The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sea Fairies, by L. Frank Baum This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: The Sea Fairies Author: L. Frank Baum Illustrator: John R. Neill Release Date: April 24, 2015 [EBook #48778] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEA FAIRIES *** Produced by David Edwards, Jane Robins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Books by L. Frank Baum Illustrated by John R. Neill Each book handsomely bound in artistic pictorial cover. $1.25 per volume THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ Mr. Baum is the most inventive writer of fairy tales in all the world to-day. The "Oz" stories teem with favorites new and old, for children miss any old character and immediately demand reinstatement, so, after long experience, Mr. Baum brought along the old and created new ones for each succeeding book, until now "THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ" assembles more characters than possibly any other children's book contains. 16 full-page pictures in four colors and green bronze, 100 black-and-white illustrations. Stunning Jacket in four colors and aluminum and green bronze. THE ROAD TO OZ Tells how to reach the Magic City of Oz over a road leading through lands of many colors, peopled with odd characters, and surcharged with adventure suitable for the minds and imaginations of young children. The manufacture represents an entirely new idea—the paper used is of various colors to indicate the several countries traversed by the road leading to Oz and the Emerald City. Unique and gorgeous Jacket in colors and gold. THE LAND OF OZ An account of the adventures of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Animated Saw- Horse, the Highly Magnified Woggle-Bug, the Gump and many other delightful characters. Nearly 150 black-and-white illustrations and sixteen full-page pictures in colors. OZMA OF OZ The story tells "more about Dorothy," as well as those famous characters, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, and something of several new creations equally delightful, including Tiktok the machine man, the Yellow Hen, the Nome King and the Hungry Tiger. Forty-one full-page colored pictures; twenty-two half pages in color and fifty black-and-white text pictures. DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ In this book Dorothy, with Zeb, a little boy friend, and Jim, the Cab Horse, are swallowed up in an earthquake and reach a strange vegetable land, whence they escape to the land of Oz, and meet all their old friends. Among the new characters are Eureka, Dorothy's Pink Kitten, and the Nine Tiny Piglets. Gorgeously illustrated with sixteen full color pages and numerous black-and-white pictures. JOHN DOUGH AND THE CHERUB A whimsical tale portraying the exciting adventures of the Gingerbread Man and his comrade, Chick the Cherub, in the "Palace of Romance," the "Land of the Mifkets," "Highland and Lowland," and other places. Forty full-page colored pictures; twenty colored pictorial chapter headings; 100 black-and-white text pictures. [See larger version] T THE SEA FAIRIES BY L. FRANK BAUM AUTHOR OF THE EMERALD CITY OF OZ, DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD IN OZ, OZMA OF OZ, THE ROAD TO OZ, THE LAND OF OZ, Etc. ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN R. NEILL CHICAGO THE REILLY & BRITTON CO. PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT 1911 BY L. FRANK BAUM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED HE oceans are big and broad. I believe two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water. What people inhabit this water has always been a subject of curiosity to the inhabitants of the land. Strange creatures come from the seas at times, and perhaps in the ocean depths are many, more strange than mortal eye has ever gazed upon. This story is fanciful. In it the sea people talk and act much as we do, and the mermaids especially are not unlike the fairies with whom we have learned to be familiar. Yet they are real sea people, for all that, and with the exception of Zog the Magician they are all supposed to exist in the ocean's depths. I am told that some very learned people deny that mermaids or sea-serpents have ever inhabited the oceans, but it would be very difficult for them to prove such an assertion unless they had lived under the water as Trot and Cap'n Bill did in this story. I hope my readers who have so long followed Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz will be interested in Trot's equally strange experiences. The ocean has always appealed to me as a veritable wonderland, and this story has been suggested to me many times by my young correspondents in their letters. Indeed, a good many children have implored me to "write something about the mermaids," and I have willingly granted the request. Hollywood, 1911. L. Frank Baum. LIST OF CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1—Trot and Cap'n Bill 11 2—The Mermaids 20 3—The Depths of the Deep Blue Sea 33 4—The Palace of Queen Aquareine 44 5—The Sea Serpent 56 6—Exploring the Ocean 63 7—The Aristocratic Codfish 76 8—A Banquet Under Water 92 9—The Bashful Octopus 100 10—An Undiscovered Island 110 11—Zog the Terrible, and His Sea Devils 120 12—The Enchanted Castle 128 13—Prisoners of the Sea Monster 140 14—Cap'n Joe and Cap'n Bill 153 15—The Magic of the Mermaids 163 16—The Top of the Great Dome 179 17—The Queen's Golden Sword 187 18—A Dash for Liberty 201 19—King Anko to the Rescue 207 20—The Home of the Ocean Monarch 214 21—King Joe 228 22—Trot Lives to Tell the Tale 235 "Nobody," said Cap'n Bill, solemnly, "ever sawr a mermaid an' lived to tell the tale." "Why not?" asked Trot, looking earnestly up into the old sailor's face. They were seated on a bench built around a giant acacia tree that grew just at the edge of the bluff. Below them rolled the blue waves of the great Pacific. A little way behind them was the house, a neat frame cottage painted white and surrounded by huge eucalyptus and pepper trees. Still farther behind that—a quarter of a mile distant but built upon a bend of the coast—was the village, overlooking a pretty bay. Cap'n Bill and Trot came often to this tree, to sit and watch the ocean below them. The sailor man had one "meat leg" and one "hickory leg," and he often said the wooden one was the best of the two. Once Cap'n Bill had commanded and owned the "Anemone," a trading schooner that plied along the coast; and in those days Charlie Griffiths, who was Trot's father, had been the Captain's mate. But ever since Cap'n Bill's accident, when he lost his leg, Charlie Griffiths had been the captain of the little schooner while his old master lived peacefully ashore with the Griffiths family. This was about the time Trot was born, and the old sailor became very fond of the baby girl. Her real name was Mayre, but when she grew big enough to walk she took so many busy little steps every day that both her mother and Cap'n Bill nicknamed her "Trot," and so she was thereafter mostly called. It was the old sailor who taught the child to love the sea—to love it almost as much as he and her father did—and these two, who represented the "beginning and the end of life" became firm friends and constant companions. "Why hasn't anybody seen a mermaid and lived?" asked Trot, again. "'Cause mermaids is fairies, an' ain't meant to be seen by us mortal folk," replied Cap'n Bill. "But if anyone happens to see 'em, what then, Cap'n?" "Then," he answered, slowly wagging his head, "the mermaids give 'em a smile an' a wink, an' they dives into the water an' gets drownded." TROT "S'pose they know how to swim, Cap'n Bill?" "That don't make any diff'rence, Trot. The mermaids live deep down, an' the poor mortals never come up again." The little girl was thoughtful for a moment. "But why do folks dive in the water when the mermaids smile an' wink?" she asked. "Mermaids," he said, gravely, "is the most beautifulest creatures in the world—or the water, either. You know what they're like, Trot; they's got a lovely lady's form down to the waist, an' then the other half of 'em's a fish, with green an' purple an' pink scales all adown it." "Have they got arms, Cap'n Bill?" "'Course, Trot; arms like any other lady. An' pretty faces that smile an' look mighty sweet an' fetchin'. Their hair is long an' soft an' silky, an' floats all around 'em in the water. When they comes up atop the waves they wring the water out 'n their hair and sing songs that go right to your heart. If anybody is unlucky enough to be 'round jes' then, the beauty o' them mermaids an' their sweet songs charm 'em like magic; so's they plunge into the waves to get to the mermaids. But the mermaids haven't any hearts, Trot, no more 'n a fish has; so they laughs when the poor people drown, an' don't care a fig. That's why I says, an' I says it true, that nobody never sawr a mermaid an' lived to tell the tale." "Nobody?" asked Trot. "Nobody a tall." "Then how do you know, Cap'n Bill?" asked the little girl, looking up into his face with big round eyes. Cap'n Bill coughed. Then he tried to sneeze, to gain time. Then he took out his red cotton handkerchief and wiped his bald head with it, rubbing hard so as to make him think clearer. "Look, Trot; ain't that a brig out there?" he inquired, pointing to a sail far out in the sea. "How does anybody know about mermaids, if those who have seen them never lived to tell about them?" she asked again. "Know what about 'em, Trot?" "About their green and pink scales, and pretty songs, and wet hair." "They don't know, I guess. But mermaids jes' natcherly has to be like that, or they wouldn't be mermaids." She thought this over. "Somebody must have lived, Cap'n Bill," she declared, positively. "Other fairies have been seen by mortals; why not mermaids?" "P'raps they have, Trot; p'raps they have," he answered, musingly. "I'm tellin' you as it was told to me; but I never [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] stopped to inquire into the matter so clost, before. Seems like folks wouldn't know so much about mermaids if they hadn't seen 'em; an' yet accordin' to all accounts the victim is bound to get drownded." "P'raps," suggested Trot, softly, "someone found a fotygraph of one of 'em." "That might 'a' been, Trot; that might 'a' been," answered Cap'n Bill. A nice man was Cap'n Bill, and Trot knew he always liked to explain everything so she could fully understand it. The aged sailor was not a very tall man, and some people might have called him chubby, or even fat. He wore a blue sailor shirt, with white anchors worked on the corners of the broad square collar, and his blue trousers were very wide at the bottom. He always wore one trouser leg over his wooden limb and sometimes it would flutter in the wind like a flag, because it was so wide and the wooden leg so slender. His rough kersey coat was a pea-jacket and came down to his waist line. In the big pockets of his jacket he kept a wonderful jackknife, and his pipe and tobacco, and many bits of string, and matches and keys and lots of other things. Whenever Cap'n Bill thrust a chubby hand into one of his pockets Trot watched him with breathless interest, for she never knew what he was going to pull out. The old sailor's face was brown as a berry. He had a fringe of hair around the back of his head and a fringe of whisker around the edge of his face, running from ear to ear and underneath his chin. His eyes were light blue and kind in expression. His nose was big and broad and his few teeth were not strong enough to crack nuts with. Trot liked Cap'n Bill and had a great deal of confidence in his wisdom, and a great admiration for his ability to make tops and whistles and toys with that marvelous jackknife of his. In the village were many boys and girls of her own age, but she never had as much fun playing with them as she had wandering by the sea accompanied by the old sailor and listening to his fascinating stories. She knew all about the Flying Dutchman, and Davy Jones' Locker, and Captain Kidd, and how to harpoon a whale or dodge an iceberg, or lasso a seal. Cap'n Bill had been everywhere in the world, almost, on his many voyages. He had been wrecked on desert islands like Robinson Crusoe and been attacked by cannibals, and had a host of other exciting adventures. So he was a delightful comrade for the little girl, and whatever Cap'n Bill knew Trot was sure to know in time. "How do the mermaids live?" she asked. "Are they in caves, or just in the water like fishes, or how?" "Can't say, Trot," he replied. "I've asked divers about that, but none of 'em ever run acrost a mermaid's nest yet, as I've heard of." "If they're fairies," she said, "their homes must be very pretty." "Mebbe so, Trot; but damp. They're sure to be damp, you know." "I'd like to see a mermaid, Cap'n Bill," said the child, earnestly. "What, an' git drownded?" he exclaimed. "No; and live to tell the tale. If they're beautiful, and laughing, and sweet, there can't be much harm in them, I'm sure." "Mermaids is mermaids," remarked Cap'n Bill, in his most solemn voice. "It wouldn't do us any good to mix up with 'em, Trot." "May—re! May—re!" called a voice from the house. "Yes, Mamma!" "You an' Cap'n Bill come in to supper." [16] [17] [18] [19] The next morning, as soon as Trot had helped wipe the breakfast dishes and put them away in the cupboard, the little girl and Cap'n Bill started out toward the bluff. The air was soft and warm, and the sun turned the edges of the waves into sparkling diamonds. Across the bay the last of the fisherboats was speeding away out to sea, for well the fishermen knew this was an ideal day to catch rockbass, barracuda and yellowtail. The old man and the young girl stood on the bluff and watched all this with interest. Here was their world. "It isn't a bit rough this morning. Let's have a boat ride, Cap'n Bill," said the child. "Suits me to a T," declared the sailor. So they found the winding path that led down the face of the cliff to the narrow beach below, and cautiously began the descent. Trot never minded the steep path or the loose rocks at all; but Cap'n Bill's wooden leg was not so useful on a down grade as on a level, and he had to be careful not to slip and take a tumble. But by and by they reached the sands and walked to a spot just beneath the big acacia tree that grew on the bluff. Halfway to the top of the cliff hung suspended a little shed like structure that sheltered Trot's rowboat, for it was necessary to pull the boat out of reach of the waves which beat in fury against the rocks at high tide. About as high up as Cap'n Bill could reach was an iron ring, securely fastened to the cliff, and to this ring was tied a rope. The old sailor unfastened the knot and began paying out the rope, and the rowboat came out of its shed and glided slowly downward to the beach. It hung on a pair of davits, and was lowered just as a boat is lowered from a ship's side. When it reached the sands the sailor unhooked the ropes and pushed the boat to the water's edge. It was a pretty little craft, light and strong, and Cap'n Bill knew how to sail it or row it, as Trot might desire. To-day they decided to row, so the girl climbed into the bow and her companion stuck his wooden leg into the water's edge, "so he wouldn't get his foot wet," and pushed off the little boat as he climbed aboard. Then he seized the oars and began gently paddling. "Whither away, Commodore Trot?" he asked gaily. "I don't care, Cap'n. It's just fun enough to be on the water," she answered, trailing one hand overboard. So he rowed around by the North Promontory, where the great caves were, and much as they were enjoying the ride they soon began to feel the heat of the sun. "That's Dead Man's Cave, 'cause a skellington was found there," observed the child, as they passed a dark yawning mouth in the cliff. "And that's Bumble Cave, 'cause the bumblebees make nests in the top of it. And here's Smuggler's Cave, 'cause the smugglers used to hide things in it." She knew all the caves well, and so did Cap'n Bill. Many of them opened just at the water's edge and it was possible to row their boat far into their dusky depths. "And here's Echo Cave," she continued, dreamily, as they slowly moved along the coast; "and Giant's Cave, and—oh, Cap'n Bill! do you s'pose there were ever any giants in that cave?" "'Pears like there must 'a' been, Trot, or they wouldn't 'a' named it that name," he replied, pausing to wipe his bald head with the red handkerchief, while the oars dragged in the water. "We've never been into that cave, Cap'n," she remarked, looking at the small hole in the cliff—an archway through which the water flowed. "Let's go in now." "What for, Trot?" "To see if there's a giant there." "H-m. Aren't you 'fraid?" "No; are you? I just don't b'lieve it's big enough for a giant to get into." "Your father was in there once," remarked Cap'n Bill, "an' he says it's the biggest cave on the coast, but low down. It's full o' water, an' the water's deep down to the very bottom o' the ocean; but the rock roof's liable to bump your head at high tide." "It's low tide now," returned Trot. "And how could any giant live in there if the roof is so low down?" "Why, he couldn't, mate. I reckon they must have called it Giant's Cave 'cause it's so big, an' not 'cause any giant man lived there." "Let's go in," said the girl, again; "I'd like to 'splore it." "All right," replied the sailor. "It'll be cooler in there than out here in the sun. We won't go very far, for when the tide turns we mightn't get out again." He picked up the oars and rowed slowly toward the cave. The black archway that marked its entrance seemed hardly big enough to admit the boat, at first; but as they drew nearer the opening became bigger. The sea was very calm here, for the headland shielded it from the breeze. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] "Look out fer your head, Trot!" cautioned Cap'n Bill, as the boat glided slowly into the rocky arch. But it was the sailor who had to duck, instead of the little girl. Only for a moment, though. Just beyond the opening the cave was higher, and as the boat floated into the dim interior they found themselves on quite an extensive branch of the sea. For a time neither of them spoke and only the soft lapping of the water against the sides of the boat was heard. A beautiful sight met the eyes of the two adventurers and held them dumb with wonder and delight. It was not dark in this vast cave, yet the light seemed to come from underneath the water, which all around them glowed with an exquisite sapphire color. Where the little waves crept up to the sides of the rocks they shone like brilliant jewels, and every drop of spray seemed a gem fit to deck a queen. Trot leaned her chin on her hands and her elbows on her lap and gazed at this charming sight with real enjoyment. Cap'n Bill drew in the oars and let the boat drift where it would, while he also sat silently admiring the scene. Slowly the little craft crept farther and farther into the dim interior of the vast cavern, while its two passengers feasted their eyes on the beauties constantly revealed. Both the old seaman and the little girl loved the ocean in all its various moods. To them it was a constant companion and a genial comrade. If it stormed and raved they laughed with glee; if it rolled great breakers against the shore they clapped their hands joyfully; if it lay slumbering at their feet they petted and caressed it; but always they loved it. Here was the ocean yet. It had crept under the dome of overhanging rock to reveal itself crowned with sapphires and dressed in azure gown, revealing in this guise new and unsuspected charms. "Good morning, Mayre," said a sweet voice. Trot gave a start and looked around her in wonder. Just beside her in the water were little eddies—circles within circles —such as are caused when anything sinks below the surface. "Did—did you hear that, Cap'n Bill?" she whispered, solemnly. Cap'n Bill did not answer. He was staring, with eyes that fairly bulged out, at a place behind Trot's back, and he shook a little, as if trembling from cold. Trot turned half around—and then she stared, too. Rising from the blue water was a fair face around which floated a mass of long, blonde hair. It was a sweet, girlish face, with eyes of the same deep blue as the water and red lips whose dainty smile disclosed two rows of pearly teeth. The cheeks were plump and rosy, the brows gracefully penciled, while the chin was rounded and had a pretty dimple in it. "The—the—most beauti-ful-est—in all the world!" murmured Cap'n Bill, in a voice of horror; "an' no one has ever lived to—to tell the tale!" There was a peal of merry laughter, at this; laughter that rippled and echoed throughout the cavern. Just at Trot's side appeared a new face—even fairer than the other—with a wealth of brown hair wreathing the lovely features. And the eyes smiled kindly into those of the child. "Are you—a—a—mermaid?" asked Trot, curiously. She was not a bit afraid. They seemed both gentle and friendly. "Yes, dear," was the soft answer. "We are all mermaids!" chimed a laughing chorus, and here and there, all about the boat, appeared pretty faces lying just upon the surface of the water. "Are you part fishes?" asked Trot, greatly pleased by this wonderful sight. "No, we are all mermaid," replied the one with the brown hair. "The fishes are partly like us, because they live in the sea and must move about. And you are partly like us, Mayre dear, but have awkward stiff legs so you may walk on the land. But the mermaids lived before fishes and before mankind, so both have borrowed something from us." "Then you must be fairies, if you've lived always," remarked Trot, nodding wisely. "We are, dear; we are the water fairies," answered the one with the blonde hair, coming nearer and rising till her slender white throat showed plainly. "We—we're—goners, Trot!" sighed Cap'n Bill, with a white, woebegone face. "I guess not, Cap'n," she answered calmly. "These pretty mermaids aren't going to hurt us, I'm sure." "No, indeed," said the first one who had spoken. "If we were wicked enough to wish to harm you our magic could reach you as easily upon the land as in this cave. But we love little girls dearly, and wish only to please them and make their lives more happy." "I believe that!" cried Trot, earnestly. Cap'n Bill groaned. "Guess why we have appeared to you," said another mermaid, coming to the side of the boat. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] "Why?" asked the child. "We heard you say yesterday you would like to see a mermaid, and so we decided to grant your wish." "That was real nice of you," said Trot, gratefully. "Also we heard all the foolish things Cap'n Bill said about us," remarked the brown haired one, smilingly; "and we wanted to prove to him they were wrong." "I on'y said what I've heard," protested Cap'n Bill. "Never havin' seen a mermaid afore, I couldn't be ackerate; an' I never expected to see one an' live to tell the tale." Again the cave rang with merry laughter, and as it died away Trot said: "May I see your scales, please? And are they green and purple and pink, like Cap'n Bill said?" They seemed undecided what to say to this, and swam a little way off, where the beautiful heads formed a group that was delightful to see. Perhaps they talked together, for the brown haired mermaid soon came back to the side of the boat and asked: "We—We're—Goners" "Would you like to visit our kingdom, and see all the wonders that exist below the sea?" "I'd like to," replied Trot, promptly; "but I couldn't. I'd get drowned." "That you would, mate!" cried Cap'n Bill. "Oh, no," said the mermaid. "We would make you both like one of ourselves, and then you could live within the water as easily as we do." "I don't know as I'd like it," said the child; "at least, for always." "You need not stay with us a moment longer than you please," returned the mermaid, smiling as if amused at the remark. "Whenever you are ready to return home we promise to bring you to this place again and restore to you the same forms you are now wearing." "Would I have a fish's tail?" asked Trot, earnestly. "You would have a mermaid's tail," was the reply. "What color would my scales be—pink, or purple?" "You may choose the color yourself." "Look a' here, Trot!" said Cap'n Bill, in excitement, "you ain't thinkin' o' doin' such a fool thing, are you?" "'Course I am," declared the little girl. "We don't get such inv'tations every day, Cap'n; and if I don't go now I may never find out how the mermaids live." "I don't care how they live, myself," said Cap'n Bill. "I jes' want 'em to let me live." "There's no danger," insisted Trot. "I do' know 'bout that. That's what all the other folks said when they dove after the mermaids an' got drownded." "Who?" asked the girl. "I don't know who; but I've heard tell—" "You've heard that no one ever saw a mermaid and lived," said Trot. "To tell the tale," he added, nodding. "An' if we dives down, like they says, we won't live ourselves." All the mermaids laughed at this, and the brown haired one said: "Well, if you are afraid, don't come. You may row your boat out of this cave and never see us again, if you like. We merely thought it would please little Mayre, and were willing to show her the sights of our beautiful home." "I'd like to see 'em, all right," said Trot, her eyes glistening with pleasure. "So would I," admitted Cap'n Bill; "if we would live to tell the tale." "Don't you believe us?" asked the mermaid, fixing her lovely eyes on those of the old sailor and smiling prettily. "Are you afraid to trust us to bring you safely back?" "N—n—n-o," said Cap'n Bill; "'tain't that. I've got to look after Trot." "Then you'll have to come with me," said Trot, decidedly, "for I'm going to 'cept this inv'tation. If you don't care to come, Cap'n Bill, you go home and tell mother I'm visitin' the mermaids." "She'd scold me inter shivers!" moaned Cap'n Bill, with a shudder. "I guess I'd ruther take my chances down below." "All right; I'm ready, Miss Mermaid," said Trot. "What shall I do? Jump in, clothes an' all?" "Give me your hand, dear," answered the mermaid, lifting a lovely white arm from the water. Trot took the slender hand [29] [30] [31] [32] and found it warm and soft, and not a bit "fishy." "My name is Clia," continued the mermaid, "and I am a princess in our deep-sea kingdom." Just then Trot gave a flop and flopped right out of the boat into the water. Cap'n Bill caught a gleam of pink scales as his little friend went overboard, and the next moment there was Trot's face in the water, among those of the mermaids. She was laughing with glee as she looked up into Cap'n Bill's face and called: "Come on in, Cap'n! It didn't hurt a bit!" Cap'n Bill stood up in the boat as if undecided what to do. Never a sailorman was more bewildered than this old fellow by the strangeness of the adventure he had encountered. At first he could hardly believe it was all true, and that he was not dreaming; but there was Trot in the water, laughing with the mermaids and floating comfortably about, and he couldn't leave his dear little companion to make the trip to the depths of the ocean alone. "Take my hand, please, Cap'n Bill," said Princess Clia, reaching her dainty arm toward him; and suddenly the old man took courage and clasped the soft fingers in his own. He had to lean over the boat to do this, and then there came a queer lightness to his legs and he had a great longing to be in the water. So he gave a flop and flopped in beside Trot, where he found himself comfortable enough, but somewhat frightened. "Law sakes!" he gasped. "Here's me in the water with my rheumatics! I'll be that stiff termorrer I can't wiggle." "You're wigglin' all right now," observed Trot. "That's a fine tail you've got, Cap'n, an' its green scales is jus' beautiful." "Are they green, eh?" he asked, twisting around to try to see them. "Green as em'ralds, Cap'n. How do they feel?" "Feel, Trot—feel? Why, this tail beats that ol' wooden leg all holler! I kin do stunts now that I couldn't 'a' done in a thousand years with ol' peg." "And don't be afraid of the rheumatism," advised the Princess. "No mermaid ever catches cold or suffers pain in the water." "Is Cap'n Bill a mermaid now?" asked Trot. "Why, he's a merman, I suppose," laughed the pretty princess. "But when he gets home he will be just Cap'n Bill again." "Wooden leg an' all?" inquired the child. "To be sure, my dear." The sailor was now trying his newly-discovered powers of swimming, and became astonished at the feats he could accomplish. He could dart this way and that with wonderful speed, and turn and dive, and caper about in the water far better than he had ever been able to do on land—even before he got the wooden leg. And a curious thing about this present experience was that the water did not cling to him and wet him, as it had always done before. He still wore his flannel shirt and pea-jacket, and his sailor cap; but although he was in the water, and had been underneath the surface, the cloth still seemed dry and warm. As he dived down and came up again the drops flashed from his head and the fringe of beard, but he never needed to wipe his face or eyes at all. Trot, too, was having queer experiences and enjoying them. When she ducked under water she saw plainly everything around her, as easily and distinctly as she had ever seen anything above water. And by looking over her shoulder she could watch the motion of her new tail, all covered with pretty iridescent pink scales, which gleamed like jewels. She wore her dress, the same as before, and the water failed to affect it in the least. She now noticed that the mermaids were clothed, too, and their exquisite gowns were the loveliest things the little girl had ever beheld. They seemed made of a material that was like sheeny silk, cut low in the neck and with wide flowing sleeves that seldom covered the shapely white arms of her new friends. The gowns had trains that floated far behind the mermaids as they swam, but were so fleecy and transparent that the sparkle of their scales might be seen reaching back of their waists, where the human form ended and the fish part began. The sea fairies wore strings of splendid pearls twined around their throats, while more pearls were sewn upon their gowns for trimmings. They did not dress their beautiful hair at all, but let it float around them in clouds. The little girl had scarcely time to observe all this when the princess said: "Now, my dear, if you are ready we will begin our journey, for it is a long way to our palaces." "All right," answered Trot, and took the hand extended to her with a trustful smile. "Will you allow me to guide you, Cap'n Bill?" asked the blonde mermaid, extending her hand to the old sailor. "O' course, ma'am," he said, taking her fingers rather bashfully. "My name is Merla," she continued, "and I am cousin to Princess Clia. We must all keep together, you know, and I will hold your hand to prevent your missing the way." While she spoke they began to descend through the water, and it grew quite dark for a time because the cave shut out the light. But presently Trot, who was eagerly looking around her, began to notice the water lighten and saw they were coming into brighter parts of the sea. "We have left the cave now," said Clia, "and may swim straight home." "I s'pose there are no winding roads in the ocean," remarked the child, swimming swiftly beside her new friend. "Oh, yes, indeed. At the bottom the way is far from being straight or level," replied Clia. "But we are in mid-water now, where nothing will hinder our journey, unless—" [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] She seemed to hesitate; so Trot asked: "Unless what?" "Unless we meet with disagreeable creatures," said the Princess. "The mid-water is not as safe as the very bottom, and that is the reason we are holding your hands." "What good would that do?" asked Trot. "You must remember that we are fairies," said Princess Clia. "For that reason nothing in the ocean can injure us; but you two are mortals, and therefore not entirely safe at all times unless we protect you." Trot was thoughtful for a few moments and looked around her a little anxiously. Now and then a dark form would shoot across their pathway, or pass them at some distance; but none was near enough for the girl to see plainly what it might be. Suddenly they swam right into a big school of fishes, all yellowtails and of very large size. There must have been hundreds of them lying lazily in the water, and when they saw the mermaids they merely wiggled to one side and opened a path for the sea fairies to pass through. "Will they hurt us?" asked Trot. [See larger version] "No, indeed," laughed the Princess. "Fishes are stupid creatures mostly, and this family is quite harmless." "How about sharks?" asked Cap'n Bill, who was swimming gracefully beside them, his hand clutched in that of pretty Merla. "Sharks may indeed be dangerous to you," replied Clia; "so I advise you to keep them at a safe distance. They never dare attempt to bite a mermaid, and it may be they will think you belong to our band; but it is well to avoid them, if possible." "Don't get careless, Cap'n," added Trot. "I surely won't, mate," he replied. "You see, I didn't use to be 'fraid o' sharks, 'cause if they came near I'd stick my wooden leg at 'em. But now, if they happens to fancy these green scales, it's all up with ol' Bill." "Never fear," said Merla; "I'll take care of you on our journey, and in our palaces you will find no sharks at all." "Can't they get in?" he asked, anxiously. "No. The palaces of the mermaids are inhabited only by themselves." "Is there anything else to be afraid of in the sea?" asked the little girl, after they had swum quite a while in silence. "One or two things, my dear," answered Princess Clia. "Of course, we mermaids have great powers, being fairies; yet among the sea people is one nearly as powerful as we are, and that is the devilfish." "I know," said Trot; "I've seen 'em." "You have seen the smaller ones, I suppose, which sometimes rise to the surface or go near shore, and are often caught by fishermen," said Clia; "but they are only second cousins of the terrible deep-sea devilfish to which I refer." "Those ones are bad enough, though," declared Cap'n Bill. "If you know any worse ones I don't want a interduction to 'em." "The monster devilfish inhabit caves in the rugged, mountainous regions of the ocean," resumed the Princess, "and they are evil spirits who delight in injuring all who meet them. None lives near our palaces, so there is little danger of your meeting any while you are our guests." "I hope we won't," said Trot. "None for me," added Cap'n Bill. "Devils of any sort ought to be give a wide berth, an' devilfishes is worser ner sea serpents." "Oh, do you know the sea serpents?" asked Merla, as if surprised. "Not much I don't," answered the sailor; "but I've heard tell of folks as has seen 'em." "Did they ever live to tell the tale?" asked Trot. "Sometimes," he replied. "They're jes' or-ful creatures, mate." "How easy it is to be mistaken," said Princess Clia, softly. "We know the sea serpents very well, and we like them." "You do!" exclaimed Trot. "Yes, dear. There are only three of them in all the world, and not only are they harmless, but quite bashful and shy. They are kind-hearted, too, and although not beautiful in appearance, they do many kind deeds and are generally beloved." "Where do they live?" asked the child. "The oldest one, who is king of this ocean, lives quite near us," said Clia. "His name is Anko." "How old is he?" inquired Cap'n Bill, curiously. [39] [40] [41] "No one knows. He was here before the ocean came, and he stayed here because he learned to like the water better than the land as a habitation. Perhaps King Anko is ten thousand years old—perhaps twenty thousand. We often lose track of the centuries down here in the sea." "That's pretty old, isn't it," said Trot. "Older than Cap'n Bill, I guess." "Summat," chuckled the sailorman; "summat older, mate; but not much. P'raps the sea serpent ain't got gray whiskers." "Oh yes, he has," responded Merla, with a laugh. "And so have his two brothers—Unko and Inko. They each have an ocean of their own, you know; and once every hundred years they come here to visit their brother Anko. So we've seen all three many times." "Why, how old are mermaids, then?" asked Trot, looking around at the beautiful creatures wonderingly. "We are like all ladies of uncertain age," rejoined the Princess, with a smile. "We don't care to tell." "Older than Cap'n Bill?" "Yes, dear," said Clia. "But we haven't any gray whiskers," added Merla, merrily, "and our hearts are ever young." Trot was thoughtful. It made her feel solemn to be in the company of such old people. The band of mermaids seemed, to all appearances, young and fresh and not a bit as if they'd been soaked in water for hundreds of years. The girl began to take more notice of the sea maidens following after her. More than a dozen were in the group; all very lovely in appearance and clothed in the same gauzy robes as Merla and the princess. These attendants did not join in the conversation, but darted here and there in sportive play, and often Trot heard the tinkling chorus of their laughter. Whatever doubts might have arisen in the child's mind, through the ignorant tales of her sailor friend, she now found the mermaids to be light-hearted, joyous and gay, and from the first she had not been in the least afraid of her new companions. "How much farther do we have to go?" asked Cap'n Bill, presently. "Are you getting tired?" Merla inquired. "No," said he; "but I'm sorter anxious to see what your palaces look like. Inside the water ain't as interestin' as the top of it. It's fine swimmin', I'll agree; an' I like it; but there ain't nuthin' special to see, that I can make out." "That is true, sir," replied the Princess. "We have purposely led you through the mid-water, hoping you would see nothing to alarm you until you get more accustomed to our ocean life. Moreover, we are able to travel more swiftly here. How far do you think we have already come, Cap'n?" "Oh, 'bout two mile," he answered. "Well, we are now hundreds of miles from the cave where we started," she told him. "You don't mean it!" he exclaimed, in wonder. "Then there's magic in it," announced Trot, soberly. "True, my dear. To avoid tiring you, and to save time, we have used a little of our fairy power," said Clia. "The result is that we are nearing our home. Let us go downward a bit, now, for you must know that the mermaid palaces are at the very bottom of the ocean—and in its deepest part." [42] [43] Trot was surprised to find it was not at all dark or gloomy as they descended farther into the deep sea. Things were not quite so clear to her eyes as they had been in the bright sunshine above the ocean's surface, but every object was distinct, nevertheless, as if she saw it through a pane of green tinted glass. The water was very clear, except for this green shading, and the little girl had never before felt so light and buoyant as she did now. It was no effort at all to dart through the water, which seemed to support her on all sides. "I don't believe I weigh anything at all," she told Cap'n Bill. "No more do I, Trot," said he. "But that's nat'ral, seein' as we're under water so far. What bothers me most is how we manage to breathe, havin' no gills, like fishes have." "Are you sure we haven't any gills?" she asked, lifting her free hand to feel her throat. "Sure. Ner the mermaids haven't any, either," declared Cap'n Bill. "Then," said Trot, "we're breathing by magic." The mermaids laughed at this shrewd remark, and the Princess said: "You have guessed correctly, my dear. Go a little slower, now, for the palaces are in sight." "Where?" asked Trot, eagerly. "Just before you." "In that grove of trees?" inquired the girl. And, really, it seemed to her they were approaching a beautiful grove. The bottom of the sea was covered with white sand, in which grew many varieties of sea shrubs with branches like those of trees. Not all of them were green, however, for the branches and leaves were of a variety of gorgeous colors. Some were purple, shading down to light lavender; and there were reds all the way from a delicate rose-pink to vivid shades of scarlet. Orange, yellow and blue shades were there, too, mingling with the sea-greens in a most charming manner. Altogether, Trot found the brilliant coloring somewhat bewildering. These sea shrubs, which in size were quite as big and tall as the trees on earth, were set so close together that their branches entwined; but there were several avenues leading into the groves, and at the entrance to each avenue the girl noticed several large fishes, with long spikes growing upon their noses. "These are swordfishes," remarked the Princess, as she led the band past one of these avenues. "Are they dang'rous?" asked Trot. "Not to us," was the reply. "The swordfishes are among our most valued and faithful servants, guarding the entrances to the gardens which surround our palaces. If any creatures try to enter uninvited these guards fight them and drive them away. Their swords are sharp and strong, and they are fierce fighters, I assure you." "I've known 'em to attack ships, an' stick their swords right through the wood," said Cap'n Bill. "Those belonged to the wandering tribes of swordfishes," explained the Princess. "These, who are our servants, are too sensible and intelligent to attack ships." The band now headed into a broad passage through the "gardens," as the mermaids called these gorgeous groves, and the great swordfishes guarding the entrance made way for them to pass, afterward resuming their posts with round and watchful eyes. As they slowly swam along the avenue Trot noticed that some of the bushes seemed to have fruits growing upon them; but what these fruits might be, neither she nor Cap'n Bill could guess. The way wound here and there for some distance, till finally they came to a more open space, all carpeted with sea flowers of exquisite colorings. Although Trot did not know it, these flowers resembled the rare orchids of earth in their fanciful shapes and marvelous hues. The child did not examine them very closely, for across the carpet of flowers loomed the magnificent and extensive palaces of the mermaids. These palaces were built of coral; white, pink and yellow being used, and the colors arranged in graceful designs. The front of the main palace, which now faced them, had circular ends connecting the straight wall, not unlike the architecture we are all familiar with; yet there seemed to be no windows to the building, although a series of archways served as doors. Arriving at one of the central archways the band of sea maidens separated, Princess Clia and Merla leading Trot and Cap'n Bill into the palace, while the other mermaids swam swiftly away to their own quarters. "Welcome!" said Clia, in her sweet voice. "Here you are surrounded only by friends and are in perfect safety. Please accept our hospitality as freely as you desire, for we consider you honored guests. I hope you will like our home," she added, a little shyly. "We are sure to, dear Princess," Trot hastened to say. Then Clia escorted them through the archway and into a lofty hall. It was not a mere grotto, but had smoothly built walls of pink coral inlaid with white. Trot at first thought there was no roof, for looking upward she could see the water all [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49]