ARoutintheocean,wherethewaterisasblueastheprettiestcornflower,andasclearascrystal,itisvery,verydeep;sodeep,indeed,thatnocablecouldfathomit:manychurchsteeples,piledoneuponanother,wouldnotreachfromthegroundbeneathtothesurfaceofthewaterabove.TheredwelltheSeaKingandhissubjects.Wemustnotimaginethatthereisnothingatthebottomoftheseabutbareyellowsand.No,indeed;themostsingularflowersandplantsgrowthere;theleavesandstemsofwhicharesopliant,thattheslightestagitationofthewatercausesthemtostirasiftheyhadlife.Fishes,bothlargeandsmall,glidebetweenthebranches,asbirdsflyamongthetreeshereuponland.Inthedeepestspotofall,standsthecastleoftheSeaKing.Itswallsarebuiltofcoral,andthelong,gothicwindowsareoftheclearestamber.Theroofisformedofshells,thatopenandcloseasthewaterflowsoverthem.Theirappearanceisverybeautiful,forineachliesaglitteringpearl,whichwouldbefitforthediademofaqueen. TheSeaKinghadbeenawidowerformanyyears,andhisagedmotherkepthouseforhim.Shewasaverywisewoman,andexceedinglyproudofherhighbirth;onthataccountsheworetwelveoystersonhertail;whileothers,alsoofhighrank,wereonlyallowedtowearsix.Shewas,however,deservingofverygreatpraise,especiallyforhercareofthelittlesea-princesses,hergrand-daughters.Theyweresixbeautifulchildren;buttheyoungestwastheprettiestofthemall;herskinwasasclearanddelicateasarose-leaf,andhereyesasblueasthedeepestsea;but,likealltheothers,shehadnofeet,andherbodyendedinafishstail.Alldaylongtheyplayedinthegreathallsofthecastle,oramongthelivingflowersthatgrewoutofthewalls.Thelargeamberwindowswereopen,andthefishswamin,justastheswallowsflyintoourhouseswhenweopenthewindows,exceptingthatthefishesswamuptotheprincesses,ateoutoftheirhands,andallowedthemselvestobestroked.Outsidethecastletherewasabeautifulgarden,inwhichgrewbrightredanddarkblueflowers,andblossomslikeflamesoffire;thefruitglitteredlikegold,andtheleavesandstemswavedtoandfrocontinually.Theearthitselfwasthefinestsand,butblueastheflameofburningsulphur.Overeverythinglayapeculiarblueradiance,asifitweresurroundedbytheairfromabove,throughwhichtheblueskyshone,insteadofthedarkdepthsofthesea.Incalmweatherthesuncouldbeseen,lookinglikeapurpleflower,withthelightstreamingfromthecalyx.Eachoftheyoungprincesseshadalittleplotofgroundinthegarden,whereshemightdigandplantasshepleased.Onearrangedherflower-bedintotheformofawhale;anotherthoughtitbettertomakeherslikethefigureofalittlemermaid;butthatoftheyoungestwasroundlikethesun,andcontainedflowersasredashisraysatsunset.Shewasastrangechild,quietandthoughtful;andwhilehersisterswouldbedelightedwiththewonderfulthingswhichtheyobtainedfromthewrecksofvessels,shecaredfornothingbutherprettyredflowers,likethesun,exceptingabeautifulmarblestatue.Itwastherepresentationofahandsomeboy,carvedoutofpurewhitestone,whichhadfallentothebottomoftheseafromawreck.Sheplantedbythestatuearose-coloredweepingwillow.Itgrewsplendidly,andverysoonhungitsfreshbranchesoverthestatue,almostdowntothebluesands.Theshadowhadaviolettint,andwavedtoandfrolikethebranches;itseemedasifthecrownofthetreeandtherootwereatplay,andtryingtokisseachother.Nothinggavehersomuchpleasureastohearabouttheworldabovethesea.Shemadeheroldgrandmothertellherallsheknewoftheshipsandofthetowns,thepeopleandtheanimals.Toheritseemedmostwonderfulandbeautifultohearthattheflowersofthelandshouldhavefragrance,andnotthosebelowthesea;thatthetreesoftheforestshouldbegreen;andthatthefishesamongthetreescouldsingsosweetly,thatitwasquiteapleasuretohearthem.Hergrandmothercalledthelittlebirdsfishes,orshewouldnothaveunderstoodher;forshehadneverseenbirds.Whenyouhavereachedyourfifteenthyear,saidthegrand-mother,youwillhavepermissiontoriseupoutofthesea,tositontherocksinthemoonlight,whilethegreatshipsaresailingby;andthenyouwillseebothforestsandtowns. Inthefollowingyear,oneofthesisterswouldbefifteen:butaseachwasayearyoungerthantheother,theyoungestwouldhavetowaitfiveyearsbeforeherturncametoriseupfromthebottomoftheocean,andseetheearthaswedo.However,eachpromisedtotelltheotherswhatshesawonherfirstvisit,andwhatshethoughtthemostbeautiful;fortheirgrandmothercouldnottellthemenough;thereweresomanythingsonwhic