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