So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh, and between the
rushing whirlpools. She saw that in her father’s palace the torches in the
ballroom were extinguished, and all within asleep; but she did not venture
to go in to them, for now she was dumb and going to leave them forever,
she felt as if her heart would break. She stole into the garden, took a flower
from the flower-beds of each of her sisters, kissed her hand a thousand
times towards the palace, and then rose up through the dark blue waters.
The sun had not risen when she came in sight of the prince’s palace, and
approached the beautiful marble steps, but the moon shone clear and bright.
Then the little mermaid drank the magic draught, and it seemed as if a two-
edged sword went through her delicate body: she fell into a swoon, and lay
like one dead. When the sun arose and shone over the sea, she recovered,
and felt a sharp pain; but just before her stood the handsome young prince.
He fixed his coal-black eyes upon her so earnestly that she cast down her
own, and then became aware that her fish’s tail was gone, and that she had
