The Little Mermaid

I feel the cool, salty mist on my face and listen to the gentle waves lapping against the rock where I sit. I watch big ships and little boats sail by in the harbor. I am not a person, but I watch people all day long. They smile at me from the shore. I am The Little Mermaid, a statue made of smooth, cool bronze, and I have been dreaming here by the water for a very long time.

My story started with a man named Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote a famous fairy tale in 1837 about a mermaid who wished to see the human world. Many years later, in 1909, a man named Carl Jacobsen loved the story so much he wanted everyone to be able to see her. He asked a wonderful sculptor named Edvard Eriksen to bring me to life. Edvard worked very hard. He used his wife, Eline Eriksen, as a model to help him shape my body. He made me look like I was just changing from a mermaid into a girl, with my tail becoming two legs. Finally, on a sunny day, August 23rd, 1913, I was placed on my granite rock here in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, for everyone to see.

For over a hundred years, I have sat here, welcoming visitors from all around the world. They come to say hello, take pictures, and remember the story that inspired me. I am a symbol of my beautiful city, but I am also a reminder that stories are powerful. They can become real art that connects people from different places and different times. When you see me looking out at the sea, I hope you think about your own dreams and remember that a little bit of wonder can make the world a more magical place.