seemed frightened at first, but only for a moment; then she fetched a
number of people, and the mermaid saw that the prince came to life again,
and smiled upon those who stood round him. But to her he sent no smile; he
knew not that she had saved him. This made her very unhappy, and when he
was led away into the great building, she dived down sorrowfully into the
water, and returned to her father’s castle. She had always been silent and
thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever. Her sisters asked her what
she had seen during her first visit to the surface of the water; but she would
tell them nothing. Many an evening and morning did she rise to the place
where she had left the prince. She saw the fruits in the garden ripen till they
were gathered, the snow on the tops of the mountains melt away; but she
never saw the prince, and therefore she returned home, always more
sorrowful than before. It was her only comfort to sit in her own little
garden, and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue which was like
the prince; but she gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild
confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the
branches of the trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy. At
length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her sisters all about it.
Then the others heard the secret, and very soon it became known to two
mermaids whose intimate friend happened to know who the prince was. She
had also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them where the prince
came from, and where his palace stood.
“Come, little sister,” said the other princesses; then they entwined their
arms and rose up in a long row to the surface of the water, close by the spot
where they knew the prince’s palace stood. It was built of bright yellow
shining stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite
down to the sea. Splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between
the pillars that surrounded the whole building stood life-like statues of
marble. Through the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble
rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tapestry; while the walls
were covered with beautiful paintings which were a pleasure to look at. In
the centre of the largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up
