有声英语儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第33章

 “Yes, you are dear to me,” said the prince, “for you have the bestheart and you are the most devoted to me. You are like a young maiden whom Ionce saw, but whom I shall never meet again. I was in a ship that was wrecked,and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple where several young maidensperformed the service. The youngest of them found me on the shore and saved mylife. I saw her but twice, and she is the only one in the world whom I couldlove. But you are like her, and you have almost driven her image from my mind.She belongs to the holy temple, and good fortune has sent you to me in herstead. We will never part.

“Ah, he knows not that it was Iwho saved his life,” thought the little mermaid. “I carried him over the sea tothe wood where the temple stands; I sat beneath the foam and watched till thehuman beings came to help him. I saw the pretty maiden that he loves betterthan he loves me.” The mermaid sighed deeply, but she could not weep. “He saysthe maiden belongs to the holy temple, therefore she will never return to theworld—they will meet no more. I am by his side and see him every day. I willtake care of him, and love him, and give up all my life for his sake.”