Hans Christian Andersen loved dark fairy tales, and his 1837 version of "The Little Mermaid" makes Disney's adaptation look like a happy meal toy commercial. While modern audiences know the singing princess who finds true love, what actually happens to the mermaid in Andersen's original story?
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In Andersen's original tale, the mermaid turns into sea foam after watching her beloved prince marry another woman instead of her. The poor mermaid had already traded her tongue for legs that felt like walking on knives (terrible deal), only to have the prince fall for a princess he mistakenly thought had saved him from drowning. Rather than stab the prince to save herself as her sisters suggested, she chose to dissolve into foam and become a "daughter of the air" who could earn a soul through good deeds. Maybe stick with the Disney version for bedtime stories.
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