A fisherman falls in love with a mermaid, but she will only marry him if he gives up his soul. He does so, seeing no reason why her soul is precious. Before leaving, the soul begs the fisherman to give him his heart, but the fisherman refuses. The soul becomes evil and goes to tempt the fisherman to leave the mermaid once a year. He eventually succeeds, and when the fisherman realises what he has done, the mermaid dies of sorrow, and he lets himself be swept away by the waters. Just to show that love prevails over wisdom, riches and the feet of the daughter of men. A tale that could be in the Arabian Nights.
“Her hair was as a wet fleece of gold, and each separate hair as a thread of line gold in a cup of glass. Her body was as white ivory, and her tail was of silver and pearl. Silver and pearl was her tail, and the green weeds of the sea coiled round it; and like sea-shells were her ears, and her lips were like sea-coral. The cold waves dashed over her cold breasts, and the salt glistened upon her eyelids.”