Ariel tried to write Prince Eric a letter in an early two-page treatment for The Little Mermaid, co-director Ron Clements told PEOPLE. Ursula kept Eric from ever seeing it.
The idea was part of the short pitch Clements presented to Disney executives Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner before the 1989 animated film took shape. It was not a completed deleted scene or part of the released movie.
Asked how Ariel could write after giving up her voice, Clements suggested the character may have used “mermaid writing.” He presented that as his reading of the idea, not a rule established by the film.
Clements’ memoir, Making Disney Magic . . . from a Mermaid to Moana, was released October 13 by Disney Editions.
Read PEOPLE’s interview with Ron Clements.