The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-20

These stories control Wltn the same triumphant power the souls and minds of the youngest and most innocent and of the oldest and most sophisticated T HE six daughters of the old Sea
 King were beautiful; but the | youngest was the most beautiful of all Her skin was like roses petal Her ever were as blue as the deepest sea.
 When she was 15 years old she was per mitted to ascend to the surface Of the ocean for the first time and look out upon the upper world.
 The sun had just set when she lifted her pretty head above the sea- All the clouds were like roses and gold. In the middle of the pale red sky the evening star shone bright and lovely. The air was mild and the great water was caim' Near her was great ship with three masts. There was not enough breeze to stir her. and the sailors lay idly on the wards. She heard music and singing, and then she saw hundreds of gaily col ored lanterns gleam as the darkness fell.
 The little mermaid swam close to 1t, and when the slow waves lifted her she could look through the cabin windows into a bright cabin where there were many people, beautifully dressed; but soon she had eyes for only one.
 He was a young Prince with large black eyes, and he was just l6, Tor they were celebrating his birthday. The little mermaid could not look away from nm. She sat rocking up and down until there came rumbling and crying over the sea. Then lightning and thunder sounded. The wind blew. The sailors rushed around the deck. The waves arose like great black rocks and fell on the ship.
 The little mermaid thought it was fine sport and swan around the grooming, pitching, streaming vessel joyously till all at once a mast snapped and then another. She had to swin carefully then, for spars and beams began to sweep up and down on the rollers.
 Now she knew that the ship would sink for she and her sisters had seen many ships come down to them. She watched anxiously for the young prince, and at last she saw him, just as the vessel went down. sinking slowly through the sea.
 She was glad then for she thought that now she could have him all for her own. But she remembered at once that human creatures cannot live in the water and that it would be only his dead body that would come down to her fathers palace. So she dived deep after him and found him just as his limbs failed him and his beautiful eyes had begun to close. She held her white arms around him and kept atar afa6 lat ha waves drift her and her burden wherever they liked.
 The sun rose red and shining after the storm, but the Princes eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his fair fore- head and stroked back his long hair. ehe thought he was like one of the marble statues in her fathers garden She kissed him and wished that he might live.
 Far away she saw the blue mountains and the groves of the land. Thither she swan swiftly and placed the Prince care fully on the sand raising his handsome head so that it was in the bright sun shine Then she hid herself behind rocks and covered herself with sea foam to watch.
 Some maidens came -ottt of a great building. They saw him and called for aid. People came soon and carried him to a house. She saw him smile at them, but he sent no smile in her direction, for he did not know she had saved him. She became very sad all at once and when she could see him more she dived un- der the water and returned to her fathers palace, quiet and unhappy
 Many an evening and a morning after that she swan to the place where she had left the Prince. Always she returned home more sorrowful than before. Her only comfort was to sit in her little garden and throw her arms around the beau tiful marble statue that resembled him. At last she could endure it no longer, and she told her story to her sisters, and one of them knew where the Princes pal ace was. They put their arms around her shoulders and ascended with her and swan to the shore.
 The palace was of shining stone. and it had marble stairs that went down to the water After that the little mermaid went there many time. She swan close to the palace and looked up at a marble balcony when the Prince sat there in the moonlight imagining that he was all alone Sometimes she saw him sailing in his boat, with waving flags all around. She listened to his voice and to the voices of those who spoke of him.
 More and more she came to love human beings. More and more she longed to be able to be among them.
 One day her wise old grandmother told her that human beings did not live as long as did the people of the sea. We live to be 300 years old," said she, but when we cease to exist we be- come only foam on the water We have not an immortal soul. We shall never livesagain. Human beings, however have soul which lives forever. When the body has become dust 1t rises through the clear air to all the shining stars.
 "Oh," cried the little mermaid, must die and float as foam on the sea and never see the beautiful world and the red sun? I would give all the hundreds of years I have to live to be a human being for only one day and afterward share the joys of the stars!
 You could win an immortal soul only if human man came to love you and clung to you with all his heart and soul"
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