vessel, and when it began to boil, the sound was like the weeping of
a crocodile. When at last the magic draft was ready, it looked like the
clearest water.

"There it is for you," said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid's
tongue, so that she would never again speak or sing. "If the polypi
should seize you as you return through the wood," said the witch, "throw
over them a few drops of the potion, and their fingers will be torn into
a thousand pieces." But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this,
for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the
glittering draft, which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.

So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh and between the
rushing whirlpools. She saw that in her father's palace the torches in
the ballroom were extinguished and that all within were asleep. But she
did not venture to go in to them, for now that she was dumb and going to
leave them forever she felt as if her heart would break. She stole into
the garden, took a flower from the flower bed of each of her sisters,
kissed her hand towards the palace a thousand times, and then rose up
through the dark-blue waters.

The sun had not risen when she came in sight of the prince's palace and
approached the beautiful marble steps, but the moon shone clear and
bright. Then the little mermaid drank the magic draft, and it seemed as
if a two-edged sword went through her delicate body. She fell into a
swoon and lay like one dead. When the sun rose and shone over the sea,
she recovered and felt a sharp pain, but before her stood the handsome
young prince.

He fixed his coal-black eyes upon her so earnestly that she cast down
her own and then became aware that her fish's tail was gone and that she
had as pretty a pair of white legs and tiny feet as any little maiden
could have. But she had no clothes, so she wrapped herself in her long,
thick hair. The prince asked her who she was and whence she came. She
looked at him mildly and sorrowfully with her deep blue eyes, but could
not speak. He took her by the hand and led her to the palace.

[Illustration: Before her stood the handsome young prince....]

Every step she took was as the witch had said it would be; she felt as
if she were treading upon the points of needles or sharp knives. She
bore it willingly, however, and moved at the prince's side as lightly as
a bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful,
swaying mo