"The little mermaid drew aside the purple curtain from the tent...

... and looked at the beautiful bride asleep with her head on the prince's chest. She bent over him and kissed his fair front, looked at the sky where the dawn was spreading fast, looked at the sharp knife, and again fixed her eyes on the prince, who, in his dream called his bride by her name. She alone was in his thoughts! For a moment the knife quivered in her grasp, then she threw it far out among the waves, now rosy in the morning light, and where it fell the water bubbled up like drops of blood."