英语有声儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第16章

It was her only comfort to sit inher own little garden and fling her arm around the beautiful marble statue,which was like the prince. She gave up tending her flowers, and they grew inwild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round thebranches of the trees so that the whole place became dark and gloomy.

At length she could bear it nolonger and told one of her sisters all about it. Then the others heard thesecret, and very soon it became known to several mermaids, one of whom had anintimate friend who happened to know about the prince. She had also seen thefestival on board ship, and she told them where the prince came from and wherehis palace stood.

“Come, littlesister,” said the other princesses. Then they entwined their arms and rosetogether to the surface of the water, near the spot where they knew theprince’s palace stood. It was built of bright-yellow, shining stone and hadlong flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to the sea.Splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between the pillars thatsurrounded the whole building stood lifelike statues of marble. Through theclear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble rooms, with costly silkcurtains and hangings of tapestry and walls covered with beautiful paintings.In the center of the largest salon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high upinto the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the sun shone in upon thewater and upon the beautiful plants that grew in the basin of the fountain.