海的女儿(十)
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She now came to a space of marshy ground in the wood， where large， fat water-snakes were rolling in the mire， and showing their ugly， drab-colored bodies. In the midst of this spot stood a house， built with the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch， allowing a toad to eat from her mouth， just as people sometimes feed a canary with a piece of sugar. She called the ugly water-snakes her little chickens， and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom.
“I know what you want，” said the sea witch； “it is very stupid of you， but you shall have your way， and it will bring you to sorrow， my pretty princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail， and to have two supports instead of it， like human beings on earth， so that the young prince may fall in love with you， and that you may have an immortal soul.” And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly， that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground， and lay there wriggling about. “You are but just in time，” said the witch； “for after sunrise to-morrow I should not be able to help you till the end of another year. I will prepare a draught for you， with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise， and sit down on the shore and drink it. Your tail will then disappear， and shrink up into what mankind calls legs， and you will feel great pain， as if a sword were passing through you. But all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement， and no dancer will ever tread so lightly； but at every step you take it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives， and that the blood must flow. If you will bear all this， I will help you.”
“Yes， I will，” said the little princess in a trembling voice， as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul.
“But think again，” said the witch； “for when once your shape has become like a human being， you can no more be a mermaid. You will never return through the water to your sisters， or to your father’s palace again； and if you do not win the love of the prince， so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake， and to love you with his whole soul， and allow the priest to join your hands that you may be man and wife， then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another your heart will break， and you will become foam on the crest of the waves.”
“I will do it，” said the little mermaid， and she became pale as death.
“But I must be paid also，” said the witch， “and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea， and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also， but this voice you must give to me； the best thing you possess will I have for the price of my draught. My own blood must be mixed with it， that it may be as sharp as a two-edged sword.”
“But if you take away my voice，” said the little mermaid， “what is left for me？”
“Your beautiful form， your graceful walk， and your expressive eyes； surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart. Well， have you lost your courage？ Put out your little tongue that I may cut it off as my payment； then you shall have the powerful draught.”
“It shall be，” said the little mermaid.
Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire， to prepare the magic draught.
“Cleanliness is a good thing，” said she， scouring the vessel with snakes， which she had tied together in a large knot； then she pricked herself in the breast， and let the black blood drop into it. The steam that rose formed itself into such horrible shapes that no one could look at them without fear. Every moment the witch threw something else into the vessel， and when it began to boil， the sound was like the weeping of a crocodile. When at last the magic draught was ready， it looked like the clearest water.
“There it is for you，” said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid's tongue， so that she became dumb， and would never again speak or sing. “If the polypi should seize hold of you as you return through the wood，” said the witch， “throw over them a few drops of the potion， and their fingers will be torn into a thousand pieces.” But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this， for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the glittering draught， which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.
So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh， and between the rushing whirlpools.
现在她来到了森林中一块粘糊糊的空地。这儿又大又肥的水蛇在翻动着，露出它们淡黄色的、奇丑的肚皮。在这块地中央有一幢用死人的白骨砌成的房子。海的巫婆就正坐在这儿，用她的嘴喂一只癫蛤蟆，正如我们人用糖喂一只小金丝雀一样。她把那些奇丑的、肥胖的水蛇叫做她的小鸡，同时让它们在她肥大的、松软的胸口上爬来爬去。
“我知道你是来求什么的，”海的巫婆说。“你是一个傻东西！不过，我美丽的公主，我还是会让你达到你的目的，因为这件事将会给你一个悲惨的结局。你想要去掉你的鱼尾，生出两根支柱，好叫你像人类一样能够行路。你想要叫那个王子爱上你，使你能得到他，因而也得到一个不灭的灵魂。”这时巫婆便可憎地大笑了一通，癫蛤蟆和水蛇都滚到地上来，在周围爬来爬去。“你来得正是时候，”巫婆说。“明天太阳出来以后，我就没有办法帮助你了，只有等待一年再说。我可以煎一服药给你喝。你带着这服药，在太阳出来以前，赶快游向陆地。你就坐在海滩上，把这服药吃掉，于是你的尾巴就可以分做两半，收缩成为人类所谓的漂亮腿了。可是这是很痛的——这就好像有一把尖刀砍进你的身体。凡是看到你的人，一定会说你是他们所见到的最美丽的孩子！你将仍旧会保持你像游泳似的步子，任何舞蹈家也不会跳得像你那样轻柔。不过你的每一个步子将会使你觉得好像是在尖刀上行走，好像你的血在向外流。如果你能忍受得了这些苦痛的话，我就可以帮助你。”
“我可以忍受，”小人鱼用颤抖的声音说。这时她想起了那个王子和她要获得一个不灭灵魂的志愿。
“可是要记住，”巫婆说，“你一旦获得了一个人的形体，你就再也不能变成人鱼了，你就再也不能走下水来，回到你姐姐或你爸爸的宫殿里来了。同时假如你得不到那个王子的爱情，假如你不能使他为你而忘记自己的父母、全心全意地爱你、叫牧师来把你们的手放在一起结成夫妇的话，你就不会得到一个不灭的灵魂了。在他跟别人结婚的头一天早晨，你的心就会碎裂，你就会变成水上的泡沫。”
“我不怕！”小人鱼说。但她的脸像死一样惨白。
“但是你还得给我酬劳！”巫婆说，“而且我所要的也并不是一件微小的东西。在海底的人们中，你的声音要算是最美丽的了。无疑地，你想用这声音去迷住他，可是这个声音你得交给我。我必须得到你最好的东西，作为我的贵重药物的交换品！我得把我自己的血放进这药里，好使它尖锐得像一柄两面都快的刀子！”
“不过，如果你把我的声音拿去了，”小人鱼说，“那么我还有什么东西剩下呢？”
“你还有美丽的身材呀，”巫婆回答说，“你还有轻盈的步子和富于表情的眼睛呀。有了这些东西，你就很容易迷住一个男人的心了。唔，你已经失掉了勇气吗？伸出你小小的舌头吧，我可以把它割下来作为报酬，你也可以得到这服强烈的药剂了。”
“就这样办吧。”小人鱼说。
巫婆于是就把药罐准备好，来煎这服富有魔力的药了。
“清洁是一件好事，”她说；于是她用几条蛇打成一个结，用它来洗擦这罐子。然后她把自己的胸口抓破，让她的黑血滴到罐子里去。药的蒸气奇形怪状地升到空中，看起来是怪怕人的。每隔一会儿巫婆就加一点什么新的东西到药罐里去。当药煮到滚开的时候，有一个像鳄鱼的哭声飘出来了。最后药算是煎好了。它的样子像非常清亮的水。
“拿去吧！”巫婆说。于是她就把小人鱼的舌头割掉了。小人鱼现在成了一个哑巴，既不能唱歌，也不能说话。“当你穿过我的森林回去的时候，如果珊瑚虫捉住了你的话，”巫婆说，“你只须把这药水洒一滴到它们的身上，它们的手臂和指头就会裂成碎片，向四边纷飞了。”可是小人鱼没有这样做的必要，固为当珊瑚虫一看到这亮晶晶的药水——它在她的手里亮得像一颗闪耀的星星——的时候，它们就在她面前惶恐地缩回去了。
这样，她很快地就走过了森林、沼泽和激转的漩涡。