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Updated: May 31, 2025
What do you think? Our Flippity has just gone to glory!" "When?" asked the mermaid. "Just now," one replied. "We were lying in the water, talking quietly together when a spinning, shining thing came along and our dear Flippity ate it. Then he went shooting up to the top of the water and gave a flop and went to glory! Isn't it splendid, Merla?" "Poor Flippity!" sighed the mermaid.
At this the crabs began performing their antics again, but they did the same things over and over, so Cap'n Bill and Trot soon tired, as Merla said they would, and decided they had seen enough of the crab circus. So they proceeded to swim farther up the rocky canyon, and near its upper end they came to a lot of conch shells lying upon the sandy bottom.
"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."
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.
"From a transparent jellyfish which naturally emits a strong and beautiful electric light," was the answer. "We have many hundreds of them in our palaces, as you will presently see." Their way was now lighted by small, phosphorescent creatures scattered about the sea gardens and which Merla informed them were hyalaea, or sea glowworms.
"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.
"I've eaten you, and you always make me thirsty." Merla laughed merrily at this, and the codfish said, with much dignity, "Come, fellow aristocrats, let us go." "Never mind, we're going ourselves," announced Merla, and followed by her guests the pretty mermaid swam away. "I've heard tell of codfish aristocracy," said Cap'n Bill, "but I never knowed 'zac'ly what it meant afore."
"They're not very polite," observed Trot, following the mermaid as Merla swam upward into the middle water. "I know now why cross people are called 'crabbed," said Cap'n Bill. "They've got dispositions jes' like these 'ere hermit crabs." Presently they came upon a small flock of mackerel, and noticed that the fishes seemed much excited. When they saw the mermaid, they cried out, "Oh, Merla!
"My lord looks weary to-night," said Merla softly, after they had greeted each other, and had sat down side by side with their backs to the low wall. "Yes, I am tired with thinking. What is to be the end of this, Merla? Where is our love drifting us to?" "Why does my lord concern himself with that? We are in the hands of Fate." Stanhope moved impatiently. "Our fate is what we make it."
"It is true: your Merla is the pearl of the desert. I have heard it from my mother," observed the merchant reflectively. "Still, think, my brother, a good riding camel that can be hired out to the Englishmen every day for thirty piastres the day; in a short time you will feed on goat's flesh, and wear boots, with all that money."
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