有声英语儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第11章

The little mermaid swam close tothe cabin windows, and now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she could lookin through glass window-panes and see a number of gayly dressed people.

Among them, and the mostbeautiful of all, was a young prince with large, black eyes. He was sixteenyears of age, and his birthday was being celebrated with great display. Thesailors were dancing on deck, and when the prince came out of the cabin, morethan a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day. The littlemermaid was so startled that she dived under water, and when she againstretched out her head, it looked as if all the stars of heaven were fallingaround her.

She had never seen such fireworksbefore. Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew into the blueair, and everything was reflected in the clear, calm sea beneath. The shipitself was so brightly illuminated that all the people, and even the smallestrope, could be distinctly seen. How handsome the young prince looked, as hepressed the hands of all his guests and smiled at them, while the musicresounded through the clear night air!