有声英语儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第41章

The sun rose above the waves, andhis warm rays fell on the cold foam of the little mermaid, who did not feel asif she were dying. She saw the bright sun, and hundreds of transparent,beautiful creatures floating around her—she could see through them the whitesails of the ships and the red clouds in the sky. Their speech was melodious,but could not be heard by mortal ears—just as their bodies could not be seen bymortal eyes. The little mermaid perceived that she had a body like theirs andthat she continued to rise higher and higher out of the foam. “Where am I?”asked she, and her voice sounded ethereal, like the voices of those who werewith her. No earthly music could imitate it.

“Among the daughtersof the air,” answered one of them. “A mermaid has not an immortal soul, nor canshe obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the will ofanother hangs her eternal destiny. But the daughters of the air, although theydo not possess an immortal soul, can, by their good deeds, procure one forthemselves. We fly to warm countries and cool the sultry air that destroysmankind with the pestilence. We carry the perfume of the flowers to spreadhealth and restoration.