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Really, the room was more dainty and comfortable than one might suppose

possible in a palace far beneath the surface of the sea, and Trot was greatly

delighted with her new quarters. The mermaid attendants assisted the child to

dress herself in one of the prettiest robes, which she found to be quite dry and

fitted her comfortably. Then the sea-maids brushed and dressed her hair, and

tied it with ribbons of cherry-red seaweed. Finally they placed around her neck a

string of pearls that would have been priceless upon the earth, and now the little

girl announced she was ready for supper and had a good appetite.

Cap'n Bill had been given a similar room near Trot, but the old sailor refused to

change his clothes for any others offered him, for which reason he was ready for

supper long before his comrade. "What bothers me, mate," he said to the little girl

as the y swam toward the great banquet hall where Queen Aquareine awaited

them, "is why ain't we crushed by the pressin' of the water agin us, bein' as we're

down here in the deep sea."

How's that, Cap'n? Why should we be crushed?" she asked.

Why, ev'r'body knows that the deeper you go in the sea, the more the water

presses agin you," he explained. "Even the divers in their steel jackets can't stand

it very deep down. An' here we be, miles from the top o' the water, I s'pect, an' we

don't feel crowded a bit."

"I know why," answered the child wisely. "The water don't touch us, you see. If it

did, it might crush us, but it don't. It's always held a little way off from our bodies

by the magic of the fairy mermaids."

True enough, Trot," declared the sailor man. "What an idjut I was not to think o'

that myself!"

In the royal banquet hall were assembled many of the mermaids, headed by the

lovely queen, and as soon as their earth guests arrived, Aquareine ordered the

meal to be served. The lobsters again waited upon the table, wearing little white

caps and aprons which made them look very funny; but Trot was so hungry after

her afternoon's excursion that she did not pay as much attention to the lobsters

as she did to her supper, which was very delicious and consisted of many

courses. A lobster spilled some soup on Cap'n Bill's bald head and made him yell

for a minute, because it was hot and he had not expected it, but the queen

apologized very sweetly for the awkwardness of her servants, and the sailor soon

forgot all about the incident in his enjoyment of the meal.

After the feast ended, they all went to the big reception room, where some of the

mermaids played upon harps while others sang pretty songs. They danced

together, too--a graceful, swimming dance, so queer to the little girl that it

The Sea Fairies