A mermaid's story

Agnete asks Hans for directions.

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Hans: You want to go where?

Agnete: There is a statue in the town. I have heard it is famous.

Hans: There are many statues in the town.

Agnete: But this one is special. It is of a merperson.

Hans: The little mermaid? It is, shall we say, unprepossessing.

Agnete: I know, but its story is tragic. Oh so, tragic. She cuts out her tongue, pain in her legs is like knives when she dances, the prince does not marry her.

Hans: What kind of a man could inflict such pain, even on a fictional merperson? Are you sure you still want to go?

Agnete: But the ending is happy. She doesn’t kill the prince, becomes a spirit who does good deeds and goes to heaven.

Hans: It doesn’t sound a likely ending.

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