and afterwards, when she stood at the open windowlooking up through the dark blue water, she thought of the great city,with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear thesound of the church bells, down in the depths of the sea.
  In another year the second sister received permission to rise tothe surface of the water, and to swim about where she pleased. Sherose just as the sun was setting, and this, she said, was the mostbeautiful sight of all. The whole sky looked like gold, while violetand rose-colored clouds, which she could not describe, floated overher; and, still more rapidly than the clouds, flew a large flock ofwild swans towards the setting sun, looking like a long white veilacross the sea. She also swam towards the sun; but it sunk into thewaves, and the rosy tints faded from the clouds and from the sea.
  The third sister's turn followed; she was the boldest of them all,and she swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea. On thebanks she saw green hills covered with beautiful vines; palaces andcastles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest; sheheard the birds singing, and the rays of the sun were so powerful thatshe was obliged often to dive down under the water to cool her burningface. In a narrow creek she found a whole troop of little humanchildren, quite naked, and sporting about in the water; she wantedto play with them, but they fled in a great fright; and then alittle black animal came to the water; it was a dog, but she did notknow that, for she had never before seen one. This animal barked ather so terribly that she became frightened, and rushed back to theopen sea. But she said she should never forget the beautiful forest,the green hills, and the pretty little children who could swim inthe water, although they had not fish's tails.
  The fourth sister was more timid; she remained in the midst of thesea, but she said it was quite as beautiful there as nearer theland. She could see for so many miles around her, and the sky abovelooked like a bell of glass. She had seen the ships, but at such agreat distance that they looked like sea-gulls. The dolphins sportedin the waves, and the great whales spouted water from their nostrilstill it seemed as if a hundred fountains were playing in everydirection.
  The fifth sister's birthday occurred in the winter; so when herturn came, she saw what the others had not seen the first time theywent up. The sea looked quite green, and large icebergs werefloating about, each like a pearl, she said, but larger and loftierthan the churches built by men. They were of the most singular shapes,and glittered like diamonds. She had seated herself upon one of thelargest, and let the wind play with her long hair, and she remarkedthat all the ships sailed by rapidly, and steered as far away asthey could from the iceberg, as if they were afraid of it. Towardsevening, as the sun went down, dark clouds covered the sky, thethunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the red light glowedon the icebergs as they rocked and tossed on the heaving sea. On allthe ships the sails were reefed with fear and trembling, while she satcalmly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue lightning, as itdarted its forked flashes into the sea.
  When first the sisters had permission to rise to the surface, theywere each delighted with the new and beautiful sights they saw; butnow, as grown-up girls, they could go when they pleased, and theyhad become indifferent about it. They wished themselves back againin the water, and after a month had passed they said it was muchmore beautiful down below, and pleasanter to be at home. Yet often, inthe evening hours, the five sisters would twine their arms roundeach other, and rise to the surface, in a row. They had more beautifulvoices than any human being could have; and before the approach of astorm, and when they expected a ship would be lost, they swam beforethe vessel, and sang sweetly of the delights to be found in the depthsof the sea, and begging the sailors not to fear if they sank to thebottom. But the sailors could not understand the song, they took itfor the howling of the storm. And these things were never to bebeautiful for them; for if the ship sank, the men were drowned, andtheir dead bodies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.
  When the sisters rose, arm-in-arm, through the water in thisway, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, looking afterthem, ready to cry, only that the mermaids have no tears, andtherefore they suffer more. "Oh, were I but fifteen years old," saidshe: "I know that I shall love the world up there, and all thepeople who live in it."
  At last she reached her fifteenth year. "Well, now, you aregrown up," said the old dowager, her grandmother; "so you must letme adorn you like your other sisters;" and she placed a wreath ofwhite lilies in her hair, and every flower leaf was half a pearl. Thenthe old lady ordered eight great oysters to attach themselves to thetail of the princess to show her high rank.
  "But they hurt me so," said the little mermaid.
  "Pride must suffer pain," replied the old lady. Oh, how gladly shewould have shaken off all this grandeur, and laid aside the heavywreath!