Sara dived down sorrowfully
into the water, and returned to her father's castle. She had always
been silent and thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever. Her
sisters asked her what she had seen during her first visit to the surface of
the water but she was too sad to share her story. For two whole days,
she wept alone in her room. On the morning of the third day, Sara woke
up having made a decision to go back to see the prince she had rescued, but
she knew that her father would never allow her to return to the human world.
Sara decided that her only hope was to visit the Witch of the Ocean.
The Witch smiled when she saw
the little mermaid approach knowing, in her magical way, what it was the
young girl wanted.
"I warn you girl," said the
old woman turning and holding a small bottle of black liquid out to Sara,
"in exchange for your wish to be human you will have to give up your pretty
voice. Unless your true love makes you his wife, you will never speak
again and you shall eventually die."
