February Discussion Thread

[BlueTrillium]

*anxiously awaits tonight's fairytale story* xD

I hope people realize, this is going to be a far, far cry from Disney's version. Do not expect a happy ending!

['Possum]

*anxiously awaits tonight's fairytale story* xD

I hope people realize, this is going to be a far, far cry from Disney's version. Do not expect a happy ending!

I know! I keep checking back here watching for the story!

Somebody needs to make an archive page somewhere with each pet or set of pets and their respective story all together in one place.

[Pluma]

The Little Mermaid



Once upon a time, far out in the ocean, as deep as it could go, lived the Sea King and his subjects. He had been widowed for many years and his mother was the one looking after the castle, as she was a very wise woman. She wore 12 shells on her tail, to show her high rank, while others, also of high rank, only were allowed to wear six. The king had six beautiful daughters, but the youngest of them was the prettiest of all, with her clear and beautiful skin, long flowing hair and deep blue eyes.

The daughters would play all day outside and had their own little plots in the garden, where they could dig and arrange flowers as they pleased. The youngest was a very thoughtful and quiet child and cared for nothing else, but the beautiful flowers in her garden and a white marble statue. It was the representation of a handsome boy and had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a wreck.

Nothing gave the little mermaid as much pleasure as hearing about the world above, which their grandmother would often tell them about. She was told everything the grandmother knew about the ships, towns, animals and the beautiful gardens, with trees and birds. Her grandmother had to call the birds ‘fishes’ or the little mermaid would not have understood, as she had never seen a bird before.

It was tradition that on the fifteenth birthday, the girls were allowed to swim up to the ocean surface and sit on the rocks in the moonlight, watching the world above, with their ships and forests. The first sister went there the following year, but as there was one year between each sister, the Little Mermaid had to wait for five years, before she could go. No one longed more to see the world above as much as her.

The sisters promised to tell each other what they saw during their trips, up above the ocean surface.
One after another, they went up and saw the most amazing things. One had seen a beautiful town, all lit up like stars. One saw the sunset, with the red and purple colors in the sky. One actually saw children play by a river, but she was frightened, when their dog came and barked at her. The fourth was more timid and had stayed out in the middle of the ocean and watched the ships go by. The fifth sister went up during winter and watched the icebergs and lightning in the sky. Each sister had found their trips to the surface amazing, but now that they were grown up and allowed to go as they pleased, they quickly became bored of it and found the ocean to be much more beautiful than anything above the sea. The youngest sister could just watch them come and go and if mermaids had any tears, she would have cried.

Finally the little mermaid turned fifteen and it was her turn to go. Her grandmother gave her a wreath of white lilies in her hair and had eight oysters attach themselves to her tail, even though the Little Mermaid said they were hurting her, to which her grandmother would just reply “Pride must suffer pain.” She would much rather just drop the wreath and go right ahead, but she waited patiently. She bid her grandmother farewell and rose as lightly as bubbles up to the ocean surface.

The sun had just set and the first thing she saw was a ship, filled with light, laughter and music. As she came closer and allowed the waves to sometimes lift her up, she could see through the round windows, all the people dressed in fine clothes, but the one that stood out was a young man. It was the prince and it was his sixteenth birthday they were celebrating. He came out on the deck and a bunch of rockets were fired and filled the sky with fireworks, which the little mermaid adored to watch, like stars falling down all around her.

It was getting late, but she could not take her eyes off the ship or the handsome prince. Though heavy clouds soon gathered and the ocean started to stir. Soon a storm hit them and it didn’t took long before the wind and the wild waves took down the ship and split it in half. The little mermaid understood they all were in danger. From the flash of lighting, she could see the prince no longer was on the ship and he must have fallen into the ocean. At first she was glad, as he could now be with her, until she remembered that humans cannot live underwater and he would die, before he would reach her father’s kingdom. She put her own life at risk and swam in between the planks and beams, as she was determined not to let him die. She soon enough found him, all lifeless and exhausted from trying to fight the waves. Had it not been for the little mermaid, he would have died and she lifted him back up to the surface and helped holding his head above the water.

Morning came and the entire ship was long gone. The little mermaid had allowed the waves to take her and the prince, until they had reached shore. The prince’s eyes were still closed and the little mermaid kissed his forehead and wished for him to live. The bells of a building nearby started to ring and some girls came out and towards the shore. The little mermaid swam out into the ocean and hid herself among the rocks nearby. A girl found the prince and soon returned with more people. The little mermaid was happy to see the prince was alive and smiled, but she was also sad, as he sent her no smile and he did not know it had been her who saved him. So she could return back to the ocean, full of sorrow.

She was always so quiet and thoughtful, but now even more than before. Her sisters asked her about the trip, but she told them nothing. Every day, she returned to the same spot, where she had left the prince, but he never came back and this made her more sorrowful for each passing day. The little mermaid did no longer care for her flowers and could do nothing but embrace her marble statue, which looked like her beloved prince. In the end it became too much for her and she told her sisters about her secret. Luckily another mermaid, a friend of her sister, had seen the crest of the prince’s ship before and knew where he lived.

The sisters took their youngest sister with them up to the surface and found the spot where the prince’s castle was. Now that she knew where the prince lived, she could go each day and watch him from the ocean. Even daring to venture closer to shore than any of the others, just to watch the prince. She often heard fishermen speak so well about all the good deeds the prince did and the little mermaid was so happy that she had saved his life. She remembered how his head had rested on her lap and the kiss she put on his forehead, but he knew nothing of her and couldn’t even dream about her. As more time passed, the little mermaid longed to be part of that world and be a human herself. Able to see their entire world and get answers to all the many questions her sisters couldn’t give her.

She asked for answers from her grandmother and was very curious. She asked her grandmother, if humans are not drowned, could they live forever and would they never die as the people of the sea would. The grandmother told her the humans would die too and their lifespan was so much shorter than the 300 years the people of the sea were given, but the difference was that, when the people of the sea died, they would just become foam on the ocean surface and fade away. The humans had souls, which would live forever, even after their death. The little mermaid did not understand why they did not have immortal souls, like humans, as she would gladly give up a hundred of her years, just to have one day as human and walk among them in their world. The grandmother protested and said everything they had was much better than anything the humans ever would have. The little mermaid could not live with this thought and asked if there really was no way for her to obtain an immortal soul, but her grandmother said there was only one way for that to happen. She would have to find a man, who would love her more than his own parents and that he would focus all his love and life on her and swear this in front of a priest, to be her forever true, then a part of his soul would glide into her body and she too would obtain a share of the happiness mankind receive after death. Though the grandmother said this would never happen, as she was a mermaid. Her tail was considered so beautiful among their own, but the men on land found their fish tails to be ugly and disgusting and the thought one needed two stout props, which they called legs, to be beautiful. The mermaid sighed and looked with sorrow at her fish tail.

The same evening, they were having a ball in the Sea King’s court. The mermen and mermaids danced to their own singing, as no one had as beautiful singing voices as them, but the voice of the little mermaid was the sweetest one of all. Though she could not be happy, as she couldn’t stop to think about the world above and about the prince and the fact she could never have an immortal soul. She slipped out of the castle and went to sit in her little garden, looking at her marble statue. She could see a ship passing above her and she thought it had to be the prince. She wished so desperately to be with him and put all her love and happiness into his hands and have an immortal soul, to live with him forever. She saw no other way than seeking out the sea witch, who she was so afraid of, but knew, was her last hope.

The little mermaid swam far far away, to the place where she knew the sea witch lived. The further she got away from her father’s kingdom, the darker and grim did the surroundings become and she was so frightened, almost turning back, but she remembered the prince and gathered the courage to venture on. She came to a spot, with a marshly ground in the woods and here she found a house, made of the human bones of the shipwrecked. There sat the sea witch, with toads and ugly fat sea snakes around her, as if they were her pets.

“I know what you want” said the sea witch, as she spotted the little mermaid. She thought the little mermaid very stupid and said how much sorrow it would give her, but she would allow the little mermaid to have her way. She knew the little mermaid wish to change her fish tail for human legs, so she could walk among the humans and be with the prince and obtain an immortal soul. She then laughed loud and disgustingly, that even her pets got scared. She would prepare a draught for the little mermaid, which she had to swim to the shore with, before sunrise and drink it. Her tail would then change to legs and it would feel as if a sword was pierced right through her, but all the people would say she was the most beautiful maiden they had ever seen. She would have her same floating gracefulness on the dance floor, but for each step she took, it would feel like she was treading upon sharp knives and the blood must flow. If she was ready to endure all that, then the Sea Witch would help her.

The mermaid was trembling, but the wish for the prince and immortal soul made her agree. The Sea Witch warned her though. Once she was human, she could never become mermaid again. She would never be able to return to her family and if she could not make the prince love her, with all of his heart and he instead would marry another girl, then on the first morning after the marriage, her heart will break and her body would become foam on the waves. Still the mermaid agreed, even though she was so scared. The Sea Witch insisted on being paid for her work though and she asked for the little mermaid’s voice, as it was so lovely and she surely would use it to try charm the prince too. Only the best she had would be good enough for the witch’s draught. The little mermaid was skeptical, ‘cause what would she have left, if the witch took her voice? The witch replied that she still would have her beautiful form, her graceful walk and expressive eye, which should be plenty to win the heart of a man. She prepared the draught and when she was finished, she ordered the little mermaid to stick out her tongue, so she could cut it off and take her voice, which the mermaid accepted. She would now never again speak or sing and she left with the draught in her hands.

She passed by her father’s castle and saw they had all gone to bed. She did not dare to venture inside, afraid her sisters would try stopping her and it would break her heart to see them again. She went into their garden, took a flower from each sister’s garden plot, and kissed her hand a thousand times towards the castle and then rose up to the ocean surface. She approached the marble stairs by the shore to the prince’s castle and sat there and drank the draught. It felt like she was pierced by a two edge sword and she fell into a swoon and lay, as if dead, on the marble steps.

When she woke up the morning after, she saw the prince stood right in front of her and she realized the potion had worked, when she saw her fish tail had changed into two lovely legs. She was naked though and wrapped herself in her long thick hair. The prince asked her who she was and from where she came, but she could not answer him and looked at him with sorrowful eyes. The Sea Witch had spoken the truth, as each step she took was like walking on sharp knives or broken glass, but her movements were so graceful, walking next to the prince. She soon wore beautiful silk dresses and was considered the prettiest being in the whole castle, but could still not speak or sing.

Beautiful servants sang for the prince and his parents and the prince was delighted, clapping his hands and smiled. This made the little mermaid sad, as she knew how much sweeter she could sing and if only he knew she had given up her voice for him. Then the servants danced and the little mermaid soon joined them, dancing for the prince, more graceful than it had ever been seen in their court before. It pleased the prince and he called her his little foundling, but as graceful as she was, each step was extreme pain to her, as if she ran on broken glass. The prince declared she should be with him always and gave her a room right next to his chambers. He had a page’s dress made for her, so she could go horseback riding with him through the forest. She would climb mountains with him, until her feet would bleed and leave footsteps behind, but she ignored it as she was so happy with the prince.

At night, she would go down the marble stairs and rest her bleeding feet in the sea water, as it would ease the pain. One night her sisters rose to the surface near the castle and would sing so sadly. She called to her sisters and they soon recognized her and they told her how badly she had grieved them. Since then, they came every night and one night, even her dear grandmother and her father, the Sea King, had come up to the surface, reaching their hands out to her, as they did not dare to venture as close to shore as her sisters.

For each passing day, the little mermaid loved the prince more and more and he too loved her, but in the way a brother loved his sister and the thought of making her his wife never passed his mind. Her eyes spoke out and seemed to ask if he did not love her best of all, when he held her in his arms and kissed her forehead. The prince told her she was dear to him, as she had the best heart and was the most devoted to him. She was like the young maiden, who had found him at the shore and saved his life. He had only seen her twice and she was the only one he could ever love, but the little mermaid was like her and she had almost driven her image out of his mind. She belonged to the holy temple and the good fortune had sent the little mermaid to him, instead of the young maiden. The little mermaid sighed, as she knew the true story and was sad that he did not know the truth. She had seen the young maiden he loved so much more than her and if only she had been able to shed tears, she would have cried. Her only luck was that the young maiden belonged to the holy temple and the prince would never see her again. The little mermaid would stay by his side and devote all of her life and love to him, every single day, for the rest of her life.

It was soon decided the prince had to marry the beautiful daughter of the king from the neighboring kingdom. The prince gave out to merely wanting to pay the king a visit, but it was generally supposed that he really would go see the princess. A big party would go with him and so would the little mermaid. The prince told her that his parents could not force him to bring the princess with him home as his bride and that he could never love her, as she was not the beautiful maiden from the temple, who the little mermaid resembled. If he had to choose a bride, he would much rather has her, his silent foundling with the expressive eyes. He kissed her lips and played with her long wavy hair, while she dreamed of human happiness and an immortal soul. Her sisters swam by the side of the ship that night and they gazed at her mournfully and wringed their hands. She beckoned to them, smiling and wanted so badly to tell them of her happiness, but with no voice, she could not.

They arrived at the neighboring kingdom and a party was held for several days, but the princess was not there. It was said she was being brought home, as she had been brought up in a religious house and she was just being brought home to meet the prince. The little mermaid was very anxious to see the princess, as it was said she was so beautiful. The princess finally arrived and the little mermaid had to acknowledge her beauty. Her skin was delicate and fair and her eyes a beautiful deep blue.

“It was you.” The prince exclaimed. He recognized her as the fair maiden, who had saved his life by the shore and he immediately took his bride to be into his arms. He turned to the little mermaid and told her how happy he was, as his fondest hopes and dreams had been fulfilled and that she would rejoice at his happiness, as she was the one most devoted to him.

The little mermaid kissed his hand and felt like her heart had already been broken into a thousand pieces. His wedding morning would only bring death to her and she would become foam on the sea. Their betrothal was immediately proclaimed and both of their kingdoms felt great happiness for the new couple. Their wedding came soon after and the prince and princess kissed each other, as the priest held his hand above them and declared them husband and wife, for all of the world to see. The little mermaid was dressed in a beautiful golden silk dress, but she heard nothing of the festive music nor did she watch the holy wedding ceremony, as all of her thoughts were about the coming night, bringing death to her and how she had lost everything she had in the entire world.

The prince were to take his bride with him home and right after the wedding, their ship set sails back to his kingdom and the newlyweds would spend their wedding night on the ship. As darkness came, the little mermaid gazed out over the sea and couldn’t help but remembering the first time she had seen the world above. The night she had seen the prince for the first time and fallen so deeply in love with him. She danced for the prince and his wife, with everyone cheering her on and admired her elegant and graceful moves. She danced and danced, unable to feel the pain in her feet, as a much greater pain had pierced her heart. She knew this would be the last night she would be with the prince, for whom she had given up her beautiful voice, for whom she had forsaken her family and home, for whom she had set her life in danger to save him and for whom she had suffered unheard-of pain every single day since she came into his world and while he knew nothing about any of it. This was the last evening she would breathe the same air as him, or gaze as the starry sky and the ocean, an eternal night, without a thought or a dream awaiting her. She could not shed any tears, she had no soul and now she could never win one. She danced and laughed with them all, while the thought of death was in her heart. The prince kissed his beautiful wife and went to bed with her and the ship soon became silent.

The little mermaid leaned her arms on the edge of the vessel, peering towards the east, waiting for the first rays of sunlight that would bring death to her. Then her sisters appeared in front of her, in the sea, but she saw they were all pale and their long beautiful hair was gone. They told her they had given their hair to the Sea Witch, so she would give them a way to save their sister, so she wouldn’t have to die with the sunrise. The Sea Witch had given them a knife, which the little mermaid had to use and pierce it through the prince’s heart. When his warm blood would fall on her feet, they would grow together and her tail would be returned to her, so she again would be mermaid and she could again join her family in the deep ocean and live out her 300 hundred years. They urged her to hurry, as sunrise was coming and along with it, either she or the prince shall die. Their grandmother mourned so much for her that her beautiful white hair had fallen off from pure sorrow. They all kept saying she had to kill the prince. There was no other way. The sun was on the way and in a few minutes, she would die. They sighed and sank back into the ocean, waiting for their sister to join them.

With knife in hand, the little mermaid entered the small chamber of the prince and princess. She bent down and kissed his forehead, then looked out the window and saw how the sky started to get painted red, from the rising sun, and then back at the knife in her and at the prince, who murmured the name of his wife in his sleep. The knife trembled so much in her hands, but then she ventured back out and flung the knife far out into the ocean. The water turned red in the spot where it had landed and painted the water in the spot red like blood. She cast one last longing glance at her beloved prince and then she threw herself off the ship into the sea and thought now death had come and she would become foam. Her sisters came to her aid, but when they tried to grab onto her and pull her to safety, she would just dissolved into foam in their hands.

The sun rose above the ocean and the sunrays fell on the foam of the little mermaid, who did not felt like she was dying. She saw the bright sun and all around her floated hundreds of beautiful and transparent beings. Their speech was so melodious and they were invisible to the mortal eye. The little mermaid saw she had a body like theirs and she kept rising from the ocean and into the skies.

“Where am I?” she asked and the beautiful beings told her she was among the daughters of the air. They explained how a mermaid did not have an immortal soul and nor could she obtain one, without the devoted love of a human being. She was now a daughter of the air, like them. They had no immortal soul, but by their good deeds, they could earn one for themselves. They cool the sultry air that destroys mankind with pestilence. They carry the perfume of flowers to spread health and restoration. After they have done this for 300 years, they will receive an immortal soul and take part in happiness of mankind. They said they had watch her and seen how the poor little mermaid was just like them. She had suffered and endured so much pain and hardship and even when she had the chance to save her life, she refused to take an innocent life. She had raised herself to the spirit-world by her good deeds and now, by striving for 300 years in the same way, she would obtain her immortal soul.

The little mermaid raised her head and her glorified eyes towards the sun and for the first time in her life, she could feel tears rolling down her cheeks. She saw the prince and princess on the ship beneath her. They were searching for her and gazed out at the foam on the sea, with great sorrow, as if they somehow knew she had thrown herself into the ocean. Unseen she kissed the princess on the forehead and wished her everything good. Then she kissed her prince and bid him farewell and a happy life with his bride, before she rose higher up with her sisters of the air.

They told her she would have her immortal soul in 300 years and would float into the kingdom of heaven. One whispered they maybe would even get there sooner. They could pass unseen through the homes of man and for each day they passed through a house, with a good child, who was the joy of its parents, their 300 years are shortened. The child wouldn’t know when they flew through the room and they would smile and could shorten their 300 years with 1 year. Though if they pass through the house of a wicked or naughty child, they would shed tears of sorrow and for each tear, one day would be added to their 300 years.

[Lincoln]

Why did I have to miss the mermaid... My favorite outcome

[dancergirlcb]

Why did they do the fairy-tale dog's rarity when they aren't done being adopted yet? Are their rarities going to change once they are all full-grown?

The rarities only came out for the full-grown ones, it's because rarities are at least somewhat automated, so it gave rarities to all the grown ones. It happens sometimes when there are ungrown pets during a rarity update. The ones that grow after the rarity update will get rarities in the next update.

I mean that there are still ones of the outcomes that were given rarities that are still growing. Like if you adopted the fairy-tale dogs today.

[goldEagle_04]

Mwa ha ha I got the bubble pup

same here

[☆Darlene☆]

woah!

I am IN LOVE with this outcome!!! I am so so sad I missed it...I missed the umbrella pup, the spotted pps deer and this one...but to miss this one...aaahhh! This is SO not my month!! :-/

[pinkpinkpink]

The lineart.
It's blue.
I already love this outcome so much.

[Pluma]

I hope you all have enjoyed this fairytale litter. I must say it was a great joy to make the pets and even more to tell your their stories every night. I'm very happy for the positive feedback they got ;v;

If I have the time, I might try make another fairytale litter for "Tell a Fairytale Day" next year. If it's in people's interest? There are still so many beautiful stories out there to share.

If you enjoy fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen as much as I do, I can highly encourage you to check out the cartoon series "The Fairytaler", which is specifically made for his stories. You can find all of the stories from the litter in that series... Except of "The Story of a Mother" out of obvious reasons xD

[ThunderCedar]

I hope you all have enjoyed this fairytale litter. I must say it was a great joy to make the pets and even more to tell your their stories every night. I'm very happy for the positive feedback they got ;v;

If I have the time, I might try make another fairytale litter for "Tell a Fairytale Day" next year. If it's in people's interest? There are still so many beautiful stories out there to share.

If you enjoy fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen as much as I do, I can highly encourage you to check out the cartoon series "The Fairytaler", which is specifically made for his stories. You can find all of the stories from the litter in that series... Except of "The Story of a Mother" out of obvious reasons xD

I'm in for another fairy tale litter!