Tonight, we’ll read the first half to “The Little Mermaid” written by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted by Snoozecast. The second half will air in our next episode. This story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid in order to marry a prince and become human.

Originally published in 1837, The Little Mermaid was part of a collection simply titled Fairy Tales Told for Children. Andersen, a Danish author known for his poetic and sometimes melancholy storytelling, wrote many tales that have become classics, including The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Snow Queen. Unlike the cheerful retellings most children grow up with today, Andersen’s original mermaid tale is more bittersweet, filled with longing, sacrifice, and questions about the soul.

The story is notable for its vivid underwater world, where mermaids live for centuries but do not possess immortal souls, and where the surface world is mysterious and dangerous. The little mermaid, youngest of her sisters, is drawn not just to the handsome prince she saves, but to the idea of a different kind of existence—one filled with love, human emotion, and perhaps, a soul of her own.

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