Every evening the young Fisherman went out to sea
and the young Fisherman threw his nets into the water
When the wind blew from the land he caught nothing
or he caught just a few fish at best
because it was a bitter and black-winged wind
rough waves rose up to meet the wind from the land
But at other times the wind blew to the shore
and then the fishes came in from the deep
the fishes swam into the meshes of his nets
and he took the fish to the market-place
and he sold all the fishes that he had caught

but there was one special evening
the Fisherman’s net was heavier than normal
he could hardly pull his net onto the boat
The Fisherman laughed to himself
“Surely, I have caught all the fish that swim”
“or I have snared some horrible monster”
“a monster that will be a marvel to men”
“or it will be a thing of horror”
“a beast that the great Queen will desire”
With all his strength he tugged at the coarse ropes
he pulled until the long veins rose up on his arms
like lines of blue enamel round a vase of bronze
He tugged at the thin ropes of his nets
and at last the net rose to the top of the water
But there were no fish in his net
nor was there a monster or thing of horror
there was only a little Mermaid
she was lying fast asleep in his net
Her hair was like a wet foil of gold
like golden flakes in a glass of water
Her little body was as white ivory
and her tail was made of silver and pearl
and the green weeds of the sea coiled round her tail
and like sea-shells were her ears
and her lips were like sea-coral
The cold waves dashed over her cold breasts
and the salt glistened upon her eyelids
She was so beautiful that the he was filled with wonder
he pulled the net closer to the boat
leaning over the side, he clasped her in his arms
She woke, and looked at him in terror
When he touched her she gave a cry
she cried out like a startled sea-gull
she looked at him with her mauve-amethyst eyes
and she struggled so that she might escape
But he held her tightly to him
and he did not allow her to depart
She wept when she saw she couldn’t escape
“I pray thee, let me go”
“I am the only daughter of a King”
“please, my father is aged and alone”
But the young Fisherman would not let her go
“I will not let thee go unless you make me a promise”
“whenever I call thee thou wilt come and sing to me”
“because your song delights the fishes”
“they come to listen to the song of the Sea-folk”
“and then my nets shall be full”
the little mermaid saw that she had no choice
“Would thou truly let me go if I promise this?”
“In very truth I will let thee go,” he premised
So she made him the promise he desired
and she swore to do it by the oath of the Sea-folk
the young Fisherman loosened his arms from the mermaid
the little mermaid sank back down into the water
and she trembled with a strange kind of fear

Every evening the young Fisherman went out upon the sea
and every evening he called out to the mermaid
the mermaid rose out of the water and sang to him
Round and round her swam the dolphins
and the wild gulls flew above her head
she sang a marvellous song of the Sea-folk
mermen who drive their flocks from cave to cave
mermen who carry the little calves on their shoulders
she sang of the Tritons who have long green beards
and she sang of the Triton’s hairy chests
they blow through twisted conchs when the King passes
she sang of the palace of the King
the palace which is made entirely of amber
the palace has a roof of clear emerald
and it has a pavement of bright pearl
and she sang of the gardens of the sea
gardens where great fans of coral wave all day long
and fish dart about like silver birds
and the anemones cling to the rocks
She sang of the big whales that come from the north
they have sharp icicles hanging from their fins
she sang of the Sirens who tell of wonderful things
so wonderful that merchants block their ears with wax
they block their ears so that they can not hear them
because if they heard them they would leap into the water
and they would be drowned in the sea
she sang of the sunken galleys with their tall masts
she sang of the frozen sailors clinging to the rigging
she sang the mackerel swimming through shipwrecks
she sang of the little barnacles travelling the world
the barnacles cling to the keels of the ships
and the ships go round and round the world
and she sang of the cuttlefish in the sides of the cliffs
and they stretch out their long black arms
they can make night come when they will it
She sang of the nautilus, who has a boat of her own
a boat that is carved out of an opal
and the boat is steered with a silken sail
she sang of the happy Mermen who play upon harps
they can charm the great Kraken to sleep
she sang of the little children riding the porpoises
the little children laugh as the ride the porpoises
she sang of the Mermaids who lie in the white foam
and they hold out their arms to the mariners
she sang of the sea-lions with their curved tusks
and she sang of the sea-horses with their floating manes
When she sang the fishes came from the sea
the fish came to listen to her
the young Fisherman threw his nets round them
and he caught as many fish as he needed

when his boat was full the Mermaid sunk back down
she went back down into the sea smiling at him
She never got close enough for him to touch her
Often times he called to the little mermaid
and he begged to her to come closer to him
but she dared not come closer to him
when he tried to catch her she dived into the water
just like when a seal dives into the sea
and he wouldn’t see her again that day

each day her voice became sweeter to his ears
Her voice so sweet that he forgot his nets
and he forgot his cunning and his craft
The tuna went past him in large shoals
but he didn’t pay any attention to them
His spear lay by his side, unused
and his baskets of plaited osier were empty
With lips parted, he sat idle in his boat
he listened to the songs of the mermaid
and his eyes were dim with wonder
he listened till the sea-mists crept round him
the wandering moon stained his brown limbs with silver

One evening he called to the mermaid
“Little Mermaid, I love thee,” he professed
“Take me for thy bridegroom, for I love thee”
But the mermaid shook her head
“Thou hast a human Soul,” she answered
“If only thou would send away thy Soul”
“if thy sent thy Soul away I could love thee”
And the young Fisherman said to himself
“of what use is my Soul to me?”
“I cannot see my Soul”
“I cannot touch my Soul”
“I do not know my Soul”
“I will send my Soul away from me”
“and much gladness shall be mine”
And a cry of joy broke from his lips
he held out his arms to the Mermaid
“I will send my Soul away,” he cried
“you shall be my bride, and I will be thy bridegroom”
“in the depth of the sea we will dwell together”
“all that thou hast sung of thou shalt show me”
“and all that thou desirest I will do for you”
“our lives will not be divided no longer”
the little Mermaid laughed, full of delight
and she hid her face in her hands
but the Fisherman didn’t know how to send his Soul away
“how shall I send my Soul from me?”
“Tell me how I can do it”
“tell me how and it shall be done”
“Alas! I know not” said the little Mermaid
“the Sea-folk have no Souls”
And she sank down into the sea
and she looked up at him wistfully