Ariel's Critical Thinking
"My poor, sweet child," Urula cooed, "that's what I do! I help poor unfortunate souls just like yourself! Merfolk who have no chance to realize their dreams!"
Ariel looked at the witch's disturbing smile. Those crooked yellow teeth in direct contrast to her bright red lipstick. Her eyeshadow was way overdone making her appear even more menacing. This sea witch did nothing to raise Ariel's confidence about her. In fact, Ariel was leery, but was still interested in what this creature had to say. It was those eels that said Ursula could grant her the ability to walk the surface and meet that handsome human. If she could only walk on land, she would understand.
"So you can help me then?" Ariel asked. "You can give me legs and make me breathe air so I can find and marry Prince Eric?"
"But of course! Here's the deal: I'll transform you into a human for just three days. Got it? Three days. By the time the sun sets on the third day you'll have to have kissed that human you so love. But not just any kiss. The Kiss of True Love!" Ursula cackled at that which turned into a kind of choking. She cleared her throat. "Sorry about that - anyway, do you understand what's required at this point?"
"So all I have to do is get him to kiss me? And it has to be the kiss of true love?"
"That's right, dear!"
Ariel was slightly confused. There was so much to think about already. Getting someone to kiss her was one thing. But this Kiss of True Love was completely different. "How do I know it will be the Kiss Of True Love?"
"Oh, that's something you'll just know!" Ursula bit her lip. "You'll ... you'll feel a surge of happiness well up inside of you! That's how you'll know!"
"So the same feeling I get when I find human treasures!"
"Exactly – wait – no! You'll feel excited... aroused and... completely whole!" Usula seemed to be struggling for words.
"Have you ever experienced true love?"
Ursula scowled. "Have I ever experienced true love?" she mocked. "Of course I have!" Ursula snapped. She seemed unwilling to open up any further.
"OK, so let's say I do have him kiss me. Does it still count if I kiss him?" Ariel folded her arms, and looked at the sea witch with interest.
"He has to kiss you. It won't count if you intiate it. If he does you'll remain a human permanently!"
"So all I have to do is sweet talk him, tell him how handsome and beautiful those blue eyes of his are and then -"
"Oh! I forgot the most important part! You can't get something for nothing you know," Ursula said as she held her chin pensively in her hand. "What I want from you is... your voice."
"What?" Ariel was furious. "You want my voice? On top of me agreeing to this hideously ridiculous deal?"
"Well, yes this sort of transaction requires -"
"I'm sorry, but tell me how this is fair for me."
Ursula was silent for a moment. "You get to be human for three days."
"Got it."
"You will have a chance to stay human forever."
"Yep."
"But if you fail and he doesn't kiss you, then you belong to me! Forever!"
"Oh, you must have skipped that part. I don't recall belonging to you if I don't get him to kiss me!"
"And you won't have your voice the whole time!"
"Yeah... this sounds absurd ..."
"But you'll still have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't underestimate the importance of -"
"Body language?"
"How did you know I would say that?"
"Lucky guess."
"So, do we have a deal?" Ursula conjured up a glowing golden contract about three feet in length, paragraphs and sections seemed to riddle the entirety of the thing. Near the bottom was the place Ariel would sign her name.
"Oh my that's a fairly detailed contract you have there," Ariel remarked as she took the scroll into her hands. "Let's see... kiss of true love... as defined by a lightness in one experiences in their heart, a feeling of wholeness and strength from being with another person... got that... three days... a day is defined as the complete cycle of the sun from morning to evening... alright... and the signing party must go about the contract without use of their voice..." Ariel pondered these and the other conditions not mentioned by Ursula previously. Ariel muttered some of the next lines,"...and if the signing party does not receive True Love's Kiss from the target of their affection, said party must relinquish their free will unto Ursula, also known as the sea witch, to do as she wishes for all eternity..."
A quil appeared before Ariel. "Do we have a deal?" Ursula asked rather impatiently. "I'm a very busy women; I haven't got all day..."
Ariel very much doubted that.
Ursula tried to be friendly. "Oh just sign the scroll already!" She smirked. "You won't be giving up that much!"
"I'm going to have to think about this. I don't even know this Eric person that well. I'm not so sure I can even get him to kiss me. I have no idea where he lives... what he does for fun... What language do they speak anyway? At least if I had my voice I would be able to talk to him... maybe learn their language... but in three days?" Ariel appeared distraught. "This whole thing seems like you have the advantage here. There are two things I'm worried about: giving up my voice and then failing and belonging to you!"
Ariel began to swim away when one of Ursula's tentacles reached for her and turned her around. "You do that, child, and the deal is off, you hear? I need an answer right now. You turn away and you'll miss your only chance to see your precious Eric."
"But if I don't take the time to read the contract..."
"Read the contract! Read every section, every footnote and every word. But as soon as you leave here the deal is off the table. Good luck finding another sea witch as capable and generous as myself."
Ariel stopped for a moment. Maybe she should just sign the scroll. It pained her to not see Eric; thoughts about him always came back to her, especially if she laid eyes upon any silverware that may have fallen into the ocean. She had to see him, but she also had to be sure of what she was getting into. She took the scroll to a corner of the lair and began to read thoroughly the terms and conditions in the contract.