Buku di atas memaparkan sebanyak 137 buah cerita setebal 948 halaman. First published in Great Britain in 1889 by George Routeledge & Sons under the title Stories for the Household. Sebahagian catatan di belakang buku tersebut adalah seperti berikut: all the classic fairy tales appear in this book, as well as over 100 other stories, accounts of Andersen's travels and his short autobiography 'The Story of My Life' - 137 stories in total. More than 200 original engravings capture the special enchantment of the tales.
Antara senarai cerita yang sangat saya minati sejak dari kecil ialah:
i. The Story of a Mother
ii. The Little Match Girl
iii. The Little Sea Maid
iv. TheWild Swans
TheLittle Sea Maid (Little Mermaid)
Dalam versi bahasa Melayu yang pernah saya baca cerita ini bertajuk Puteri Bongsu. Peminat fairy tales sedia mengetahui kisah yang berkisar tentang 7 puteri duyung yang tinggal di laut dalam dan perjuangan puteri duyung yang bongsu untuk menjadi seorang manusia dengan mempertaruhkan suaranya (lidahnya) dipotong oleh tukang sihir bagi merealisasikan impiannya menukar ekor menjadi sepasang kaki. Namun kisah ini berakhir dengan kesedihan.... dan petikan yang sangat menyayat hati saya antaranya ialah:
......when it grew dark, coloured lamps were lighted and the sailors danced merry dance on deck. the little sea maid thought of the first time when she had risen up out of the sea, and beheld a similar scene of splendour and joy; and she joined in the whirling dance, and flitted on as she swallow flits away when he is persued; and all shouted and admired her, for she had danced so prettily. Her delicate feet were cut as if with knives, but she did not feel it, for her heart was wounded far more painfully. She knew this was the last evening on which she should see him for whom she had left, her friends and her home,and had given up her beautiful voice, and had suffered unheard-on pains every day, while he was utterly unconscious off all. It was the last evening she should breathe the same air with him, and behold the starry aky and the deep sea; and everlasting night without thought or dream awited her, for she had no soul, and could win none. And everything was merriment and gladness on the ship tillpast midnight, and she laughed and danced with thoughts of death in her heart....
The Little Mermaid End Of The Story
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