The Little Mermaid lives in an underwater kingdom with her father, the sea king; her grandmother and her five elder sisters. When a mermaid turns 15, she is allowed to swim to the surface to watch the world above, and as the sisters become old enough, one of them visits the surface every year. When the Little Mermaid's turn comes, she ventures to the surface, sees a ship with a handsome prince, and falls in love with him from a distance¿