The main characters of the tale
Main characters:
- The Little Mermaid is the youngest daughter of the sea king, kind, sympathetic, loving.
- The prince is a handsome young man, honest and decent.
Other characters:
- The sea witch is an evil, treacherous sorceress who took away her wonderful voice from the Little Mermaid.
- The Princess is a sweet girl whom the Prince mistakenly took for his savior.
- The Little Mermaid's sisters are kind, loving sisters who tried to protect the Little Mermaid from rash actions.
Andersen "The Little Mermaid" very briefly
Andersen "The Little Mermaid" summary for the reader's diary:
Option 1
The sea king lives with his mother and six daughters. When the youngest of them turns fifteen, she is allowed to surface and falls in love with a prince celebrating his birthday on a ship. The ship encounters a strong storm, and the little mermaid saves the drowning prince, leaving him on the shore near the nunnery.
She yearns for her lover and decides to make a deal with the witch: the girl’s tail turns into legs, but walking gives her unbearable pain, she loses her voice, forever separates from her family and is doomed to die if the prince marries someone else.
During matchmaking in a neighboring kingdom, he finds the girl who, he believes, saved him on the shore then, and takes her as his wife. The sisters suggest that she kill the prince to lift the spell, but she lacks the strength and rushes into the abyss, but does not die, but becomes a daughter of the air.
The main idea:
The fairy tale teaches us love and self-sacrifice. She shows how important it is to believe in your dream - it was thanks to her that the little mermaid did not die, but found a new life.
Option 2
The youngest Little Mermaid fell in love with the prince. To be able to be close to her lover, she traded her amazing voice for a pair of slender legs. The prince discovered the girl on the shore and brought her to his palace, but fell in love with her only as a friend and sister. Soon love entered his life - for a foreign princess and he married her.
The Little Mermaid's sisters gave their beautiful curls to the witch to save the life of a stupid little girl who, according to the witch's prediction, should disappear after the wedding of her lover.
The sisters ordered the Little Mermaid to kill the prince; his blood, if it got on her feet, would again give her a fish tail and a long life in the sea. But the girl did not kill her beloved, she turned into a daughter of the air and flew into the sky. This is how the Higher Powers rewarded her for her selfless love and devotion.
Conclusion:
True love will never push a person to commit vile acts; he will not be able to harm his loved one. The little mermaid loved the prince so much that she was ready for any trial just to be close. She was ready to die herself, but not to kill her lover. This is the highest meaning of true love - to be able to sacrifice everything, but not to hurt those you love.
This is interesting: Andersen’s fairy tale “Thumbelina” was written in 1835 and, like most of the writer’s works, was a figment of his imagination, and not taken from folk art. For a reading diary and preparation for a literature lesson, we recommend reading the summary of “Thumbelina.” This is a story about a tiny girl who had to go through many trials before she found happiness.
Read the summary of Andersen The Little Mermaid
In the deepest place of the sea stood the palace of the sea king. The king had been a widower for a long time, and his six princess granddaughters were raised by their old mother. All day long they played in the palace and garden. Unlike the other princesses, the youngest was quiet and thoughtful. She loved only her flowerbed with bright red flowers that reminded her of the sun, and the marble statue of a boy that fell from a ship. The little mermaid loved listening to her grandmother's stories about the human world.
Only from the age of fifteen were they allowed to go upstairs, but no one wanted this as much as the youngest. Year after year, the sisters surfaced and returned with admiring stories. Finally, the little mermaid had a chance to rise above the water. She found herself next to a ship, from the deck of which singing and music could be heard. The people were dressed smartly, but the young prince seemed to her the most beautiful of all. For a long time she could not take her eyes off him.
A storm began and the ship was tossed about by the waves. The waves swept over the ship and laid it on its side. It became dark, but when lightning flashed, the little mermaid saw the prince fall into the sea. She saved him by taking him to the shore where the monastery stood. Soon the girls ran out of the building, and one of them found the prince. He smiled at the girl, and the little mermaid felt sad, because he didn’t even know about her existence. One day she told her sister about everything, and soon all the sisters already knew everything. One of them led her to the prince's castle. The little mermaid wanted to achieve the love of the young man.
One day, after leaving the ball, she went to the witch. The sorceress agreed to make a potion for her that would turn a fish tail into a pair of slender legs. Her gait would be graceful, but every step would cause unbearable pain. At the same time, she would never be able to return to her family, and if the prince married someone else, the little mermaid would turn into sea foam. The princess agreed, and in exchange for the favor, the witch cut out her tongue.
Having sailed to the palace at night, the little mermaid drank the potion and lost consciousness. The prince found the girl and brought her to his palace. She danced so magnificently that everyone admired her and applauded her. Over time, he became more and more attached to her, but still treated her like a cute little child, with no intention of taking her as his wife. He admitted that his heart was occupied by the one who saved him long ago on the shore. The Little Mermaid was worried that she could not tell him the truth.
Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid
Read the summary of The Little Mermaid. Brief retelling. For a reader's diary, take 5-6 sentences
A condensed retelling of Andersen's The Little Mermaid
Summary of “The Little Mermaid” for the reader’s diary:
At the very bottom of the deep blue sea stood a beautiful palace in which the Sea King lived with his mother and six mermaid daughters. According to the old tradition, when the little mermaid turned fifteen years old, she received the opportunity to rise to the surface of the sea.
Every time one of the older sisters turned fifteen, the youngest Mermaid, with bated breath, listened to stories about amazingly beautiful sunsets and sunrises, golden sand and sparkling ice floes.
When the Little Mermaid finally turned fifteen years old, she rose to the surface of the sea and saw a huge ship on which music was playing. But most of all, the Little Mermaid’s imagination was struck by the handsome Prince, with whom she immediately fell in love. Suddenly a strong storm broke out and the royal ship sank. The Little Mermaid saved the Prince from certain death by dragging him unconscious to the shore.
The Little Mermaid so wanted to be among people and to be closer to the Prince that she ventured to visit the Sea Witch. She agreed to turn her fish tail into human legs, but in return the Little Mermaid had to give her her wonderful voice.
In addition, every step on the ground will cause her severe pain, as if she were walking on sharp daggers. If the Prince marries another girl, the Little Mermaid will immediately turn into sea foam.
The Little Mermaid without hesitation agreed to all the conditions of the Sea Witch. She drank a magic drink and found herself unconscious on the seashore, where the Prince found her. He became very attached to a sweet voiceless girl with a flying gait. However, the Prince was soon to marry a Princess from a neighboring country. When he first saw her, he had no doubt that it was she who saved him in that terrible storm.
That same evening, her sisters swam to the Little Mermaid. They handed her a knife, which they exchanged with the Sea Witch for their wonderful braids. With this knife it was necessary to kill the Prince in order to become the little mermaid again and return to the palace.
However, the Little Mermaid could not commit the murder of her loved one. At dawn she was supposed to turn into sea foam, but then the Daughters of the Air appeared and took the Little Mermaid with them.
The main idea:
Sometimes you have to pay a very high price for love. The fairy tale teaches you to love and sacrifice your own interests for the sake of the happiness of your loved ones, and teaches you never to betray your loved ones.
The plot of the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid"
“The Little Mermaid” Andersen summary for the reader’s diary:
Because of her love for the prince, the little mermaid exchanges her fish tail for a pair of slender legs. Unable to achieve reciprocity, she dies and becomes sea foam.
In the deepest part of the sea stands the coral palace of the sea king. He has been widowed for a long time, and his old mother, a worthy and intelligent woman, is in charge of the palace. She loves her six granddaughters very much, pretty little mermaid princesses. The best of all is the youngest, quiet and thoughtful, with sea-blue eyes.
Instead of legs, she, like other mermaids, has a fish tail. She loves only her garden with bright red flowers and a marble statue of a beautiful boy that fell to the bottom from a lost ship. Hugging the statue, the little mermaid dreams of ships, cities, people and animals.
According to tradition, the mermaid first rises to the surface at the age of sixteen. The time comes for the daughters of the sea king to see the land. The little mermaid, the youngest in the family, had a chance to rise after her sisters. She emerges not far from a three-masted ship, from the deck of which music can be heard.
In the ship's cabin, the little mermaid notices many smart people, and among them a handsome prince with big black eyes, who looks like the marble boy from her garden. The ship's crew and guests cheerfully celebrate his sixteenth birthday. In the evening the fireworks begin. Large suns spin like wheels in the night sky, fiery fish spin their tails, and loud music sounds on the deck.
Late in the evening, after the holiday, a strong storm begins at sea. The prince's ship turns over on its side and breaks into pieces. The little mermaid saves the drowning prince. Supporting him, she sails to the shore with a beautiful grove and a tall white building like a church or monastery, and leaves the prince on the sand.
Soon people run out of the white building to help. Having come to his senses, the prince smiles and the little mermaid becomes sad, because he did not smile at her and did not even know who saved his life. She dives into the water and swims away.
The little mermaid tells everything to her sisters and they take her to the prince’s palace. Since then, the little mermaid swims there every evening and looks at the young prince for a long time. She often hears fishermen saying a lot of good things about the prince, and she is glad that she saved him.
The little mermaid asks her grandmother about people and learns that their lifespan is shorter than that of mermaids. But people have an immortal soul, which flies to the sky after the body turns to dust. Mermaids live for three hundred years, but they are not given an immortal soul. After death, all that remains is sea foam.
A mermaid can only receive a soul if one of the people loves her and they are married by a priest. But this will never happen, because the fish tail of mermaids is considered beautiful, but people find it ugly. To please a person, you need to acquire two awkward supports - legs, as people call them.
The little mermaid loves the prince and is ready to do anything to get an immortal soul. Leaving her sisters to dance at the ball, she goes to the sea witch. She agrees to make a drink, after drinking which the little mermaid’s fish tail will turn into a pair of slender legs. At the same time, her graceful gait will remain, but walking will cause terrible pain. The Witch warns that, having taken on a human form, the little mermaid will never return to her native element.
If the prince marries someone else, the little mermaid's heart will break into pieces and she will become sea foam. In payment for the magic drink, the witch demands the beautiful voice of the little mermaid. She will be left with a pretty face, an airy gait and expressive eyes, “enough to conquer the human heart.” After giving the little mermaid the potion, the witch cuts off her tongue.
Having sailed to the prince's palace at night, the little mermaid drinks a magical drink. A sharp pain pierces her and she loses consciousness. Waking up during the day, she sees the prince in front of her, and when she lowers her eyes, she discovers, instead of a fish tail, two small legs, like those of a child.
The prince tries to find out who she is and how she got here, but she is silent. Taking the little mermaid by the hand, the prince leads her to the palace, and she patiently endures the pain, and her gait remains airy.
In the palace, the little mermaid is dressed in silk and muslin, and she becomes the first beauty. Still remaining mute, she dances like no one has ever danced before. Everyone admires her, and the prince calls the little mermaid his little foundling. He becomes more and more attached to the little mermaid, but loves her only as a sweet, kind child. It never even occurs to him to make her his wife.
At the request of his parents, the prince goes across the sea to a neighboring king to meet his daughter, and takes the Little Mermaid with him. A prince and a beautiful princess fall in love, celebrate their engagement, and then their wedding. Soon the time comes to go to the prince's homeland. A luxurious tent for the newlyweds is pitched on the deck of the ship.
Only one evening remains for the little mermaid to spend time with the one “for whom she left her family and her father’s house, gave her wonderful voice and endured endless torment every day, while he did not notice them. ... Long after midnight, dancing and music continued on the ship, and the little mermaid laughed and danced with mortal torment in her heart.”
When the ship becomes quiet, the little mermaid remains on the deck to wait for the first rays of the sun. Suddenly, near the ship, she notices her sisters with their hair cut off - they gave their hair to the witch so that she could help save the little mermaid from death.
The witch gave them a sharp knife, which the little mermaid must plunge into the prince's heart. If his blood gets on her legs, they will grow back into a fish tail, the little mermaid will become the same and live her three hundred years. “Kill the prince and return to us!” - with these words the sisters swim away.
The little mermaid lifts the curtain of the tent and sees that the head of the beautiful bride lies on the chest of the prince. She kisses the prince, throws the knife into the waves, which turn red, as if stained with blood, throws herself into the sea and her body dissolves into sea foam.
After death, the little mermaid joins the daughters of the air, who fly without wings thanks to their own lightness. Like mermaids, they do not have an immortal soul. But they can get it for the good deeds they do to people.
The Little Mermaid sees the prince and his bride looking for her throughout the ship. Invisible, she kisses the beautiful bride, smiles at the prince and, together with other children of the air, rises to the pink clouds.
This is interesting: The fairy tale “Flint” by Andersen was written in 1835. We recommend reading the summary of “Flint”, which will be useful in preparing for a literature lesson and for a reading diary. In a fascinating and at the same time instructive work, the author managed to harmoniously intertwine reality with fairy-tale plots. This is a story about kindness, perseverance and faith in one's own destiny.
Summary of Andersen The Little Mermaid
At the very bottom of the sea stood the palace of the sea sovereign. He has been a widower for a long time; the Tsar’s mother, an intelligent and wise woman, became the mistress of the castle. She was especially proud of her granddaughters, whom she loved very much, especially the youngest. The little mermaid was calm, with beautiful blue eyes. Instead of legs, she has a fish tail. She had her own garden, which she loved very much. In her garden there was a statue of a beautiful boy. The little mermaid dreamed of ships, dreamed of people, cities.
So it was established that young mermaids come to land to see the world on their sixteenth birthday. And now it’s the turn of the youngest mermaid. She appears not far from the ship. Music is coming from the ship. The little mermaid sees many people dressed in beautiful outfits, she sees a handsome prince who looks like a marble boy who is in her garden.
After the celebration, a storm breaks out and the young prince's ship is destroyed, but the mermaid manages to save the prince. The Little Mermaid leaves the prince on the sand, where people find him. Opening his eyes, the prince smiles, but the mermaid is sad, since this smile did not go to her.
The mermaid tells her sisters about everything. The sisters take her to the prince's palace. Now she sailed there every day to look at the prince.
The little mermaid learns from her grandmother that people live less than mermaids. Mermaids live for three hundred years, but unlike people, all that remains of mermaids after death is sea foam. A mermaid can only gain a soul when one of the people loves her and marries her. But this will never happen, since for people a mermaid's tail seems ugly. And to please a person you need to have legs.
The little mermaid fell in love with the prince with all her heart and therefore decided to go to the sea witch. She gives her a drink that will turn the little mermaid's tail into legs. And although she will experience pain, her walk will be airy and graceful. The witch warned that the little mermaid would no longer return to the sea; if the prince took another wife, the mermaid’s heart would break into pieces and she would turn into sea foam. The price for this drink is her beautiful voice.
The little mermaid drinks the potion and loses consciousness. Having come to her senses, she sees the prince. The prince leads the mermaid to the palace. He loved her like a sister and didn’t even think about marriage.
By order of his parents, the prince goes to another kingdom to meet the princess, his future wife. The prince and princess love each other, and this hurts the little mermaid.
After death, the mermaid joins the daughters of the air for her good deeds for humans. Now no one sees her, she kisses the princess and prince.
The fairy tale teaches us to love and spare the feelings of others. Teaches self-sacrifice.
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