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Faster, faster !" cried the witch. She put her arms round his neck. Someone, some fearful

thing was watching him. Then, under the shadow of the rock, he saw someone who had not been

there before. It was a man dressed in black. His face was white, but his mouth was like

a red flower. His hands were white and heavy with jeweled rings. On the grasp beside him,

there was a hat with a long feather. The young fisherman watched him, at last their eyes met,

and wherever he danced the eyes of the man followed him. Suddenly the dancers stopped.

They went two by two and kissed the man's hands. He smiled proudly, but he kept looking at the

fisherman. Now, let us go to him, said the witch, and she led him up. He felt a strong wish to

obey, and he followed her. He came close to the man. Without knowing why he did it, he called out

the name of God. Then all the witches cried out and flew away. The man closed his eyes in pain.

Then he went over to a group of trees and called. A horse came running to meet him. As he jumped

on it, he turned round and looked at the fisherman sadly. The witch with the red hair tried to fly

away too, but the fisherman caught her arm and held her.

Let me go, she cried. You have said a name which should not be named.

No, he answered. I won't let you go till you have told me the secret.

What secret? Said the witch, fighting like a wild cat to free herself. You know, he answered.

Her green eyes became dim with tears. Ask me anything except that. He laughed and held her more strongly.

When she saw that she could not free herself, she said,

Surely I am as beautiful as the daughter of the sea. And she put her face close to his. He pushed

her away. If you don't keep your promise, I'll kill you. Her face was gray. All right, she said,

it is your soul, not mine. Do with it as you wish. She took out a little knife in a case made of green

snake skin. What men call the shadow of the body is not the shadow of the body. It is the body of the

soul. Stand on the shore with your back to the moon. Cut your shadow away from your feet and order

your soul to leave you. And it will do so. The fisherman took the knife. Then he went to the edge

of the mountain and began to climb down. His soul inside him called out to him. I have lived with you

for all these years and have been your servant. Don't send me away from you now. What wrong have

I done you? The young fisherman laughed. You've done me no wrong, but I don't need you. Go wherever

you wish. But don't trouble me. My love is calling to me. The fisherman stood on the sand with his

back to the moon. His shadow lay in front of him. His soul said, if you must drive me away from

you, don't send me away without a heart. There is no love nor kindness in the world. Give me your

heart to take with me. What should I love my love with if I give you my heart? He cried.

Give me your heart, said his soul, for the world is very hard and I am afraid.

My heart is my loves, he answered. So do not wait, but go.

Should I not love to, asked his soul. Go! I don't need you, cried the young fisherman,

and he took the little knife out of its case of snake skin and cut away the shadow from round his

feet. It rose up and stood in front of him and looked at him. It was just like himself.

He drew back and put away the knife. He was afraid.

Go, he said, and never let me see your face again.

No, we must meet again, said the soul. Its voice was very quiet.

How shall we meet, cried the young fisherman? Will you follow me into the deepest part of the sea?

Once a year, I'll come to this place and call to you, said the soul. Perhaps you may need me.

Why should I need you, cried the fisherman? Do what you like?

Then he jumped into the sea and the little mermaid rose up to meet him and put her arms

around his neck and kissed him. The soul stood close on the shore and watched them.

When they had gone down into the sea, it went away, weeping.

When one year had passed, the soul came down to the shore and called out to the young fisherman,

and he came out of the sea and said, why do you call me? The soul answered, come nearer

so that I may speak to you, because I have seen wonderful things. So the fisherman came near and

listened. When I left you, I traveled to the east. From the east comes everything that is wise.

From the east comes all wisdom. I came at last to a city. I wandered through its streets

and came to the garden of its god. Priests moved silently among the trees.

In the garden, there was a rose -red house in which the god lived. One of the priests came to me

and asked me, what is your wish? I said, I wish to see the god. Then he led me into the house.

There was no god there, but only a mirror made of metal set on a table made of stone.

I said to the priest, where is the god? He said, there is no god, but this mirror is the mirror of

wisdom. It shows everything in heaven and on earth. Those who have this mirror know everything.

Nothing is hidden from them. I stole the mirror and I have hidden it in a place

only one day's journey from here. Let me enter into you again and be your servant,

and you should be wiser than all the wise men. The young fisherman laughed.

Love is better than wisdom, he cried, and the little mermaid loves me. He went back into the sea

and the soul went away weeping. After a second year, the soul came down to the shore and called

to the young fisherman. The fisherman rose up out of the sea and said, why do you call me?

The soul answered, come nearer so that I may speak to you because I have seen wonderful things.

When I left you, I journeyed to the south. All gold and jewels, all riches come from the south.

I journeyed for many days and came to the city of Ashtah. The king of that city has a ring on

his finger. It is the ring of riches. He who has that ring is richer than all the kings of

the world. I went into the king's palace. The soldiers struck at me but they could not hurt me.

The king said, who are you? Why can't we hurt you? Please leave my city tonight,

because while you are here, I am no longer its lord. I answered, I will go if you will give me

what I ask. What do you want? I will give you half my riches. I said, give me the ring which is on

your finger. Then the soul said to the fisherman, I have hidden the ring of riches in a cave

only one day's journey from here. Come with me and take it, and you will be richer than all

the kings of this world. The young fisherman laughed. Love is better than riches, he cried,

and the little mermaid loves me. He went back into the sea, and the soul went away, weeping.

At the end of the third year, the soul came down to the shore and called to the fisherman,

and he rose up out of the sea. The soul said, come nearer so that Emmy speak to you,

because I have seen wonderful things. On my journeys I came to a city in which there is a house near

the river. Seaman come to that house to drink wine. As I sat there, an old man came in and played

music, and a girl came and danced. Her face was covered so that I could not see it,

but her white feet moved like little birds. They hardly seemed to touch the ground.

I have never seen such beautiful feet, or such wonderful dancing. It is only a few days' journey

from this place. The young fisherman remembered that the little mermaid had no feet and could not

dance, and he said, it is only a short journey, and then I can return to my love.

He laughed and went up onto the shore. He held out his arms to his soul. The soul gave a great

cry of joy and entered into him. They traveled all that night and came to a city. They went into the

city. As they passed along the street of the jewelers, the young fisherman saw a fine silver cup.

The soul said to him, take that cup and hide it. So he took the cup and they went quickly out of the

city. After they had gone some way, the young fisherman threw the cup away. He said to his soul,

why did you tell me to take that cup? It was an evil thing to do. But his soul answered, it doesn't

matter. On the evening of the second day, they came to another city. As they passed along the street,

the young fisherman saw a child standing with a pot of water, and his soul said to him,

strike that child. So he hid the child and it wept. Then they went quickly out of the city.

After they had gone a short way, the young fisherman became angry. Why did you tell me to

strike the child? That was an evil thing to do. But his soul answered, it doesn't matter.

Later on the evening of the third day, they came to another city. The young fisherman sat down and rested.

After a time, a merchant came by. He said, why are you sitting here in the street? The young fisherman

said, I don't know any place in the city where I may sleep. I haven't any friends here who would

take me in. The merchant said, aren't we all brothers? Didn't one god make us all come with me?

To my house. So the young fisherman went and slept at the merchant's house. Three hours before

sunrise, while it was still dark, his soul woke him and said, go to the merchant's room, kill him

and take his gold. We need it. There was a knife lying near the merchant and by the side of his bed

there were three bags of gold. The young fisherman put out his hand and touched the knife.

The merchant awoke and said, do you return evil for good and pay with blood for the kindness I have

shown you? The soul said, strike him. He struck him and took the bags of gold. When they had gone

some distance from the city, the young fisherman said, why did you tell me to kill the merchant and

take his gold? You are evil. The soul cried. It doesn't matter. No, cried the young fisherman.

It does matter. You have made me do evil things. Why have you done this to me?

His soul answered, when you sent me out into the world, you didn't give me a heart.

So I learned to do all these things. The young fisherman said, you are evil. You have made me

forget my love and have led me into evil ways. He threw the bags of gold away. I won't travel with

you anymore. As I sent you away before, so I'll send you away now. He turned his back to the moon

and with the little knife he tried to cut away that shadow of the body, which is the soul. But the soul

said, a man may send his soul away once in his life. But a man who receives his soul back must keep it

with him forever. The young fisherman said, I'll go back to the little bay where the

mermaid used to sing. I'll call to her and tell her of the evil that I have done. His soul said,

the world has many women who are more beautiful than she is. There are the dancing girls of Samaris.

They laugh while they dance and their laughter is as clear as the laughter of water.

Don't trouble yourself anymore, but come with me to that city. The young fisherman did not answer,

but journeyed back to the little bay where his loved one used to sing. When he came there,

he called to the little mermaid. But she did not come. His soul said, you aren't getting much

pleasure out of your love. Come with me because I know where the land of pleasure is and what

things are done there. The young fisherman did not answer, but he built a hut among the rocks

and he called to the mermaid every day and every night. But she never rose up out of the sea to meet

him. When a year it passed, his soul thought, I have offered evil things, but the power of his

love was too great. Now I'll offer good things and perhaps he'll come with me. So the soul said,

I have told you of the joy of the world, but you wouldn't listen. Now I'll tell you of the world's pain.

I'll tell you about those who have no food, about men dying of sickness. Let's go and help these people.

Let's go and help the poor, the sick, the unhappy. But the young fisherman did not answer.

When the second year passed, the soul said, I have offered you evil and I have offered you good,

but your love is stronger than I am. Let me come into your heart so that I may be one with you as I

was before. Certainly you may enter, said the young fisherman. When you went through the world with no

soul, there is no place where I may enter, because your heart is so full of love.

I wish I could help you, said the young fisherman. As he spoke, they came a great sound of weeping

from the sea, the cry that men hear when one of the people of the sea is dead. The young fisherman

left his hut and ran down to the shore. The black waves came hurrying into the shore,

bringing with them something which was whiter than silver. They brought it to the shore.

The young fisherman saw the body of the little mermaid lying dead at his feet. He threw himself

down beside it. He kissed the cold red mouth. He held it in his brown arms. He kissed the closed

eyes. He put the little hands round his neck. The black sea came nearer. From the palace of the

sea king came the sound of weeping. The sea is coming nearer, said his soul. If you wait,

it will kill you. Come to a safe place. But the young fisherman did not listen to his soul.

He said to the little mermaid, love is better than wisdom. Love is worth more than riches.

It is more beautiful than the feet of the daughters of men. I called you at sunrise and you didn't

come. The moon heard me call your name, but you didn't listen to me. I was evil and I had

left you and wandered away. Yet my love stayed with me always and was always strong. Nothing

had power against it. Now that you are dead, I will die with you. His soul prayed him to come away,

but he would not. His love was so great. The sea came nearer and tried to cover him with its waves.

When he knew that the end was near, he kissed the cold face of the mermaid and his heart broke.

His heart was broken and his soul fanned away into it and was one with him as before. And the sea

covered the young fisherman with its waves. In the morning, the priest went down to bless the sea,

for it had been troubled by the storm. When he reached the shore, he saw the young fisherman

lying dead on the sand and in his arms was the body of the little mermaid.