Whose fairy tale is The Little Mermaid?

The Little Mermaid was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1837. It tells of a young mermaid who gives up her voice to gain human legs so she can be near a prince she loves. In Andersen’s original, every step she takes feels like walking on knives, and when the prince marries someone else she dissolves into sea foam, though she is given a chance to earn an immortal soul. Disney’s 1989 animated film changed the story to a happy ending and helped launch a new golden age of Disney animation. A bronze statue of the Little Mermaid, unveiled in 1913, sits on a rock in Copenhagen harbour.