World classic, retold in simple Mandarin
The Little Mermaid
海的女儿
The Little Mermaid (海的女儿, Hǎi de nǚ'ér) is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, retold in simple Mandarin as a 5-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 2 (Elementary).
Retold from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale: a young mermaid gives up her voice for a prince, and finds that love can mean letting go.
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — The warm storyteller who sets each scene.
- The Little Mermaid · 小人鱼 — The youngest sea princess, gentle and brave, who dreams of the world above.
- Grandmother · 奶奶 — The wise old sea queen who tells the mermaids the rules of the sea.
- Eldest Sister · 大姐 — The lively oldest sister who teases and loves the little mermaid.
- The Prince · 王子 — A cheerful young prince who loves the sea.
- The Sea Witch · 女巫 — An ancient witch who lives in the darkest part of the sea and drives a hard bargain.
- The Princess · 公主 — A kind princess from a neighboring kingdom.
- Sailor · 水手 — A sailor on the prince's ship.
- Captain · 船长 — The ship's captain.
- Daughter of the Air · 空气的女儿 — A kind spirit of the sky who welcomes the little mermaid.
5 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: The Fifteenth Birthday
十五岁生日
On her fifteenth birthday the youngest mermaid finally swims up to the surface and sees a prince's party. Then the sky turns black.
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Chapter 2: The Storm
大风浪
In the storm the little mermaid saves the sinking prince, but someone else gets his thanks. At home her grandmother tells her about souls.
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Chapter 3: The Sea Witch
女巫的药
The mermaid pays the sea witch a terrible price for two legs. On the beach the prince finds a girl who cannot say a word.
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Chapter 4: The Silent Girl
不说话的女孩
The mute girl becomes the prince's dearest friend and dances for him through the pain. Then he tells her about the girl he loves.
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Chapter 5: Sea Foam
海上的泡沫
On the prince's wedding night the sisters bring a knife, and the little mermaid must choose between her own life and his.
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Key words in The Little Mermaid
Behind the story
The Little Mermaid was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1837. In China it is known as 海的女儿, which means “Daughter of the Sea”, and it is one of the best-loved fairy tales of Andersen.
Chinese readers have known Andersen's tales since the last century, and the translations by Ye Junjian, who worked from the Danish, are famous. This retelling keeps the heart of the original: a sea girl, a prince, a great sacrifice, and a gentle, hopeful ending.
Did you know?
- Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark, in 1805, and wrote more than one hundred fairy tales.
- A bronze statue of the Little Mermaid has sat on a rock by the harbor of Copenhagen since 1913.
- In Andersen's story, mermaids live three hundred years but have no soul; a human's soul is the thing the little mermaid most wants.