After the third year, the soul came down to the sea and called the young fisherman. He came out of the sea and said, ‘Why do you call me?’

 

The soul answered, ‘Come nearer. I want to speak to you because I saw marvellous things.’

 

So he came nearer, and sat in the water and listened.

 

The soul said to him, ‘I went to an inn near a river in a city. I sat with sailors and they ordered food and drink. After some time an old man entered with a carpet and a lute. He put the carpet on the floor. When he played the lute, a girl came in and began to dance. There was a veil on her face, and she had no shoes. Her feet moved on the carpet like little white pigeons. It was really marvellous and it is only one day away from here.’

 

The young fisherman heard these words. He remembered that the little mermaid had no feet and could not dance. He thought, ‘It is only one day away, and I can return to my love.’ He laughed, stood up in the water and walked towards the beach.

 

When he reached the beach, his soul ran towards him and entered him. Then the young fisherman saw on the sand the shadow of the body, the body of the soul.

 

They began their journey, and the next evening they came to a city.

 

The young fisherman said to his soul, ‘Does she dance in this city?’

 

His soul answered him, ‘Not in this city, but another. Let’s enter this city anyway.’

 

So they entered and walked in the streets. The young fisherman saw a silver cup on a stall in the Street of the Jewellers. His soul said to him, ‘Take that silver cup and hide it.’

 

So he took the silver cup and hid it, and they went quickly out of the city.

 

When they were far from the city, the young fisherman threw the cup away. He said to his soul,

 

‘It was not a good thing to take the cup and hide it!’

 

But his soul answered him, ‘Calm down, calm down.’

 

On the evening of the second day they came to a city. The young fisherman said to his soul, ‘Does she dance in this city?’

 

His soul answered him, ‘Not in this city, but in another. Let’s enter this city anyway.’

 

So they entered and walked in the streets. In the Street of the Sellers of Sandals, the young fisherman saw a child. His soul said to him, ‘Hit that child!’ So he hit the child, and the child cried, and then they went quickly out of the city.

 

When they were far from the city, the young fisherman became angry and said to his soul, ‘It was not a good thing to hit the child!’

 

But his soul answered him, ‘Calm down, calm down.’

 

On the evening of the third day they came to a city. The young fisherman said to his soul, ‘Does she dance in this city?’

 

His soul answered him, ‘Perhaps this is the city. Let’s enter.’ They walked in the streets, but the young fisherman could not find the inn near the river. He wanted to leave, but his soul said to him, ‘Let’s stay here tonight. Perhaps there are robbers outside.’

 

So the fisherman sat down in the marketplace. After some time a merchant came and said to him, ‘Why are you here? The market is closed.’

 

The young fisherman answered him, ‘I can’t find an inn in this city. I have no family here and I need a room for the night.’

 

‘We are all of the same family,’ said the merchant, ‘and one God made us. Come with me. I have a room.’

 

The young fisherman followed the merchant to his house. The merchant gave him good food and a comfortable room. The young fisherman then went to sleep. After three hours his soul woke him and said, ‘Go to the room of the merchant and kill him, and take his gold.’

 

The young fisherman went into the merchant’s room. There was a sword near his feet, and nine purses of gold next to the bed. When he touched the sword, the merchant woke up and said, ‘Why do you want to kill me? I gave you good food and a room. I was kind to you!’

 

His soul said to the young fisherman, ‘Hit him!’ So he hit him and the merchant lost consciousness. He then took the nine purses of gold, and went quickly away from the city.

 

When they were far from the city, the young fisherman said to his soul, ‘It was bad to hit the merchant and take his gold!’

 

But his soul answered him, ‘Calm down, calm down.’

 

‘No,’ cried the young fisherman, ‘I cannot be calm. You told me to do bad things and I hate these things. I also hate you. Why did you do these things?’

 

His soul answered him, ‘When you sent me out into the world, you did not give me a heart. So I learned to do all these things and love them.’

 

‘What are you saying?’ murmured the young fisherman.

 

‘You know,’ answered his soul. ‘You did not give me a heart. So stay calm. You will give other people all kinds of pain, and you will receive all kinds of pleasure.’

 

The young fisherman said to his soul, ‘No, you are bad, and I forgot about my love and did many bad things because of you.’

 

His soul answered him, ‘You did not forget that you sent me away without a heart. Let’s go to another city and enjoy life together. We have nine purses of gold.’

 

But the young fisherman took the nine purses of gold, and threw them on the ground.

 

‘No, I will not come with you, and I will send you away again,’ said the young fisherman.

 

He turned his back to the moon. With the little knife he tried to cut his shadow from his feet to eliminate his soul. But his soul did not leave him, and said to him, ‘The magic of the witch will not work. It only works once in a man’s life. I will stay with you forever, and this is your punishment and your recompense.’

 

Now the young fisherman was desperate and cried because his soul was very bad. When it was day the young fisherman said to his soul, ‘I will tie my hands together. Then I cannot do what you tell me to do. 1 will return to the bay because my love sings there. I will call her. I will tell her about the bad things I did and the bad things you did to me.’

 

When he arrived on the beach, he freed his hands and called the mermaid. But she did not come.

 

His soul laughed at him and said, ‘Your love gives you little joy. Come with me to the Valley of Pleasure. That is better for you.’

 

The young fisherman did not answer his soul. He built a house by the bay and lived there for a year. Every morning he called the mermaid, and every midday he called her again, and at night he spoke her name. But she never came to see him, and he did not see her anywhere.

 

His soul always asked him to do bad things. But the young fisherman never listened to him because the power of his love was so great.