以下是一個簡單的英文版短篇童話故事：
《The Little Mermaid》
Once upon a time, there was a little mermaid who loved to swim in the sea and explore the wonders of the deep. She had a beautiful tail with scales that shimmered in the sunlight, and her soul was filled with dreams of what lay above the waves.
One day, she saw a beautiful ship sailing by and longed to be a part of it. She swam up to the ship and begged the captain to let her join his crew. He saw her beauty and kindness and agreed to her request.
Days turned into weeks, and the little mermaid grew fond of her new life. She even fell in love with a handsome seaman who was kind to her. But she knew that she was not human and would have to return to the sea at the end of every day.
One day, while swimming back to the ship, she saw a human above the waves for the first time. She was filled with longing and wished she could be like him. So she decided to ask her father, the sea king, for human form. He was reluctant at first, but he eventually relented and gave her a human body, but warned her that if she drowned or lost her human form, she would turn back into a mermaid forever.
The little mermaid gave up everything for her love and soon realized that humans were not as kind as she had hoped. She suffered from pain and loneliness, but she never regretted her decision. She knew that she had given up everything for love, and that was what mattered most to her.
In the end, the little mermaid sacrificed herself for her love and died a beautiful death. She left behind a beautiful story that teaches us about love, sacrifice, and the beauty of giving up everything for what we believe in.