Once upon a time, in a small village by the sea, there lived a poor fisherman named Hans. Hans had a small boat and would go out every day to catch fish. However, no matter how hard he worked, he could never seem to catch enough to provide for his family.
One day, while out fishing, Hans noticed a strange creature swimming in the water. It was a mermaid with long flowing hair and a beautiful singing voice. Hans was amazed by the mermaid’s beauty and listened intently as she sang a haunting melody.
As the mermaid continued to sing, Hans became entranced by her voice and forgot all about his fishing. Suddenly, the mermaid stopped singing and looked at Hans with a sad expression. “Why do you stare at me so, Hans?” she asked.
Hans was taken aback by the mermaid’s question and stammered, “I-I was just admiring your beauty and your voice.”
The mermaid sighed and said, “I have a problem, Hans. My sister and I are in great need, and we require your assistance. Will you help us?”
Hans was surprised by the mermaid’s request but replied, “Of course, I will help you in any way I can. What can I do?”
The mermaid explained that her sister and she had been banished from their underwater kingdom by their father, the Sea King. The Sea King was angry with the mermaids because they had disobeyed him and had gone to the surface to play with the humans.
The mermaids were now stranded on the shore, and they needed Hans to help them get back to their underwater kingdom. In return for his help, the mermaids promised to reward Hans with a great treasure.
Hans agreed to help the mermaids and set off with them in his boat. The mermaids sang a magical song, and suddenly, the sea began to churn and foam. Hans was terrified but held on tight to the boat as it was lifted high into the air.
The boat finally came crashing down into the sea, and Hans found himself in a magnificent underwater kingdom. The mermaids led Hans to a great hall where the Sea King was seated on a throne.
The Sea King was angry at first when he saw Hans but was eventually persuaded to hear the mermaid’s plea. The mermaids begged the Sea King to allow them to return home and promised never to disobey him again.
The Sea King was moved by the mermaid’s plea and agreed to let them return home. However, he demanded a price for their safe return. “You must bring me a sack of gold,” he said. “Only then will I allow you to return to your home.”
The mermaids were distraught, as they had no way of getting a sack of gold. Hans, however, had an idea. He suggested that they go to a nearby mountain where a giant lived, who was known to have a great treasure.
The mermaids were hesitant at first, but Hans assured them that he could take on the giant with his cunning wit. The mermaids agreed, and they set off on their journey.
When they arrived at the mountain, Hans went to see the giant. The giant was enormous, with skin as hard as stone, but Hans was not afraid. He told the giant that he had come to ask for a sack of gold.
The giant was amused by Hans’s request and laughed. “I will give you a sack of gold,” he said, “but only if you can answer my riddle. If you answer it correctly, I will give you the gold. If you cannot answer it, I will eat you!”
Hans agreed to the challenge, and the giant asked him the riddle, “Why is the sea salt?”
Just as the giant was about to grab Hans, the mermaids appeared and started to sing. The giant was enchanted by their beautiful voices and forgot all about Hans. The mermaids sang and danced, and the giant was so taken by their performance that he forgot all about the sack of gold.
Hans saw his chance and quickly grabbed the sack of gold and ran away as fast as he could. The mermaids and he made their way back to the underwater kingdom and presented the sack of gold to the Sea King.
The Sea King was pleased with the sack of gold and allowed the mermaids to return to their home. As a reward for his help, the mermaids gave Hans a small bag of salt and told him to sprinkle it on the sea whenever he needed a good catch.
Hans did as he was told, and from that day on, he always had a bountiful catch of fish. His family was no longer poor, and they lived a happy life. Hans would often visit the sea and sprinkle the salt in gratitude for the mermaids’ help.
As for the riddle of why the sea is salt, Hans never did find out the answer. But he knew that it did not matter, as he had the mermaids’ gratitude and friendship, which was worth more than any treasure.
And so, the sea remains salt to this day, a reminder of the mermaids and Hans’s adventure. The legend of Hans and the mermaids lives on, and many fishermen still sprinkle salt on the sea in the hope of a good catch.