Lesson 8: The Little Mermaid

Once upon a time, there lived a little mermaid named Ariel. Ariel loved to swim to the top of the ocean and watch the humans play on the beach. She dreamed of living as a human. She liked to pretend that she had legs, just like the humans did.

Ariel’s father was King Triton, ruler of the sea. He thought humans were dangerous. When he discovered that Ariel watched the humans play on the beach, he was angry. “You must never go to the top of the ocean again!” he ordered her.

But Ariel did not listen to her father. One night, there was a bad storm on the top of the ocean. Ariel watched as a prince fell off a burning ship. “I must save him!” she shouted. Ariel saved the prince by taking him to the beach. She sang to the Prince, and then she swam away. The Prince did not see Ariel’s face, but he fell in love with the mysterious woman’s beautiful voice.

Ariel was in love with the Prince. She thought about him every day. Desperate to see the Prince again, Ariel went to the evil sea witch. The sea witch put a spell on Ariel, and turned her into a human. But if the Prince didn’t kiss Ariel in three days, Ariel would become a mermaid again. Even worse, she would belong to the sea witch forever!

Charmed by her beauty, the Prince showed Ariel his kingdom. Ariel loved being with the Prince in the human world, but after three days, they had not kissed. The Prince did not know that Ariel was the beautiful woman who had saved him. Ariel turned back into a mermaid, and she became the sea witch’s prisoner!

To save his daughter, King Triton gave the sea witch all of his powers. He became the sea witch’s prisoner instead of Ariel. The sea witch was now the ruler of the ocean!

The Prince, realizing that Ariel was the woman whom had saved him, fought the sea witch. He killed her with his sword. With the evil sea witch gone, King Triton got his powers back. Once again, he was the ruler of the sea. As a reward for the Prince’s bravery, the king decided to grant his daughter’s wish. He turned her into a human! The Prince and Ariel kissed. They were married and lived happily ever after.

 

 

 

Vocabulary:

 

Desperate:  Needing or wanting something very much. 必死.
Example sentence: They are desperate for help.

Charm: Something that makes you like someone. 魅力.
Example sentence: She was a woman of great charm.

Belong: To be somebody’s property. 属する.
Example sentence: That bike belongs to me.

Prisoner: Someone who is kept in prison and cannot leave. 囚人.
Example sentence: The prisoners were all very sick.

Reward: Something you give someone for their good work. 褒美.
Example sentence: There is a reward for any information.

Realize: To suddenly understand. 気づく.
Example sentence: They didn’t realize the danger they were in.

Grant: To give. 付与.
Example sentence: He was granted his wish to become a famous musician. 

 

 

 

Grammar:

Instead of + noun
He became the sea witch’s prisoner instead of Ariel.
She ate the ramen instead of the udon.
I will go instead of her.

Just like + noun
She liked to pretend that she had legs, just like the humans did.
He looks just like you.
The weather is beautiful – just like the weather in California.

Must + verb
“I must save him!” she shouted.
I must go to school everyday.
He must finish his homework before going to the party.