弄著他的烏亮的頭發(fā)。他們手?jǐn)v著手到那華麗的帳篷里去休息。

船上現(xiàn)在是很安靜的了。只有舵手站在舵旁。小人魚把她潔白的手臂倚在舷墻上，向東方凝望，等待著晨曦的出現(xiàn)——她知道，頭一道太陽(yáng)光就會(huì)叫她滅亡，她看到她的姐姐們從波濤中涌現(xiàn)出來(lái)了。她們是像她自己一樣地蒼白。她們美麗的長(zhǎng)頭發(fā)已經(jīng)不在風(fēng)中飄蕩了——因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)被剪掉了。

“我們已經(jīng)把頭發(fā)交給了那個(gè)巫婆，希望她能幫助你，使你今后不至于滅亡。她給了我們一把刀子。拿去吧，你看，它是多么快！在太陽(yáng)沒(méi)有出來(lái)以前，你得把它插進(jìn)那個(gè)王子的心里去。當(dāng)他的熱血流到你腳上時(shí)，你的雙腳將會(huì)又聯(lián)到一起，成為一條魚尾，那么你就可以恢復(fù)人魚的原形，你就可以回到我們這兒的水里來(lái)；這樣，在你沒(méi)有變成無(wú)生命的咸水泡沫以前，你仍舊可以活過(guò)你三百年的歲月?？靹?dòng)手！在太陽(yáng)沒(méi)有出來(lái)以前，不是他死，就是你死了！我們的老祖母悲慟得連她的白發(fā)都落光了，正如我們的頭發(fā)在巫婆的剪刀下落掉一樣。刺死那個(gè)王子，趕快回來(lái)吧！快動(dòng)手呀！你沒(méi)有看到天上的紅光嗎，幾分鐘以后，太陽(yáng)就出來(lái)了，那時(shí)你就必然滅亡！”

她們發(fā)出一個(gè)奇怪的、深沉的嘆息聲，于是她們便沉入浪濤里去了。

（未完待續(xù)）