The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
A young mermaid falls in love with a prince and longs to experience life on land. She makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her tail for legs, but at a terrible cost: every step she takes feels like walking on sharp knives, and she can never return to the sea.
By Hans Christian Andersen · First published 1837 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Romance · 10,310 words
First lines
FAR out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could sound it, and many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects.
What this Textopian page supports
The Little Mermaid is listed on Textopian as a novel by Hans Christian Andersen, dated 1837 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Hans Christian Andersen
- Date: 1837 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Romance, Tragedy, Coming-of-Age
- Length: 10,310 words
- Structure: 1 section, 111 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
- The Glass Coffin by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Ice Maiden by Hans Christian Andersen
- Maid Maleen by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Rose Elf by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Shepherdess And The Chimney Sweep by Hans Christian Andersen
- The White Bride And The Black One by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
Genres
- Fairy Tale — The narrative structure, magical elements, and moral lessons align with traditional fairy tales.
- Fantasy — The story features fantastical elements such as mermaids, sea witches, and magical transformations.
- Romance — Central to the plot is the mermaid's love for the prince and her sacrifices for him.
- Tragedy — The story ends with the mermaid's unfulfilled love and her transformation into sea foam.
Tags
Fairy Tale · Fantasy · Romance · Tragedy · Love Story · Marine Life · Mermaid · Underwater World · Fisherman · Prince · Sacrifice · Selfless Love