"The Little Mermaid" is a fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.
Written originally as a ballet, the tale was first published in 1837 and has been adapted to various media including musical theatre and animated film.
- Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.