FAR OUT IN THE OCEAN, WHERE THE WATER IS THE DEEPEST BLUE, AND THE EARTH THE FINEST SAND, THERE LIVED THE LITTLE MERMAID AND HER SISTERS, DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA KING.

SIX MERMAIDS, ALMOST IDENTICAL TO YOUNG GIRLS WHO WALKED THE EARTH, EXCEPT THEIR BODIES ENDED IN FISHTAILS.

THE LITTLE MERMAID WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THEM AL.

HER VOICE WAS CLEAR AND SOFT.

HER HAIR, A COBALT BLUE.

SHE WAS A STRANGE CHILD, QUIET AND THOUGHTFUL, AND OFTEN WANDERED ALONE.

IN HER GARDEN, SHE KEPT A MARBLE STATUE OF A YOUNG BOY, WHICH SHE HAD FOUND ONE DAY AFTER IT HAD FALLEN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. NO DOUBT FROM A SHIP-WRECK.

HER GRANDMOTHER HAD OFTEN TOLD THEM OF SHIPS WHICH SAILED THE SEAS, AND OF THE WORLD ABOVE. FILLED WI MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN, STRANGE PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

THEY LIVED ON LAND IN TOWNS AND CITIES. SHE HAD TOLD THE,

SOME OF THEM EVEN FLY HIGH UP IN THE AIR!

NONE OF THE SISTERS HAD EVER BEEN TO THE SURFACE OF THE SEA, AT LEAST NOT YET.

WHEN EACH ONE OF YOU IS FIFTEEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF IT FOR YOURSELVES.

OH, HOW THE LITTLE MERMAID LONGED TO SEE THE WORLD ABOVE!

SHE OFTEN TRIED TO PICTURE HOW IT WOULD LOOK, AND IMAGINED A WORLD FILLED WITH CREATURES RESEMBLING HER MARBLE STATUE.

"BUT BEWARE NOT TO BE SEEN, FOR HUMANS MUST NOT SUSPECT THAT WE MERMAIDS EXIST." HER GRANDMOTHER HAD SAID.

MEN OFTEN FEAR WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW, OR SEEK TO DESTROY IT ...

SOMETIMES, WHILE GAZING AT THE DISTANT MOONLIGHT, SHE WOULD SEE A DARK SHAPE PASSING BY, UP ABOVE.

IT MUST BE A WHALE OR PERHAPS EVEN A SHIP ...

... AND IT MUST BE FULL OF PEOPLE! THEY WOULD NEVER EVEN THINK THAT A MERMAID COULD BE HERE BELOW THEM ...

AND SHE WISHED SHE COULD SAIL WITH THEM, BUT THEN REMEMBERED HER GRANDMOTHER'S WARNING.

AS YEARS PASSED ....

... EACH OF THE SISTERS ROSE UP IN TURN TO THE SURFACE OF THE SEA ON THE FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY.