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The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid, by beloved children's author Hans Christian Anderson, tells the story of a girl who longed to be something she was not. The young mermaid longs for her fifteenth birthday when she will finally be old enough to explore the world above. On the first day she visits, she rescues a handsome prince from drowning and falls desperately in love with him. Longing for a chance to win his affection, she trades her voice for a pair of legs. Unlike the Disney movie, Anderson's story does not end well. She does not end up marrying the prince - instead he marries someone else. In order to prevent herself from turning into sea foam - the price she would pay for failing to win his heart - she had to kill him. Unable to do so, she turned into sea foam. Since its publication in 1837, the little mermaid
herself has inspired many people. When famous Danish brewer Carl
Jacobsen attended a ballet version of the fable in 1909, he fell
in love with the tale. He commissioned sculptor Edward Eriksen to
create a statue of the little mermaid looking wistfully out over
the sea at Langelinie Pier. Her face was modeled after dancer Ellen
Price and her body was designed after Eline, the sculptor's wife.
The statue is the symbol of both Denmark and Copenhagen and is the
most photographed sculpture in the world. |
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