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CHAPTER 8 - A BANQUET UNDER WATER
The palaces of the mermaids were all aglow with lights as they approached them,
and Trot was amazed at the sight.
"
Where do the lamps come from?" she asked their guide wonderingly.
"
"
They are not lamps, my dear," replied Merla, much amused at this suggestion.
We use electric lights in our palaces and have done so for thousands of years--
long before the earth people knew of electric lights."
"But where do you get 'em?" inquired Cap'n Bill, who was as much astonished as
the girl.
"
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.
But their light was dim when compared to that of the electric jellyfish, which they
found placed in clusters upon the ceilings of all the rooms of the palaces,
rendering them light as day. Trot watched these curious creatures with delight,
for delicately colored lights ran around their bodies in every direction in a
continuous stream, shedding splendid rays throughout the vast halls.
A group of mermaids met the visitors in the hall of the main palace and told
Merla the queen had instructed them to show the guests to their rooms as soon
as they arrived. So Trot followed two of them through several passages, after
which they swam upward and entered a circular opening. There were no stairs
here, because there was no need of them, and the little girl soon found herself in
an upper room that was very beautiful indeed.
All the walls were covered with iridescent shells, polished till they resembled
mother-of-pearl, and upon the glass ceiling were clusters of the brilliant electric
jellyfish, rendering the room bright and cheerful with their radiance. In one
corner stood a couch of white coral, with gossamer draperies hanging around it
from the four high posts. Upon examining it, the child found the couch was
covered with soft, amber sponges, which rendered it very comfortable to lie upon.
In a wardrobe she found several beautiful gossamer gowns richly embroidered in
colored seaweeds, and these Mayre was told she might wear while she remained
the guest of the mermaids. She also found a toilet table with brushes, combs and
other conveniences, all of which were made of polished tortoise-shell.
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