The little mermaid

Get ready to pounce into the ocean’s depths with “The little mermaid”! This enchanting story tells the tale of a mermaid princess who dreams of life on land. But when she gives up her voice to be with the human prince she loves, she learns the true meaning of sacrifice.

“The little mermaid” was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1837. In this article, we share two versions: the full classic and a simplified graded reader for younger learners. Along with the story, we’ve included questions at the end to help your child expand their vocabulary and practice comprehension.

Want to explore more magical stories? Try out the Studycat Learn English app, where interactive lessons and stories make learning exciting.

Let’s leap under the sea and discover the mermaid’s journey of love and sacrifice!

The story of “The little mermaid”

Once upon a time, deep under the sea, there lived a young mermaid princess. She was the youngest of six sisters and the most curious. While her sisters loved swimming through the ocean and collecting treasures from shipwrecks, the Little Mermaid was fascinated by the world above the sea—the world of humans.

As a mermaid, she had everything: beauty, grace, and a beautiful singing voice that could charm anyone. But more than anything, she dreamed of living on land, walking on two legs, and experiencing the human world she had only heard stories about. Her greatest wish was to visit the surface, and according to mermaid law, she had to wait until her 15th birthday to do so.

Finally, that day came. With excitement and wonder, the Little Mermaid swam up to the surface and gazed upon the human world. There, she saw a magnificent ship with a handsome young prince celebrating his birthday. She watched the prince from a distance, instantly falling in love with him. But as a terrible storm rolled in, the ship was wrecked, and the prince was thrown into the sea.

“The little mermaid” quickly swam to save him, bringing him to shore. She stayed by his side until he was found by a group of humans. The prince never saw the mermaid, but the Little Mermaid couldn’t forget him. Her heart was filled with longing, and she wished she could be with him on land.

The sea witch’s bargain

Desperate to become human and be with the prince, the Little Mermaid visited the Sea Witch, a powerful and dangerous figure who lived in the darkest part of the ocean. The Sea Witch offered her a terrible bargain: she would give the Little Mermaid legs, but in exchange, the mermaid would have to give up her voice—the most beautiful thing she possessed.

“Every step you take on land will feel like walking on sharp knives,” the Sea Witch warned. “And if the prince marries someone else, you will turn into sea foam and disappear forever.”

Without hesitation, the Little Mermaid agreed to the deal. She drank the potion given to her by the Sea Witch, and her beautiful tail turned into human legs. Though she could no longer speak or sing, she was overjoyed to be on land.

Life on land

The prince found the Little Mermaid on the beach and, though she couldn’t speak, he was charmed by her beauty and kindness. He brought her to his palace, and they spent time together, with the prince treating her like a dear friend. But the Little Mermaid’s heart was heavy—without her voice, she couldn’t tell the prince that she was the one who had saved him during the storm.

The Little Mermaid endured great pain with each step, as the Sea Witch had warned, but she didn’t mind as long as she could stay close to the prince. She hoped that one day, he would fall in love with her.

However, the prince soon met another princess, one whom he believed had saved him during the shipwreck. Delighted by her, he quickly fell in love and announced their wedding.

The ultimate sacrifice

The Little Mermaid’s heart broke. She knew that if the prince married someone else, she would turn into sea foam and disappear. Her sisters, seeing her sadness, went to the Sea Witch and begged for a way to save her. The Sea Witch gave them a knife and told them that if the Little Mermaid killed the prince, she could return to the sea and be a mermaid again.

The Little Mermaid took the knife and went to the prince’s room, but she couldn’t bring herself to harm him. Instead, she kissed him gently and, as the sun rose on the day of his wedding, she threw herself into the sea, ready to become sea foam.

But instead of disappearing, the Little Mermaid was lifted up by the daughters of the air, magical beings who told her that because of her selfless act, she had been given the chance to earn a soul and enter heaven.

The moral of “The little mermaid”

True love and sacrifice go hand in hand, and sometimes the greatest love is letting go.
The Little Mermaid’s journey shows us the power of love and the cost of pursuing impossible dreams. Her sacrifice wasn’t rewarded with the love she longed for, but it was an act of true bravery and kindness.

Questions about “The little mermaid”

1. What did the Little Mermaid long for more than anything?
2. Who did the Little Mermaid fall in love with when she reached the surface?
3. What did the Sea Witch take from the Little Mermaid in exchange for giving her legs?
4. Why did the Little Mermaid turn into sea foam at the end of the story?
5. What lesson can we learn from The Little Mermaid’s story?

Answers

1. The Little Mermaid longed to live on land and experience the human world.
2. She fell in love with a prince after saving him from a shipwreck.
3. The Sea Witch took the Little Mermaid’s voice in exchange for giving her legs.
4. She turned into sea foam because the prince married another princess, and she couldn’t bring herself to kill him to save herself.
5. The story teaches us that true love and sacrifice often go hand in hand, and that sometimes, love means letting go.

Words to learn

• Mermaid: A mythical creature with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. The Little Mermaid was curious about the human world.
• Prince: A royal son. The Little Mermaid fell in love with the handsome prince after saving him from a shipwreck.
• Sea Witch: A powerful and dangerous character who lives in the sea. The Sea Witch granted the Little Mermaid legs in exchange for her voice.
• Legs: What humans use to walk. The Little Mermaid traded her tail for legs to live on land.
• Sacrifice: Giving up something valuable for the sake of someone else. The Little Mermaid made a great sacrifice for love.

What type of story is “The little mermaid”?

The Little Mermaid is a fairy tale, a magical story that teaches important life lessons about love, sacrifice, and the consequences of our choices.

Who wrote “The little mermaid”?

The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen, a famous Danish author known for his fairy tales. Learn more about him here.

When was “The little mermaid” written?

The Little Mermaid was first published in 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen.

Who are the main characters in “The little mermaid”?

The main characters are the Little Mermaid, the Sea Witch, and the prince.

What lesson can we learn from “The little mermaid”?

We learn that true love often comes with sacrifice, and that sometimes, chasing impossible dreams can lead to heartache. The Little Mermaid’s kindness and bravery show us the importance of staying true to ourselves, even when things don’t turn out as we hope.

”The little mermaid” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)

Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid who lived in the ocean. She was the youngest of the sea king’s daughters. The little mermaid loved to swim to the surface of the water and look at the world above.

One day, the little mermaid saw a handsome prince on a ship. Suddenly, a big storm came, and the ship sank. The little mermaid saved the prince and brought him to the shore. She loved him, but the prince didn’t know who saved him.

The little mermaid wanted to be human so she could live on land with the prince. She went to see the sea witch. The sea witch gave her a magic potion. “Drink this, and you will become human,” the witch said. “But you must give me your voice.”

The little mermaid drank the potion and became human. She could no longer talk, but she had legs instead of a tail. She found the prince, and they became friends. But the prince did not know that the little mermaid had saved him.

The prince was going to marry another princess. The little mermaid was sad. If the prince married someone else, she would turn back into a mermaid and never see him again.

The little mermaid’s sisters came to help her. They gave her a knife from the sea witch. “If you use this knife, you can stay human,” they said. But the little mermaid loved the prince too much to hurt him.

In the end, the little mermaid did not use the knife. She jumped back into the ocean and turned into sea foam. But because of her kind heart, she was lifted up into the sky and became a spirit of the sea.

Fun fact!

Did you know? The Little Mermaid has been adapted into many different versions, including operas, ballets, and movies. However, the original story by Hans Christian Andersen is much sadder than most modern adaptations, which often give “The little mermaid” a happy ending.