Page:Susan and the Mermaid.pdf/2

PAGE 422 THE DELINEATOR FOR DECEMBER 1912 to Susan, who took it.

There was chiming of silver bells, and the crash of waves, and sinking through the water and the bottom of the bowl Susan saw the wise face with horn spectacles growing dimmer and dimmer, and found herself swimming hand in hand with the green mermaid who had blue hair and a string of red beads round her neck.

"Has she grown large, or have I grown small?" thought Susan to herself, for she and the mermaid were both the same size.

They swam along a great avenue of coral-trees.

"Much easier than walking on land," said Susan.

"I thought you would find it so," replied the mermaid politely. Fat fish with glowing eyes swam in and out between the tree-trunks.

"I fear you find the behavior of these common fish rather disconcerting. Please remember they have not the least education, and can not possibly know how rude it is to stare at strangers!"

So saying the mermaid drew Susan aside onto a coral branch. Down the waterway came a company of spearfish with a captain looking very smart, with waxed mustache and an eye-glass, his Highland bonnet much over his left ear.

"Going to meet her majesty," said the mermaid. "She has been on a visit to her sister, the Empress of the Underseas, and is returning with a large treasure from the tribes of the hidden valleys, deep down in the black water. Let us hurry to the reef—we may see her pass by there, the tides bowing before her, ringing their bells."

So they started swimming along the waterway. And the mermaid continued:

"The Queen sometimes rides in a polished shell coach, drawn by forty swift-swimming fish. She arranges all the storms and the fine weather. Storms are kept in strong boxes made of shell, and are carried with great care, and let loose at the top of the water. Fine weather is kept in bags of seaweed woven closely, and opened only when the order is given. Sun-rays caught in golden nets and wrapped in mist to keep them bright are put in the bags with the fine weather."

So on they swam through the forests, and over fields of sand, and by pastures full of colts and sea-horses, over long bare tracts of rock, and came to a mountain covered with red seaweed bushes. Very like the hill behind Grandmama's house, Susan thought.

They swam up the side of the mountain and could see far-stretching valleys and hills and flat fields, and at last they came out of the water, and on the beach of a little island.

They sat there awhile, and the mermaid said:

"This is a reef, Susan—you have no doubt read in your geography book how they are formed. It is the best place in the world to see a royal procession. It is never overcrowded, as the fish find the air too strong for them, so we mer-people have it to ourselves, but most of us are busy and have little time for sightseeing."

("I wonder what they are busy about," thought Susan.)

Just then they heard shouts of laughter and splashing, and three nice mer-children with their Governess and a pugfish emerged from the water. The pugfish saw Susan and began to bark angrily. The Governess cried: "Oh, Toby, you must not bark at the little girl!"

But Toby only barked more and more.

"If you are not quiet," she went on, "I shall put you on the lead—you ought to know better!"

So Toby subsided.

The mer-children were very smartly dressed: they had hats made of shells, and reefer jackets, and their fins neatly combed and brushed. They carried bunches of wild flowers from the coral fields.

From over the water came the sound of clanging bells.

"She is coming!" shouted the children.

They saw little tides rise in rows of waves, and between them came a pompous-looking officer on a dolphin followed by a troop of fishguards, with long plumes of spray in their mother-o'-pearl helmets.

"My father the Colonel," whispered the mermaid as they passed.

Coming along the way lined with tides was a tall figure in a long spreading cloak, fringed with drops of crystal and pearls, and trimmed with foam. In her right hand she carried a jeweled scepter, and in her left a full moon, and on her head was a silver crown.

"Her Majesty, the Queen of Tides," whispered the mermaid as they all courtesied low.

When Susan raised her head again, the tides bowed and fell into the water head first, and a cloud of mist was