The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen (excerpt) The little mermaid now perceived that the crew was in danger; even she was obliged to be careful, to avoid the beams and planks of the wreck which lay scattered on the water. At one moment it was pitch dark so that she could not see a single object, but when a flash of lightning came it revealed the whole scene; she could see everyone who had been on board except the prince. When the ship parted, she had seen him sink into the deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would now be with her. Then she remembered that human beings could not live in the water, so that when he got down to her father's palace he would certainly be quite dead. No, he must not die! So she swam about among the beams and planks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting that they could crush her to pieces. Diving deep under the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, she at length managed to reach the young prince, who was fast losing the power to swim in that stormy sea. His limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his assistance. She held his head above the water and let the waves carry them where they would. 7 Select the correct answer. Based on the passage, what conflict does the little mermaid face? A. The little mermaid is in the middle of a shipwreck and needs to save her own life. B. The little mermaid wants to save the life of the drowning human prince in the ocean. C. The little mermaid is worried that the prince will reach her father’s palace before her. D. The little mermaid is in a hurry to get to her father’s palace and escape the shipwreck. Reset Next