The Sea Fairies

9It was a lovely day, and the sea

It was a lovely day, and the sea was like azure under the rays of the sun.

Over the flower beds and through the gardens they swam, emerging into the open sea in a direction opposite that taken by the visitors the day before. The party consisted of but four: Queen Aquareine, Princess Clia, Trot and Cap'n Bill.

"People who live upon the land know only those sea creatures which they are able to catch in nets, or upon hooks, or those which become disabled and are washed ashore," remarked the Queen, as they swam swiftly through the clear water. "And those who sail in ships see only the creatures who chance to come to the surface. But, in the deep ocean caverns are queer beings, that no mortal has ever heard of or beheld, and some of these we are to visit. We shall also see some sea shrubs and flowering weeds, which are sure to delight you with their beauty."

The sights really began before they had gone very far from the palace, and a school of butterfly fish, having gorgeous colors spattered over their broad wings, was first to delight the strangers. They swam just as butterflies fly, with a darting, jerky motion, and called a merry "Good morning!" to the mermaids as they passed.

"These butterfly fish are remarkably active," said the Princess, "and their quick motions protect them from their enemies. We like to meet them; they are always so gay and good-natured."

"Why, so am I!" cried a sharp voice just beside them, and they all paused to discover what creature had spoken to them.

"Take care," said Clia, in a low voice. "It's an octopus."

Trot looked eagerly around. A long, brown arm stretched across their way in front, and another just behind them; but that did not worry her. The octopus, himself, came slowly sliding up to them, and proved to be well worth looking at.

He wore a red coat with brass buttons, and a silk hat was tipped over one ear. His eyes were somewhat dull and watery and he had a moustache of long, hair-like "feelers" that curled stiffly at the ends. When he tried to smile at them he showed two rows of sharp, white teeth. In spite of his red coat and yellow embroidered vest, his standing collar and carefully tied cravat, the legs of the octopus were bare, and Trot noticed he used some of his legs for arms, as in one of them was held a slender cane, and in another, a handkerchief.

"Well, well!" said the Octopus. "Are you all dumb? Or don't you know enough to be civil when you meet a neighbor?"

"We know how to be civil to our friends," replied Trot, who did not like the way he spoke.

"Well, aren't we friends, then?" asked the Octopus, in an airy tone of voice.

"I think not," said the little girl. "Octopuses are horrid creatures."

"Octopi, if you please; octopi" said the monster, with a laugh.

"I don't see any pie that pleases me," replied Trot, beginning to get angry.

"Octopus means one of us; two, or more are called octopi," remarked the creature, as if correcting her speech.

"I suppose a lot of you would be a whole bakery!" she said, scornfully.

"Our name is latin. It was given us by learned scientists years ago," said the Octopus.

"That's true enough," agreed Cap'n Bill. "The learned scientists named ev'ry blamed thing they come acrost, an' gener'ly they picked out names as nobody could understand, or pernounce."

"That isn't our fault, sir," said the Octopus. "Indeed, it's pretty hard for us to go through life with such terrible names. Think of the poor little sea horse. He used to be a merry and cheerful fellow, but since they named him 'hippocampus' he hasn't smiled once."

"Let's go," said Trot; "I don't like to 'sociate with octopuses."

"Octopi," said the creature, again correcting her.

"You're jus' as horrid, whether you're puses or pies," she declared.

"Horrid!" cried the monster, in a shocked tone of voice.

"Not only horrid, but horrible!" persisted the girl.

"May I ask in what way?" he inquired, and it was easy to see he was offended.

"Why, ev'rybody knows that octopuses are jus' wicked an' deceitful," she said. "Up on the earth, where I live, they call the Stannerd Oil Company an octopus, an' the Coal Trust an octopus, an' – "

"Stop, stop!" cried the monster, in a pleading voice. "Do you mean to tell me that the earth people, whom I have always respected, compare me to the Stannerd Oil Company?"

"Yes," said Trot, positively.

"That's what they do," added Cap'n Bill, nodding his grizzled head.

"Oh, what a disgrace! What a deep, direful, dreadful disgrace!" moaned the Octopus, drooping his head in shame; and Trot could see great tears rolling down his cheeks.

"This comes of having a bad name," said the Queen, gently, for she was moved by the monster's grief.

"It is unjust! It is cruel and unjust!" sobbed the creature, mournfully. "Just because we have several long arms, and take whatever we can reach, they accuse us of being like – like – oh, I cannot say it! It is too shameful – too humiliating!"

"Come; let's go," said Trot, again; so they left the poor octopus weeping and wiping his watery eyes with his handkerchief, and swam on their way.

"I'm not a bit sorry for him," remarked the child; "for his legs remind me of serpents."

"So they do me," agreed Cap'n Bill.

"But the octopi are not very bad," said the Princess, "and we get along with them much better than we do with their cousins the sea devils."

"Oh. Are the sea devils their cousins?" asked Trot.

"Yes; and they are the only creatures of the ocean which we greatly fear," replied Aquareine. "I hope we shall meet none to-day, for we are going near to the dismal caverns where they live."

"What are the sea devils like, ma'am?" inquired Cap'n Bill, a little uneasily.

"Something like the octopus you just saw, only much larger and of a bright scarlet color, striped with black," answered the Queen. "They are very fierce and terrible creatures, and nearly as much dreaded by the inhabitants of the ocean as is Zog, and nearly as powerful as King Anko himself."

"Zog! Who is Zog?" questioned the girl. "I haven't heard of him, before now."

"We do not like to mention Zog's name," responded the Queen, in a low voice. "He is the wicked genius of the sea, and a magician of great power."

"What's he like?" asked Cap'n Bill.

"He is a dreadful creature, part fish, part man, part beast and part serpent. Centuries ago they cast him off the earth into the sea, where he has caused much trouble. Once he waged a terrible war against King Anko, but the sea serpent finally conquered Zog, and drove the magician into his castle, where he now stays shut up. For if ever Anko catches the monster outside of his enchanted castle he will kill him, and Zog knows that very well."

"Seems like you have your troubles down here, just as we do on top the ground," remarked Cap'n Bill.

"But, I'm glad old Zog is shut up in his castle," added Trot. "Is it a sea castle, like your own palaces?"

"I cannot say, my dear, for the enchantment makes it invisible to all eyes but those of its inhabitants," replied Aquareine. "No one sees Zog now, and we scarcely ever hear of him; but all the sea people know he is here, some place, and fear his power. Even in the old days, before Anko conquered him, Zog was the enemy of the mermaids, as he was of all the good and respectable seafolk. But do not worry about the magician, I beg of you, for he has not dared to do an evil deed in many, many years."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," asserted Trot.