有声英语儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第4章

Nothing gave her so much pleasureas to hear about the world above the sea. She made her old grandmother tell herall she knew of the ships and of the towns, the people and the animals. To herit seemed most wonderful and beautiful to hear that the flowers of the land hadfragrance, while those below the sea had none; that the trees of the forestwere green; and that the fishes among the trees could sing so sweetly that itwas a pleasure to listen to them. Her grandmother called the birds fishes, orthe little mermaid would not have understood what was meant, for she had neverseen birds.

“When you have reached yourfifteenth year,” said the grandmother, “you will have permission to rise up outof the sea and sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships gosailing by. Then you will see both forests and towns.”

In the following year, one of thesisters would be fifteen, but as each was a year younger than the other, theyoungest would have to wait five years before her turn came to rise up from thebottom of the ocean to see the earth as we do. However, each promised to tellthe others what she saw on her first visit and what she thought was mostbeautiful. Their grandmother could not tell them enough—there were so manythings about which they wanted to know.