"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to sacrifice her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince. Andersen was familiar with traditional and literary lore about mermaids and other water creatures but the tale is completely his invention . The strongest influence upon the tale was Friedrich de la Mott...
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"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to sacrifice her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince. Andersen was familiar with traditional and literary lore about mermaids and other water creatures but the tale is completely his invention . The strongest influence upon the tale was Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s Undine.
"The Little Mermaid" was first published with "The Emperor‘s New Clothes" in Copenhagen, Denmark by C. A. Reitzel on 7 April 1837 as the third and final installment of the first collection of Andersen's Fairy Tales Told for Children. The tale was an instant success and made Andersen an international celebrity. It has been variously interpreted since its initial publication, and has been adapted to musical theater, animated film, and other media. The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen harbor is a national monument and a ...
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