The Little Mermaid
With the first rays of the sun she was gone without a trace…
Cast
Little Mermaid: Kathrina Griebel
Prince: Kokona Ootori
Little Mermaid’s Older Sister: Panda Yanagiba
Sea Witch: Chisa Sasuga
Princess of the Neighboring Kingdom: Yae Niizuma
Act I
The little mermaid living in the dark depths of the sea always held admiration for human beings from the world above the waves.
One day, to her great pleasure, she found something called “mirror” in the sand on the seafloor. The tool seemed to reflect anyone who would look into it. It was yet another wonderful thing that had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a shipwreck.
“The objects that humans create are truly charming… Ah, how would I love to visit their world.”
That was the little mermaid’s earnest wish.
However, the law of the mermaid world forbade any contact with humans.
To save the heart of her dear sister from pointless longing, the older mermaid told her stories of ugliness and fearsomeness of human beings. She also never missed a chance to mention horrors of the Sea Graveyard, where the mermaids banished for breaking the law were forced to live. But none of that could change how the little mermaid felt.
Once she learnt that humans moved using two props, which they called legs, she began to dream, “If only I had legs, maybe I could become a human too.”
To the dismay of her sister, the little mermaid pleaded with her, “Promise me that once I will have turned fifteen, you will take me to the world above the sea.”
Time passed by—and as soon as the little mermaid reached her fifteenth year, her sister brought her along to the surface of the water, for such was the promise she made.
The little mermaid was mesmerized by the starry sky that spread over her head like an ocean of its own. As she was staring in wonder at the magnificent scenery she saw for the very first time, a large ship came sailing by. A young prince then appeared on its deck.
“Today is my birthday! So, please, celebrate to your heart’s content!”
Wonderful flowers bloomed in the sky, making it as bright as day, and the little mermaid couldn’t take her eyes off the splendid view.
However, little by little it began to rain, and soon the sea became restless, a sign of an approaching storm.
As the ship was engulfed by the raging waves, the poor prince fell into the water. Pushing her sister away, the little mermaid rushed to his aid. She pulled him out of the water, carried him over the sea to the shore, and ensured she could hear him breathing.
“How beautiful you are…”
The prince was so amazed at the delicate features of the little mermaid that it almost made him wake up.
To avoid being seen, the little mermaid then hid behind high rocks rising out of the water and watched a young nun approach the spot where the prince lay. The girl tended to him, and when he regained consciousness, he spoke to her the words of gratitude.
Act II
Watching the two leave the beach, the little mermaid became sorrowful, for the prince knew not that it was her who saved him.
“But… It’s for the better.”
After all, sea dwellers and humans should never mingle with one another. Faithful to the law, the little mermaid dived down into the water and swam away alone.
When she returned to the depths of the sea, her sister came to her with a worried look on her face. Since the night of the storm, she was on edge, wondering where her younger sibling had disappeared to. The little mermaid honestly told her that she saved the prince, and the older girl scolded her for breaking the law and coming into contact with a human. She warned her younger sibling that she should abide by the law and enjoy peaceful life underwater. But the little mermaid didn’t listen to her, for she could only think of the prince.
The love for human beings was growing in her more and more.
“I… would gladly become a human myself.”
Enraged by those words, her sister slapped the younger girl’s face, telling her to cut it out, and the two got into a fight.
After running away from her sister, the little mermaid could no longer suppress her feelings, so she headed to the Sea Graveyard, where the sea witch was believed to dwell.
The dreadful witch, who had the power to grant any wish, already knew why the little mermaid decided to approach her, and eerily asked her a question.
“Once your shape has become like a human being, you can never again be a mermaid. And should the prince marry another, your heart will be ripped apart. Without even a moment to repent, you will become foam on the crest of the waves. Do you still wish to be human?”
The heart of the little mermaid was beating with fear, and yet she stood firm in her decision.
“…I’m prepared! Sea witch, what do you require of me?”
In exchange for two legs that would allow the little mermaid to walk the earth like humans do, the sea witch asked for her beautiful voice.
But to meet the prince again the little mermaid would gladly give it up, so she formed a pact with the sea witch.
Act III
When the little mermaid woke up, she discovered that she had been washed ashore on a beach. She was happy to find out that her fish’s tail was now gone, and in its place there was a pair of pretty white legs. However, just as the pact with the sea witch demanded, she could no longer make a sound.
“I will never be able to speak, let alone sing again…”
That thought made her very sad.
“But now I can meet the prince…”
Pulling herself together, she tried to stand up, and a sharp pain pierced through her legs, as if she was treading upon the points of needles. She couldn’t take a single step with those legs she had been given. Just as she was about to despair, for that meant she would never reach her beloved prince, he happened to pass by.
“You?.. Could it be that I have met you somewhere before?”
The prince helped the little mermaid stand up. He led her to his castle and made her wear a beautiful dress. When he realized that she couldn’t speak, he only smiled and said, “Still, for some reason, I feel like I can understand you.”
Holding her, who could barely walk, in his arms, he traveled with her across the human world, showing her all the places she so much longed to see.
To her, those days were filled with happiness. However, they were not meant to last.
The two enjoyed their life together, growing closer, but one day the prince met the princess of a neighboring kingdom, who happened to be on a visit. In her he recognised the nun that looked after him when he lay unconscious after the storm. He learned that the princess was brought up and educated in a religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue.
Looking at him shyly, the princess revealed to him that she was expected to become his wife.
“Is that true?.. Maybe, it was fate that brought us together.”
Mistakenly believing her to be his savior, the prince decided that he would marry her.
The little mermaid could only watch the scene unfold, unable to say a word.
Hand in hand, the prince and the princess walked away with happy smiles on their faces. They couldn’t wait to inform the kings of their respective kingdoms about their wedding.
Reaching out, as if in a silent plea, the little mermaid tried to chase after them, but her legs wouldn’t work, and she had no hope to catch up.
“I can’t even walk on my own. Neither do I have a voice to ask for help. But, even though I’m like this, the prince was always so kind to me…”
The lonely mermaid started to reflect back on the days they spent together.
She always wished to live in the world above the sea. There, where the flowers had fragrance. Where there were beautiful green forests and high snowy mountains, and the gentle breeze carried the songs of birds.
“The world you’ve shown me is just so beautiful. I wish I could at least tell you how I really feel.”
Such were the little mermaid’s sad thoughts.
Act IV
After announcing the marriage, the gleeful prince returned to the little mermaid. Noticing the thoughtful look on her face, he asked her what was on her mind.
“I… You see…”
The little mermaid tried to speak, but no word escaped her lips.
“I know! You must be happy for me, too! I’m just the luckiest man alive! To think that the princess who saved me that stormy night is going to marry me!”
Unaware of the truth, the prince shared with the little mermaid his joy.
“No! It was me who saved you! I carried you to the shore!”
Seeing her pained expression from not being able to convey her thoughts, the prince asked her if something had happened.
“Are you sad? But be at ease. I’m here with you. I’ll always be by your side.”
Looking at the prince’s sincere and kind smile, the little mermaid thought back on why she had formed the pact with the sea witch.
“…That’s right. To meet him again, I gave up my voice and my mermaid’s tail, and left behind my kindred and my home.”
Assured in her decision, the little mermaid smiled back at him.
“As long as he is happy, it doesn’t matter what becomes of me. I wish for his happiness more than my own.”
To celebrate his coming marriage, the prince went on a tour to visit all the kingdoms, bringing the little mermaid with him.
The little mermaid knew her final hour was drawing near, and yet, to congratulate the couple, at the wedding she danced with a smile on her face. Despite the unbearable pain in her legs and the sharp pang in her broken heart, she danced so elegantly as never before, and all present cheered her with wonder.
On her final day, the little mermaid walked up on the beach to greet the rising sun. She never forgot the pact she made with the sea witch. Should the prince marry another, she would become foam.
It was almost time. As she was looking at the sea, tears streaming down her face, her older sister she had not seen for so long appeared from the waves.
“My dear sister!.. What happened to your beautiful hair?”
Approaching the little mermaid, her sister yelled at her, “Oh, what a stupid thing you’ve done!” She knew of the pact with the sea witch. And thus, she handed the little mermaid a knife. To obtain it, she had given her hair to the witch, and if the little mermaid were to plunge it into the heart of the prince, she could once again be a mermaid.
“Once the sun goes up, you will disappear into sea-foam. Time’s of the essence. Hurry up and end the prince’s life.”
She tried to persuade her younger sibling, but the little mermaid only shook her head. She could never bring herself to kill the prince.
Her sister begged her with eyes full of tears, “Please, dear sister, return to the sea. I can’t bear the thought of losing you. Everyone is waiting for you at home.”
But the little mermaid had already made up her mind.
“True happiness lies in meeting someone, who will become more important to you than your life.”
She felt strangely at peace. Even though she had no voice, she whispered to her sister, “Thank you.”
At last, the sun started to rise over the horizon. Before her sister’s eyes, the little mermaid disappeared into foam.
“…Sister… What an idiot you are! Just why are you always so selfish?!...”
The older girl cried and shouted, but at the bottom of her heart she also felt a little envious. Her younger sister lived the way she wanted, and in the end she was able to find something she valued more than her life.
With this thought, she gazed lovingly at the bubbles floating up into the sky.
Aftertalk
Panda Yanagiba:
“Sob!…”
Kathrina Griebel:
“Hey, the performance is over, right? So why are you crying?”
Panda Yanagiba:
“Look, I just once again realized how tragic it all was. I can’t hold back tears, when I think about how the little mermaid’s sister must have felt!”
Panda Yanagiba:
“And that prince! What a moron! To think he chose the princess over my cute little sister!”
Kokona Ootori:
“Ahaha… Sorry about that.”
Chisa Sasuga:
“Well, there was no way for him to find out the truth. I guess, it was just a cruel trick of fate.”
Panda Yanagiba:
“Ugh, that’s so unfair. But that’s exactly what makes it such a great play!”
Kathrina Griebel:
“Well, that’s how the story of the little mermaid goes. Fufu. But seeing you crying at it like this kind of makes me relieved.”