The Sea Fairies | Page 8

from us."
"Then you must be fairies if you've lived always," remarked Trot,
nodding wisely.
"We are, dear. We are the water fairies," answered the one with the
blonde hair, coming nearer and rising till her slender white throat
showed plainly.
"We--we're goners, Trot!" sighed Cap'n Bill with a white, woebegone
face.
"I guess not, Cap'n," she answered calmly. "These pretty mermaids
aren't going to hurt us, I'm sure."
"No indeed," said the first one who had spoken. "If we were wicked
enough to wish to harm you, our magic could reach you as easily upon
the land as in this cave. But we love little girls dearly and wish only to
please them and make their lives more happy."
"I believe that!" cried Trot earnestly.
Cap'n Bill groaned.
"Guess why we have appeared to you," said another mermaid, coming
to the side of the boat.
"Why?" asked the child.
"We heard you say yesterday you would like to see a mermaid, and so
we decided to grant your wish."
"That was real nice of you," said Trot gratefully.
"Also, we heard all the foolish things Cap'n Bill said about us,"
remarked the brown-haired one smilingly, "and we wanted to prove to
him that they were wrong."

"I on'y said what I've heard," protested Cap'n Bill. "Never havin' seen a
mermaid afore, I couldn't be ackerate, an' I never expected to see one
an' live to tell the tale."
Again the cave rang with merry laughter, and as it died away, Trot said,
"May I see your scales, please? And are they green and purple and pink
like Cap'n Bill said?" They seemed undecided what to say to this and
swam a little way off, where the beautiful heads formed a group that
was delightful to see. Perhaps they talked together, for the
brown-haired mermaid soon came back to the side of the boat and
asked, "Would you like to visit our kingdom and see all the wonders
that exist below the sea?"
"I'd like to," replied Trot promptly, "but I couldn't. I'd get drowned."
"That you would, mate!" cried Cap'n Bill.
"Oh no," said the mermaid. "We would make you both like one of
ourselves, and then you could live within the water as easily as we do."
"I don't know as I'd like that," said the child, "at least for always."
"You need not stay with us a moment longer than you please," returned
the mermaid, smiling as if amused at the remark. "Whenever you are
ready to return home, we promise to bring you to this place again and
restore to you the same forms you are now wearing."
"Would I have a fish's tail?" asked Trot earnestly.
"You would have a mermaid's tail," was the reply.
"What color would my scales be--pink, or purple?"
"You may choose the color yourself."
"Look ahere, Trot!" said Cap'n Bill in excitement. "You ain't thinkin' o'
doin' such a fool thing, are you?"
"'Course I am," declared the little girl. "We don't get such inv'tations

every day, Cap'n, and if I don't go now I may never find out how the
mermaids live."
"I don't care how they live, myself," said Cap'n Bill. "I jes' want 'em to
let ME live."
"There's no danger," insisted Trot.
"I do' know 'bout that. That's what all the other folks said when they
dove after the mermaids an' got drownded."
"Who?" asked the girl.
"I don't know who, but I've heard tell--"
"You've heard that no one ever saw a mermaid and lived," said Trot.
"To tell the tale," he added, nodding. "An' if we dives down like they
says, we won't live ourselves."
All the mermaids laughed at this, and the brown-haired one said, "Well,
if you are afraid, don't come. You may row your boat out of this cave
and never see us again, if you like. We merely thought it would please
little Mayre, and were willing to show her the sights of our beautiful
home."
"I'd like to see 'em, all right," said Trot, her eyes glistening with
pleasure.
"So would I," admitted Cap'n Bill, "if we would live to tell the tale."
"Don't you believe us?" asked the mermaid, fixing her lovely eyes on
those of the old sailor and smiling prettily. "Are you afraid to trust us to
bring you safely back?"
"N-n-no," said Cap'n Bill, "'tain't that. I've got to look after Trot."
"Then you'll have to come with me," said Trot decidedly, "for I'm
going to 'cept this inv'tation. If you don't care to come, Cap'n Bill, you

go home and tell mother I'm visitin' the mermaids."
"She'd scold me inter shivers!" moaned Cap'n Bill with a shudder. "I
guess I'd ruther take my chance down below."
"All right, I'm ready, Miss Mermaid," said Trot. "What shall I