" The Little Mermaid " ( Danish : Den lille havfrue ), sometimes translated in English as " The Little Sea Maid ", [1] is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen . Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid princess who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.
