Summary
The beautiful mermaid princess is the daughter of the sea king who lives at the bottom of the ocean, and she falls in love with a drowned sailor. She longs for the human world and ultimately pleads with the sea witch to become human. In exchange for giving the mermaid princess a human form, the witch takes away her voice. Furthermore, she imposes the harsh condition that if she does not unite with the sailor she loves, she will turn into sea foam and disappear forever.
Having obtained a human form, the mermaid princess approaches the prince’s castle but cannot express her feelings because she has no voice. Although the prince is drawn to her beauty, he knows that he truly loves another woman, which pains him. The mermaid continues to struggle internally, but it becomes decided that the prince will marry another woman. In despair, she asks to have the pact with the witch undone, but the only means of doing so involves sacrificing her own life.
Ultimately, the mermaid princess wishes for the happiness of the prince she loves and sacrifices her life as sea foam. Her self-sacrifice serves to ensure the prince's happiness, and she is thanked by the sea spirits and granted an eternal soul. She rises into the sky and understands the beauty of loving and serving others.
Moral
This story teaches the importance of love and self-sacrifice. The mermaid princess sacrifices herself for the sake of her beloved without pursuing her own happiness. It shows that love sometimes comes with pain and that accepting this is the true form of love. Furthermore, the conflict of being unable to fulfill love without self-sacrifice reflects the difficulties of love. Ultimately, it conveys that the spiritual elevation gained through self-sacrifice is the true happiness.
