Mese angolul: The little mermaid of Copenhagen

 

Once upon a time there was a beautiful mermaid who lived happily at the bottom of the sea. One day she found a piece of newspaper. Her attention was drawn to some great big letters which said, "We are looking for a Miss World."

"Oh! my goodness! How marvellous it must be to be the most beautiful woman in the world!" exclaimed the little mermaid to the snail.

The mermaid began to dream. She could just see herself dressed in fabulous gowns and lying on swansdown cushions, admired by the whole world, and wearing a beautiful crown like a queen on a richly decorated throne.

The little mermaid decided to enter the contest.

"All my friends say I'm beautiful, isn't that so?" she asked.

The snail replied, " Of course you are. But don't forget that you are a mermaid!"

"I advise you not to go to town," continued the snail. But she took no notice and asked her friend the turtle to take her to the town.

"Hurry up turtle, or I shall be too late for the contest!"

But what do you think happened when she got to the contest? They thought she was a fish and the cooks made her up into a tomato salad!

When the cooks were not looking, she escaped from the kitchen and went in search of her friend the turtle.

"Oh dear little turtle. Take me down to the bottom of the sea again! Hurry up, a gang of cooks are after me!" she cried.

" There you are. Now you see what happened because you did not heed my advice," said the snail.

And the poor little mermaid understood that it is not possible to be beautiful both at the bottom of the sea and on land too.