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What do the birds find to eat?" asked Cap'n Bill.

They often feed upon seals which die of accident or old age, and they are expert

fishermen," explained Queen Aquareine. "Curiously enough, the seals also feed

upon these birds, which they are often able to catch in their strong jaws when the

gulls venture too near. And then, the seals frequently rob the nests of eggs, of

which they are very fond."

"I'd like a few gulls' eggs now," remarked a big seal that lay near them upon the

shore. Trot had thought him sound asleep, but now he opened his eyes to blink

lazily at the group in the water.

"Good morning," said the Queen. "Aren't you Chief Muffruff?"

"I am," answered the old seal. "And you are Aquareine, the mermaid queen. You

see, I remember you, although you haven't been here for years. And isn't that

Princess Clia? To be sure! But the other mermaids are strangers to me, especially

the bald-headed one."

I'm not a mermaid," asserted Cap'n Bill. "I'm a sailor jes' a-visitin' the mermaids."

Our friends are earth dwellers," explained the Queen.

That's odd," said Muffruff. "I can't remember that any earth dwellers ever came

this way before. I never travel far, you see, for I'm chief of this disorderly family of

seals that live on this island--on it and off it, that is."

"You're a poor chief," said a big turtle lying beside the seal. "If your people are

disorderly, it is your own fault."

Muffruff gave a chuckling laugh. Then, with a movement quick as lightning, he

pushed his head under the shell of the turtle and gave it a sudden jerk. The huge

turtle was tossed up on edge and then turned flat upon its back, where its short

legs struggled vainly to right its overturned body.

"There!" snorted the Seal contemptuously. "Perhaps you'll dare insult me again in

the presence of visitors, you old mud-wallower!"

Seeing the plight of the turtle, several young seals came laughingly wabbling to

the spot, and as they approached the helpless creature drew in his legs and head

and closed his two shells tightly together. The seals bumped against the turtle

and gave it a push that sent it sliding down the beach like a toboggan, and a

minute later it splashed into the water and sank out of sight. But that was just

what the creature wanted. On shore the upset turtle was quite helpless; but the

mischievous seals saved him. For as soon as he touched the water, he was able to

The Sea Fairies