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"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.

"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 sailor man, "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 were 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

The Sea Fairies