Subtitles corrected by MerryA
A Fairy Tale by
H. CH. Andersen
THE LITTLE MERMAID
Far out in the ocean the water is as
blue as the loveliest cornflower
and as clear as the purest glass.
But very deep, much more deeper
than any anchor rope will go.
And we'd have to pile up lot of towers
to get from the sea floor
right up to the surface.
There are many merpeople living there
at the bottom of the sea.
On the deepest spot in the ocean, since time
immemorial, there is the palace of the sea king,
whose empire stretches
from north to south
and from west to east,
and has no ending.
- The loser must sing a song.
- What song?
Something terribly sad.
And if the loser will laugh...
she will have to sing until
the winner will say enough.
In the midnight
Bells resounding
And now the bride
is ar...
- Because you were making grimaces to me.
- She's a poor loser, Daddy.
- She lost and doesn't want to sing.
- When you lost...
In the midnight
Bells resounding
And now the bride
Is arriving
She's got a veil like of sea foam
'Cause the groom is from the king's dome
Sing along, little mermaid.
I like listening your singing.
The King is proudly laughing
But his wife is groaning
It was such a sad love with sorrowful ending
A castle ball
Bright burning lamps
And some sweet wine
From foreign lands
Flowing like a river in plain
But the bride is waiting in vain
Go up onto the deck!
There will be no landing
It was such a sad love with sorrowful ending
In thunderstorm the dam sagging
Huge waves coming
The ship's sinking
Now launch the boats!
It's too late, my lord!
In unkissed eyes tears have been stored
Beauty in widow's face is quietly fading
It was such a sad love with sorrowful ending
You've got a beautiful voice,
my little mermaid.
Whoever will hear it, he'll never forget it.
Oh look! What is it?
My gift.
For your birthday.
- I wished it'd be my birthday.
Are you looking forward?
- To the prince?
Him too. And to the sisters and the celebration.
How ugly they are!
They have eyes like us, but otherwise...
Don't touch them!
You know what grandmother said.
They hunt fish and eat them.
And kill each other.
Isn't this funny?
It's full of little yellow circles.
Look.
And here's another one...
I've found a human flower.
Here you are.
Now you are really beautiful.
Wait for the prince to see you!
8 humans for me, 8 humans for you.
Look, a singing fish.
D'you want it?
And what about us?
Dear sisters!
The King and Queen of the Red Sea!
Daddy!
It's a son?
When he grows up, he'll marry
the princess of The Coral Sea.
The King and Queen of the Yellow Sea.
Children are always a trouble.
I remember you in his age.
A terrible journey.
Three sea battles.
Now humans at us have invented
blazing arrows and fireballs.
I don't like fires.
Water is the best.
The Crown Prince of the Sargasso Sea!
The Crown Prince of the Sunset Sea!
Hurry up!
You too. Do you want
to keep the princes waiting?
Your husband.
When your birthday will come,
little mermaid.
- He looks rather like a red and brown frog.
- Well, red and brown is now in vogue.
- Almost every prince...
- Of course, of course, yours too.
Don't argue!
The Queen of The Sargasso Sea...
Where is it, Granny?
The Sargasso Sea?
- Do you know the Gulf of Blue Starfish?
- Just imagine, yesterday my husband...
You wouldn't believe me if I told you that...
Granny, watch out!
- This is my crab!
- I didn't take it.
- But you stepped on his claw!
- Claw? You can't say that.
Oh my, how do you raise her?
- Such an improper word for a child.
- Oh please...
Humans at us have started with dams building.
My husband pulls them down every night.
We haven't slept for days.
You should have seen the day of
my birthday and wedding!
I swam to the surface. The fishermen with nets,
torches, they were hunting eels.
- I got tangled up in it...
- What did you do?
What would you think, I drowned them.
Should I let them eat me?
- But I know cases where...
- What cases?
I don't know anything more beautiful
than the sun.
- The sun?
- The sun.
I do. The aurora.
Blue, which turns into purple.
Wait for your birthday, then you'll see.
- I'd like to go with you.
- I'm frightened.
Great flowers grow there on the shore,
called trees.
And above them, in the air,
colourful, singing, flying fish.
You have eyes just like your mother.
You never told us what happened to her.
Mermaids and Queens live 300 years...
Let the celebration begin!
River ice is the best.
They bring it all the way from Europe,
but I never regret it.
Today I've added this piece
to my collection.
Poseidon - Neptune,
King of the seas.
Please notice this part of him.
They believe that we look like fish,
or even we are ones of them.
And I invoke and calm storms with this trident.
Just imagine. How impractical!
I like to collect human follies.
Something is inherited from my father,
but most of it I've gathered myself.
- How naive these people are.
- What do you think?
I have no opinion on the subject.
In essence, it's an optical illusion.
The sun sinks down into the sea.
But objectively, it doesn't, it's quite opposite.
The earth and waters orbit
at great distance around the sun.
I've read scientific works
from the Academy scientists,
regarding this problem,
because you can imagine...
- You can imagine...
- Yes, yes...
The name The Sunset Sea
cannot be changed.
Habit is a second nature.
Better abolish the Academy of Science.
I don't understand.
Mermaids don't have to understand.
As a daughter of the King of seas...
Architecture and sculpture... perhaps.
But notice the care they've taken
to decorate these weapons.
I don't like them either.
Cruel, insidious, craven.
They kill each other.
The only decent thing they invented
is wine.
And they learnt how to fake even it.
Is this the cave?
They say there's a window through which
your father the King sees everything
that happens in every sea and land.
Therefore no one may enter.
He knows he is old, he must give a way
to someone younger.
They also say that of all
his daughters, you are his favourite one.
It's time.
See you next year, little mermaid.
I'm afraid.
Everyone is afraid for the first time.
Come. I'm going with you.
Now it's night time up there.
In a moment the sun will rise.
Don't worry, I won't punish you,
my little mermaid.
Even though I should.
It's not your fault you've got her eyes.
Foolish, curious eyes.
She gave me 6 daughters, and she became
more beautiful with each one of them.
I didn't know there was her statue.
They said there was a window
showing the world.
Showing everything that happens et cetera.
Who told you that? Your Prince?
He probably heard it from his father,
he was an idiot, too.
The world, humans... All useless.
There's no logic. They can't live either
inside or without water.
Their books are full of blood,
of words which mean nothing,
just confuse foolish women and children.
Passion, love, friendship, loyalty...
And in reality...
How beautiful she is!
What a happy smile.
Better get some sleep.
You know what happens to mermaids
who get too inquisitive?
They melt like a sea foam.
Great flowers grow there on the shore,
called trees.
- Your face feels hot.
- I feel wonderful.
Tell me about the sun.
The sun is at the
very top, above the trees.
And in the air flying, colourful fish
flap their wings and sing.
But you've told me that already.
Think back, what else happened on your birthday?
That's a long time ago.
Nearly 280 years.
I ran away from home, swam almost to
the shore, even though it is forbidden.
And there, on the cliff above the sea,
was sitting a small, barefoot Prince...
- feeding some strange animals.
- Dolphins?
Not dolphins, nor seals. They had
tusks like a walrus, but upwards.
And round their necks were strings
with little bells on them.
The Prince was playing a flute
and the little bells were jingling.
- And then? What happened next?
- Well, what happened...
I got scared.
Because when the Prince saw me,
he ran towards me and when he saw
I was escaping, he shouted:
"Don't go away, beautiful mermaid!
I mean no harm, I'll just kiss you."
But I escaped, because it was
awfully dangerous.
They say, in moments like that,
you forget about everything.
Who you are, where you come from...
Where did you find that stone?
Isn't it beautiful?
I got it from my mother
when I was little.
She said it could calm storms. And there are
only 2 stones like this in the whole world.
One is mine and the other is hers.
And this one I found at the bottom
of a sea volcano.
And this one at a sea witch's dwelling,
but luckily she hasn't seen me.
And I haven't seen her. But I heard her
singing such a strange song.
About this:
First one is a white stone
knitting to her white palm
Second one's a red stone
Sealing her lips from psalm
Third one is a black stone
Making her heart ice-calm
And by the one strange black stone
she'll be petrified to bone
Stop playing!
First one is a white stone
knitting to her white palm
You hear that?
Like someone's singing far away.
They say it's the singing rock
of the Sea King.
Nobody has ever got through them.
We will! Change the direction!
North north west!
Rudder to starboard!
I want to see the one who's singing!
If she's as beautiful as her voice.
And by the one strange black stone
she'll be petrified to bone
That's all.
It's a really, really short song.
At least it's not boring.
A strong theme and a dramatic finale.
I hate long lyrics without any focus.
Perhaps it's because I'm getting old.
Maybe you young ones see things differently.
- I would never dare...
- So I've heard.
Hurry, the stars will be out soon.
It will be most pleasant
to swim to the surface now.
Don't worry, I'm leading you.
Just hold my hand...
My little mermaid.
- Are those stars?
- No, the fireworks.
In honour of the Prince, who's got a birthday.
Just like you.
- He's hurrying to see you.
- Me?
We'll see it all from the cliffs.
His ship will be wrecked on the rocks
in a moment.
It's yours.
- And everything in it.
- Thank you, Daddy.
Look at those beautiful sails and flags.
He's at the helm, the Prince.
Even without the topmast... the current
will force them onto the rocks.
And there's no reason to
invoke a storm anyway.
They were launching the boats last time.
Launch the boats!
How pale and handsome he is!
He's dead. He has been dead from the moment
he had heard you singing.
You didn't tell me that!
I saw her sinking.
Her white arms, then nothing.
It was dark.
There is the sun, look!
Don't sleep, wake up!
Humans mustn't sleep in the sea.
I could take you to our palace,
but that would kill you.
Wake up! You mustn't sleep.
Somewhere near is the shore
with great flowers on it.
And above fish and they sing.
How lucky you are for coming back here.
He was yours and you gave him life.
That was your right.
He was yours like everything else
on the ship,
but you'll never see him again.
You know everything.
Or almost everything.
May I ask you Where is he now?
He's alive.
Another ship is taking him to his land.
Where is the land?
You asked where he was now.
Want some?
Greek wine, it smells like resin.
The human Prince is in the hold.
His eyes are closed, but he's not sleeping.
He can't sleep, he's thinking of the dark haired
girl, who bent over him on the shore.
Maybe you remember her.
You were far away in sea
when he said:
- That was you who saved me?
- That's not!... true.
I never lied to you
even when you were little...
and wanted to know things
children shouldn't know.
May I... ask another question?
Tell me the truth.
If people don't drown,
do they live forever?
Really live maybe 20 or 30 years,
then they fade away.
If someone lives for 100 years,
they'll recount it.
You will live for 300 years.
Don't think of them.
I have considered everything.
Your foolish escape, which insulted
your groom and guests,
will be early forgotten.
The Prince of The Sunset Sea
will remain here as my successor,
and you will become
the Queen of all the Seas.
You'll see that you'll be happy here.
Queen of all the Seas...
That sounds nice.
But still,
I'd trade my 300 years
for a single human day.
To see him once again.
- To tell him...
- What?
It wasn't her, it was me!
It was me who saved you, held you
through the night in my arms.
And then laid you to the sand.
And had to come back to the sea.
Foolish little mermaid,
who'd melt into sea foam.
She'll forget with marriage.
Children, new worries...
I've been waiting 3 days.
Give me just one more day.
Maybe I'm just superstitious, but I've lost
the stone from my necklace.
From my mummy.
The stone that calms storms.
- There are only two of them in the world.
- Yesterday you said you lost the stone
from the sea volcano.
I've already found that one,
but lost the other.
It was scarlet and shining in the dark.
Just one day. What harm would it do?
The celebrations will last a month.
Everyone will want to celebrate
the new king and queen.
You should have followed her!
What did she make up today?
- Another stone?
- The scarlet one.
Red as blood.
Find her!
Bring me the little mermaid!
Prepare the wedding ceremony!
What should I do, mummy?
Should I go back?
What would you do,
Queen of all the seas?
Should I return?
Or give up everything for hope
that I will see him once more?
Little sister!
Don't kill me, Sea Witch!
I'm here to see you,
I've brought you some gifts.
Silly children's toys.
But thanks for them anyway.
They will serve our purpose splendidly.
You know what I want?
What can mermaids want from a witch?
You want to be like humans.
To have the prince you saved
fall in love with you.
It's a silly idea. But have it
your own way, beautiful princess.
This idea will bring your downfall.
I'll make you a drink.
And when you drink it,
you will resemble humans so much,
that you can touch the ground
without melting.
But you still won't be a human.
No dancer will be
more graceful than you.
But with every step you'll feel pain,
like sharp knives stabbing your feet.
But if you can bear this,
I'll help you.
I want it. I'm gonna find him,
the greatest pain doesn't matter and...
Don't be hasty! That's not all.
Once you touch the ground,
there will be no way back.
You can never become a mermaid again.
Never descend to the bottom of the sea,
to your sisters, your father's castle.
And if you don't get the prince's love,
your heart will break the morning after
his wedding with another one.
And you'll melt, drifting
as sea foam forever.
Unless you'd kill them both.
But you're too stupid to do that.
I want it all.
I'll give you everything I have
for the drink.
This necklace...
Junk. The only thing of value is
this stone that can calm storms.
But I have one like it already
and I've never used it.
- This stone...
- The worst trade I've ever done.
I won't make the same mistake twice.
You have the most beautiful voice
of all here on the seabed.
And you surely think
it could charm the prince.
But you'll give that voice to me.
In return for my magic drink,
I want your most precious gift.
But what will I have left?
Your beauty.
Your eyes.
Eyes that can enchant the prince's heart.
Sing! I've taught you my song.
Once you finish it, you'll become mute.
But everyone who sees you,
will think you're the most beautiful girl
they've ever seen.
First one is a white stone
knitting to her white palm
Second one's a red stone
Sealing her lips from psalm
First one is a white stone
knitting to her white palm
The third daughter of the Spanish king.
- A dowry of 300,000 ducats.
- Only a half of that would save us.
Dance, prince, dance!
Since you tried to sail
through the sea king's cliffs,
- our ships no longer return to port.
- The sea is taking our lands.
- It floods our fields even
with the yields.
- We'll build some dams.
- You need money for that.
- The one in white is
the princess of a country
where precious stones lie in the sand.
What I need are ordinary rocks, manpower
and wood that won't rot in the water.
Timbers withstanding the greatest wave.
Huge logs, not the splinters we have.
You can't leave now!
Third one is a black stone
Making her heart ice-calm
You should have told him we had to
borrow money even for the splinters.
You'd better think of a way
to excuse him.
Urgent government business,
which unfortunately...
Dams!
He wants to gain control of the sea!
Between ourselves, I was invited
to the Spanish King's court.
Are you staying here?
Are you going to wait
for the sea to engulf us?
First one is a white stone
knitting to her white palm
Second one's a red stone
Sealing her lips from psalm
Who are you?
You look like a little mermaid, but...
no mermaid could be
as beautiful as you are.
Though I once saw a girl
as beautiful as you.
Where are you from?
What is your name?
Don't worry,
the sea can't harm you now.
Where is everybody? Bring wine!
And a dress for the little mermaid!
- Who is that princess?
- I don't know, mum.
She was washed up by the sea. I asked
for her name, but she can't speak.
Perhaps the shipwreck made her mute.
She is more beautiful than all
the princesses in the garden below.
Her jewels are finer
than those ones of any queen.
Her father must be a king
of a mighty realm.
Why aren't you playing?
First dance for the prince!
I don't understand.
No ships have entered the harbor.
It's as if she came with the storm.
We'll leave in the morning.
You swore that the prince...
Urgent government business?
Even yesterday's fireworks
were pathetic.
I'm sure she's a princess.
Look how wonderfully she's dancing.
But if I give you all these things,
what then will I have left?
Your beauty, your eyes.
No dancer will be as graceful as you.
But with every step you'll feel pain,
like sharp knives stabbing your feet.
I want it!
It was I, I was holding you in my arms
all night so you wouldn't drown,
my darling.
I was looking for you everywhere.
Try to understand me.
Hear what I'm saying.
Even though I had to give
my voice to the witch.
But it was the only way to be here
with you now. To dance with you.
Beatrice?
Maybe you're Susanna.
Helena?
Eva?
- Who's the princess?
- The little mermaid.
Soon they'll believe.
It's an old story that you'll hear
wherever you go.
The cliffs I wanted to sail through...
and the sea taking everything from us.
Crops, dams.
People are moving to the mountains.
I'm not surprised they believe in
fairytales of a revenge of the Sea King
I have offended.
They bring flowers and shells
to appease him.
To have their nets full of fish again.
Why do you want to ruin him, daddy,
King of all Seas?
Just because I love him?
Help me.
My heart aches that I left you, too.
But I couldn't do otherwise.
That's not just a reflection of the sun.
It's as if someone mixed
all the water with blood.
Pull up the nets!
She hasn't eaten since yesterday.
She has to eat something.
Pay the creditors, buy wood.
Wood that'll survive the stormiest seas.
Good news!
Three ships have come back to port,
and with their cargoes intact.
You've brought me luck.
We'll take stones from these rocks.
We'll chop down these trees
and plant new ones.
We'll have orchards in the valley.
We'll change the whole country.
People will stop worrying of floods.
An apple.
Take a bite. These are apple trees.
Perhaps they don't grow
in the land you came from.
Apples?
How lovely feeling in my teeth
after eating them.
When I look into your eyes,
I understand what you're saying,
even though you don't speak.
You just said: It's nice here.
The best fishing is down below.
Of course you're afraid,
but you also feel so wonderful.
Swimming through worlds
you never dreamt of.
Jellyfish hovering above your head,
shoals of tiny fish darting here and there.
Some are silver, some gold,
others change their colours
like a rainbow.
I'll tell you about the sea one day.
I like it, even though
it almost killed me.
Careful, don't burn yourself!
Fish must be eaten whilst hot.
Maybe you don't like fish,
but I caught this one just for you.
I love you.
I'd do anything for you.
I love you.
Try to be silent for a while
and listen what I'm saying.
Perhaps if you put your head on my heart
you'd hear better.
I like being with you.
Perhaps because you look so much
like the girl who saved me.
When we were shipwrecked,
waves carried me out to sea.
It was me! Think back!
I told you: Wake up, humans mustn't sleep
in the sea. And then...
I opened my eyes and saw her.
She had long flowing hair
she was bending over me,
just like you.
And I realized she was the only one
in the whole world who I could love.
I never saw her again.
The shore belonged to
the girls school.
Maybe it all was a fate and the sea
brought me you instead of her.
Who are they, dad?
That's the Prince
and the Little Mermaid.
The one who enchanted the nets,
so they'd be full of fish?
D'you hear?
Already they're telling
fairytales about you.
They've added a new ending to the
old tale of the beautiful Sea Queen
who fell in love with a poor fisherman
and left everything, the sea, the King,
even her six daughters for him.
You're the sixth daughter.
A princess of the sea.
And you came to save us.
And we're going to get married,
and if we don't die,
we'll live happily ever after.
And we will have lots of children,
the fishermen'll have nets full of fish,
And in every third shell
there will be a pearl.
Why are you crying?
It's a nice fairy-tale,
at least I like it.
Just my advisors don't.
To have a mute queen and no one
knows where she came from.
They've got a different fairytale for me.
Beyond the Sargasso Sea in a great land,
which touches ours from two sides,
a king lives, with an only daughter.
And when he dies, our empire will
enclose the entire Sargasso sea.
Don't worry, I don't want the daughter
or the empire.
You're going to sail with me.
We'll give our gifts to the king,
and when we come back, in every
third shell there will be a pearl.
And we'll have lots of children
and live happily ever after.
You're even more beautiful than
the one from the shore.
Help me once more, daddy,
the King of all Seas.
Give me something to
make him forget her.
How pale you are.
You shouldn't have sailed with us,
It's not for women.
If I told you about the horrors my
divers have seen on the seabed,
you would be terrified.
Huge two headed serpents or an octopus,
which sucks human blood.
15 ships in the Princess's dowry.
The king's whole fleet is 96 ships.
Three heavy war ships,
twelve usual battleships.
- Whose turn now, mine?
- Yes, yours, Prince.
Your turn. A pearl in the third shell.
All sixes.
But now you lost.
They're sailing to meet us!
Get out the flags!
Fire a salvo!
The King is waiting for you.
The throne is 154 steps from the door.
Please, living gifts present quickly.
The Princess is very tired.
She's just returned from the school
where she's being educated.
Short steps if possible,
and then the fanfares.
The King is sitting in the middle,
the Queen on the right
and the Princess on the left.
The Prince of the Southern Empire
and his parade.
Is it you? I remember how
I found you on the shore.
- Did you save me?
- I found you.
I've been looking for you everywhere,
but they took you away and hid.
But I saw you going home
and since that time...
The prince of the Southern empire.
- It's too amazing.
- I even didn't want to come.
You kissed me for the first time then.
I didn't want to see you either,
but they persuaded me.
Gifts for the King, Queen
and Princess!
Highest honors of the Southern Empire -
the golden necklace, the golden rose!
A collection of the rarest animals!
Predacious animals! Exotic birds!
So this is your girls school, where
a woman can't even glimpse a man.
This cannot be, at first he kissed
her, afterwards he propose!
You have a knife.
You'll kill them with it.
Or the day after the wedding
your heart will break
and you will melt into sea foam.
Only you know everything.
I'm sure you're happy for our luck.
How alike you two are!
(btw, these two actresses are
sisters in real life)
How much she loves him.
Hurry up. Whilst they are still
asleep.
They will perish each way.
You see the red stripe of a dawn
in the fog?
With the sunrise the ship is wrecking.
You have the knife.
You can still return.
A single drop of his heart's
blood is enough.
In the midnight
Bells resounding
And now the bride
Is arriving
She's got a veil like of sea foam
'Cause the groom is from the king's dome
The King is proudly laughing
But his wife is groaning
It was such a sad love...
Where is the little mermaid?
...with sorrowful ending
The sea is blooming!
In thunderstorm the dam sagging
Huge waves coming
The ship‘s sinking
Now launch the boats!
It's too late, my lord!
In unkissed eyes tears have been stored
Beauty in widow's face is quietly fading
It was such a sad love with sorrowful ending
Subtitles: haggahagga and Corvusalbus
corrected by: MerryA
Downloaded From www.AllSubs.org
