Full text: Tales and fairy stories

134 ~ ANDERSEN'S TALES. 
heaven seemed to be falling down upon her. She hag 
never seen such fire-works before: large suns wep, 
throwing out sparks, beautiful fiery fishes were darting 
through the blue air, and all these wonders were pe. 
flected in the calm sea below. The ship itself wag 
thrown into such bright relief, that every little cord 
was distinctly visible, and, of course, each person sti] 
more so. And how handsome the young prince looked, 
as he pressed the hands of those present and smiled, 
while the music resounded through that lovely night! 
It was late. Still the little mermaid could not take 
her eyes off the ship or the handsome prince. The 
variegated lanterns were now extinguished, the rockets 
ceased to be let off, and no more cannons were fired; 
but there was a rumbling and a grumbling in the 
depths of the sea. Still she sat rocking up and down 
in the water, so as to peep into the cabin. But now 
the ship began to move faster, the sails were unfurled 
one after another, the waves ran higher, heavy clouds 
fitted across the sky, and flashes of lightning were 
seen in the distance. A tremendous storm seemed 
coming on, so the sailors reefed in the sails once more. 
The large ship kept pitching to and fro in its rapid 
course across the raging sea; the billows heaved, like 
so many gigantic black mountains, threatening to rol 
over the topmast; but the ship dived down like a swan 
between the high waves, and then rose again on the 
towering pinnacle of the waters. The little mermaid 
fancied this was a right pleasant mode of sailing; bus 
the crew thought differently. The ship kept cracking 
and cracking, the thick planks gave way beneath the 
repeated lashings of the waves, a leak was sprung, the 
mast was broken right in twain like a reed, and the 
vessel drooped on one side, while the water kept filing 
the hold. The little mermaid now perceived that the 
crew were in danger, and she was herself obliged 0 
take care not to be hurt by the beams and planks 
belonging to the ship, that were dispersed upon the 
waters. For one moment 1t was so pitch dark that
	        
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