The Little Mermaid · chapter 3 of 5

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.

Read what you hear

Narrator 海底最深的地方，有一片黑色的森林。女巫就住在那里。
Hǎidǐ zuì shēn de dìfang, yǒu yípiàn hēisè de sēnlín. Nǚwū jiù zhù zài nàlǐ.
Deep, deep at the bottom of the sea lies a dark forest. The sea witch lives there.
The Little Mermaid 别怕，别怕……我只要一样东西。
Bié pà, bié pà… Wǒ zhǐyào yíyàng dōngxi.
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid... I only need one thing.
The Sea Witch 安静点，小蛇。我们有客人了。
Ānjìng diǎn, xiǎoshé. Wǒmen yǒu kèrén le.
Quiet, little snake. We have a guest.

Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Little Mermaid is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.

The Sea Witch 我知道你要什么。你要腿，对不对？
Wǒ zhīdao nǐ yào shénme. Nǐ yào tuǐ, duì bu duì?
I know what you want. You want legs, don't you?
The Little Mermaid 您怎么知道？
Nín zěnme zhīdao?
How do you know?
The Sea Witch 我住在这里几百年了。每个小人鱼来找我，都是为了一个人。
Wǒ zhù zài zhèlǐ jǐ bǎi nián le. Měi gè Xiǎo Rényú lái zhǎo wǒ, dōu shì wèile yí gè rén.
I've lived here for hundreds of years. Every little mermaid who comes to me comes for one person.
The Sea Witch 好。我给你一瓶药。明天早上你在海边喝下去，尾巴就会变成两条腿。
Hǎo. Wǒ gěi nǐ yìpíng yào. Míngtiān zǎoshang nǐ zài hǎibiān hē xiàqù, wěiba jiù huì biànchéng liǎng tiáo tuǐ.
Fine. I'll give you a bottle of medicine. Drink it on the beach tomorrow morning, and your tail will become two legs.
The Little Mermaid 真的吗？太谢谢您了！
Zhēnde ma? Tài xièxie nín le!
Really? Thank you so much!
The Sea Witch 别高兴得太早。你每走一步，都像走在刀上一样疼。
Bié gāoxìng de tài zǎo. Nǐ měi zǒu yíbù, dōu xiàng zǒu zài dāo shàng yíyàng téng.
Don't be happy too soon. With every step you take, it will feel like walking on knives.
The Little Mermaid 我不怕疼。
Wǒ bú pà téng.
I'm not afraid of pain.
The Sea Witch 你变成人以后，就不能再变回人鱼，也不能回家看奶奶和姐姐了。
Nǐ biànchéng rén yǐhòu, jiù bù néng zài biàn huí rényú, yě bù néng huíjiā kàn nǎinai hé jiějie le.
Once you're human, you can never be a mermaid again, and you can never come home to see your grandmother and sisters.
The Little Mermaid ……我知道。
… Wǒ zhīdao.
...I know.
The Sea Witch 还有：如果他和别人结婚，第二天早上，你的心会碎，你会变成海上的泡沫。
Háiyǒu: rúguǒ tā hé biérén jiéhūn, dì èr tiān zǎoshang, nǐ de xīn huì suì, nǐ huì biànchéng hǎi shàng de pàomò.
And this: if he marries someone else, the next morning your heart will break, and you will turn into foam on the sea.
The Little Mermaid 我知道。
Wǒ zhīdao.
I know.
The Sea Witch 好。现在说我要的东西。我要你的声音。
Hǎo. Xiànzài shuō wǒ yào de dōngxi. Wǒ yào nǐ de shēngyīn.
Good. Now for my price. I want your voice.
The Little Mermaid 我的声音？那我怎么说话？
Wǒ de shēngyīn? Nà wǒ zěnme shuōhuà?
My voice? Then how will I speak?
The Sea Witch 你有漂亮的脸，有大眼睛，还会跳舞。这些够了。
Nǐ yǒu piàoliang de liǎn, yǒu dà yǎnjing, hái huì tiàowǔ. Zhèxiē gòu le.
You have your pretty face, your big eyes, and you can dance. That's enough.
The Little Mermaid 没有声音……他还会认识我吗？
Méiyǒu shēngyīn… Tā hái huì rènshi wǒ ma?
Without a voice... will he still know me?
The Sea Witch 快决定！我不等人。
Kuài juédìng! Wǒ bù děng rén.
Decide quickly! I don't wait for anyone.
The Little Mermaid 好。我把声音给您。
Hǎo. Wǒ bǎ shēngyīn gěi nín.
All right. I'll give you my voice.
The Sea Witch 很好。张开嘴。
Hěn hǎo. Zhāng kāi zuǐ.
Very good. Open your mouth.
Narrator 天亮了。她坐在海边的沙子上，喝下了药。
Tiān liàng le. Tā zuò zài hǎibiān de shāzi shàng, hē xià le yào.
Dawn came. She sat on the sand by the sea and drank the medicine.
The Little Mermaid 好疼……我的尾巴……变成腿了！
Hǎo téng… Wǒ de wěiba… Biànchéng tuǐ le!
It hurts... my tail... it's legs now!
The Prince 咦？你是谁？你怎么一个人在这里？
Yí? Nǐ shì shuí? Nǐ zěnme yí gè rén zài zhèlǐ?
Oh? Who are you? Why are you here all alone?
The Little Mermaid 是他！他就在我面前，可是我说不出话！
Shì tā! Tā jiù zài wǒ miànqián, kěshì wǒ shuō bù chū huà!
It's him! He's right in front of me, and I can't say a word!
The Prince 你不说话吗？没关系。你从哪儿来？
Nǐ bù shuōhuà ma? Méiguānxi. Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?
You don't talk? That's all right. Where do you come from?
The Little Mermaid 我想站起来……啊，好疼！像有很多小刀。
Wǒ xiǎng zhàn qǐlái… A, hǎo téng! Xiàng yǒu hěn duō xiǎo dāo.
I'll try to stand up... ah, it hurts! Like a lot of little knives.
The Prince 小心！我来扶你，慢慢走。
Xiǎoxīn! Wǒ lái fú nǐ, mànmàn zǒu.
Careful! I'll help you. Walk slowly.
The Prince 你的手好冷。来，穿上我的衣服。
Nǐ de shǒu hǎo lěng. Lái, chuānshàng wǒ de yīfu.
Your hands are so cold. Here, put on my coat.
The Little Mermaid 好疼，可是我不后悔。
Hǎo téng, kěshì wǒ bú hòuhuǐ.
It hurts, but I don't regret it.
The Prince 你不说话，可是你的眼睛好像认识我。你到底是谁呢？
Nǐ bù shuōhuà, kěshì nǐ de yǎnjing hǎoxiàng rènshi wǒ. Nǐ dàodǐ shì shuí ne?
You don't say a word, yet your eyes seem to know me. Who are you, really?

Hear the chapter

What changed in the story?

What does the sea witch's medicine do?
“尾巴就会变成两条腿。”
How will walking feel?
“都像走在刀上一样疼。”
What is the witch's price?
“我要你的声音。”
What happens if the prince marries someone else?
“你会变成海上的泡沫。”
Who finds the mermaid on the beach?
“你怎么一个人在这里？”

All chapters in The Little Mermaid.