有声英语儿童童话故事 海的女儿 第9章

Yet often, in the evening hours,the five sisters would twine their arms about each other and rise to thesurface together. Their voices were more charming than that of any human being,and before the approach of a storm, when they feared that a ship might be lost,they swam before the vessel, singing enchanting songs of the delights to befound in the depths of the sea and begging the voyagers not to fear if theysank to the bottom. But the sailors could not understand the song and thoughtit was the sighing of the storm. These things were never beautiful to them, forif the ship sank, the men were drowned and their dead bodies alone reached thepalace of the Sea King.

When the sisters rose, arm inarm, through the water, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, lookingafter them, ready to cry—only, since mermaids have no tears, she suffered moreacutely.

“Oh, were I but fifteen years old!”said she. “I know that I shall love the world up there, and all the people wholive in it.”

At last she reached her fifteenthyear.