“我最喜欢做的事就是凝视一座大城市。”她 说，“这座城就在海边，那里灯火辉煌。我听到人们在歌唱，我听到男人们在讲话。 我看到高大的 房屋，听到钟声叮当响。 我真希望到这个城市去。

　　最小的公主希望统统再听一遍。第二天晚上， 她站在开着的窗户边，透过海水朝上望着的时候， 她认为她能够听到钟的响声。

　　第二年，另一个姐姐满十五岁，浮到海面上去 了。她升到水面上的时候，太阳在黄昏的空中刚刚下落。

　　她回来以后，告诉姐妹们说：“这比我看到过 的任何东西都美丽。天空是金黄色的，我无法形容它有多美。”

　　不久，另一个姐姐该到海面上去了。她是六姐 妹中最大胆的一个，她游到一条河里去了。她看到了有树木和房屋的小山，听到了鸟儿歌唱。许多孩 子在水里跳跃。这时，一条小狗来追逐她，她害怕起来，就回到大海。

　　“没有什么比停留在海上更美的事，”她回家 后说，“我看到了水里的船只。这些船太远了，看上去象一些白鸟。”

　"thething which I liked to do the most was to look at a large city, " she said. "The city was near the sea and there were many lights. I heard people singing and men speaking. I saw big houses and I heard bells ringing. And I wanted to go into the city."

　　theyoungest princess wanted to hear about everything again. The next night when she stood by the open window and looked up through the sea, she thought she could hear the bells ringing.

　　thenext year another sister became fifteen and went to the top of the sea. She went there just as the sun was going down in the sky at night.

　　"This was more beautiful than any other thing I ever saw, " she told her sisters when she came back. "The sky was golden, and I cannot tell you how beautiful it was."

　　It was soon time for another sister to go to the top of the sea. She was the bravest of the six, and she went up a river. She saw hills with woods and houses and she heard the birds singing. Many children were jumping in the water. Then a little dog ran after her. She became afraid and went back to the sea.

　　"Nothing can be more beautiful, " she said when she came back home. "I have seen ships on thewater: they were so far away that they looked like white birds."