[Illustration: "SAMMY". ] HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND BY EMILY PARET ATWATERAuthor of "Tommy's Adventures, " etc. _TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE "GREEN SHELL"_ _For much of the Natural History part of this little volume theauthor is indebted to M. C. Cooke's "Toilers of the Sea, " and Dr. G. Hartwig's "Denizens of the Deep. " She has thought it desirable tomingle some fiction with the facts, but trusts that the "GentleReader" will easily distinguish the one from the other. _ CONTENTS HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND I. HOW SAMMY WENT OUT TO SEE THE WORLD II. HOW SAMMY ESCAPED FROM THE SHARK AND MADE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THE HERMIT-CRAB III. THE STAR-FISH, THE UNSOCIABLE OYSTERS AND THE PILOT IV. ON TO CORAL-LAND V. IN CORAL-LAND List of Illustrations "SAMMY" HERMIT-CRAB HERMIT-CRAB IN SHELL CALLING CRAB STAR-FISHMeteor proved very friendly indeed HAMMERHEADED SHARKA Terribly Fierce Monster is the Hammerheaded Shark SWORD-FISHThe Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of All REMORAThe Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its Head TORPEDO-FISHOne of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish SEA-DEVILThe Treacherous Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish FLYING-FISHOne of the School of Flying-Fish which Sammy Met GLOBE-FISHA Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land PORCUPINE-FISHAnother Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land A COLONY OF SEA-ANEMONES A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF CORAL, ANDOCTOPUS SEA-SNAIL NAUTILUS COCKLE, SHOWING FOOT RAZOR-SHELL HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND "Well, children, " said grandma, "which shall it be, fairy stories, stories about giants, or 'really truly, ' stories?" They had been spending a month at the seashore, grandma, Bob andEleanor. Little Bob had been very ill in the spring, and when hotweather came the doctor ordered sea air and sea bathing to bring backcolor to the pale cheeks, and strength to the thin little body. But Bob's father was a poor country parson and there seemed no way tofill the doctor's prescription. At this juncture grandma, like thecharming fairy godmother that she was, appeared on the scene. She knewa quiet spot (one of the few still in existence), where there were nobig hotels, no board-walks, and no merry-go-rounds. It was the veryplace where she wanted to go to get rid of her rheumatism; Bob andEleanor should go with her, and their father and mother could followlater when the parson's vacation came. It took but a short time to carry out this delightful plan, and at theopening of my story the children had already been a week at theseashore. Such fun as they had been having bathing, digging in thesand, gathering shells and seaweed, or sitting quietly with grandmaunder the big umbrella, watching the waves break and roll up on theshore! And after supper there was always that pleasant half hour, onthe little balcony overlooking the ocean, when grandma told herbedtime stories. They were all sitting there on this particular evening, grandma in herbig rocking-chair, and Bob and Eleanor on their favorite cushions ather feet. The little folks had been begging for their usual treat, forgrandma's stories were delightful, and her fund of knowledge (to thechildren), quite limitless. "I'm getting too old for fairy stories, " said Eleanor, who was elevenand had advanced ideas. "Only real _little_ children believe ingoblins and giants, and I'm in the third reader now. " "I like 'em, " said dreamy, nine-year old Bob, "fairies and giants canalways do things that just ordinary people can't. Please do tell ussome fairy stories, grandma. " "No, true stories, " insisted Eleanor. "How would it do to make a compromise?" suggested grandma. "You wereasking me some questions yesterday about the shells, seaweed and allthe fascinating things found on the shore. Suppose I tell you a storyabout all the wonderful creatures that live in the ocean? The part ofit that tells how they live and grow, and get their food will be alltrue, and I think Eleanor will find it more marvelous than themake-believe part, which will tell about the adventures, and theconversations that our hero had with the strange creatures that he metwith in his wanderings. " This proposition was agreeable; the children settled themselvescomfortably to listen, and grandma, with her eyes on a passing sail, began-- CHAPTER I HOW SAMMY WENT OUT TO SEE THE WORLD Once upon a time there lived in the depths of a deep, tranquil pool ayoung salmon, whom we will call "Sammy, " for short. He was a veryhandsome fish, and decidedly vain of his good looks. His flesh was abeautiful pink, and the scales that form the armor, or coat-of-mail ofmost fishes, were particularly handsome on Sammy, and glittered withmany colors in the sunlight. He had a very graceful shape besides, andhis fins were the envy of all the young fish of his acquaintance. Almost all fishes have a great many fins, and although they differsometimes in position and number according to the fish, the mostimportant ones are the Dorsal fin, which stands straight up from theback, the Caudal fin, which is in the end of the tail, and thePectoral fins, which are at the sides and take the place of feet inanimals. These fins all help to make the fish the splendid swimmers that theyare, and are large and strong, or small and weak, according to whichpart of the water the fish inhabits. If he prefers the surface of theocean, or a large body of water, his fins must be large enough, andstrong enough to battle against fierce waves, and strong tides, whilethe fish who lives far below where the water is more calm finds hisweaker fins ample for his needs. The long, oval body which most fishespossess is another great help in gliding rapidly through the water. Like others of his kind Sammy had a very strong spine in which was anair-bladder. By pressing the air out of this he could swim easily at agreat depth, and by inflating it to let the air in, like a balloon, hecould rise and swim along the surface. Sammy's eyes were large and round, and he could see splendidly, especially when the water was clear. His hearing, as well as his senseof smell was also good, and he breathed through the gills on each sideof his throat. When taken out of the water the fish really dies ofsuffocation, for the water that enters its throat and flows outthrough the gills is the air that keeps it alive. Sammy's maiden aunt, an old fish who lived in the same stream withhim, used to tell strange tales of fish that can live several days outof water by reason of the different formation of their gills. One of these is a tropical fish called the Anabas. It has very strongPectoral fins which it uses like feet when on land, and it will evenclimb trees to catch the insects which it eats. Another fish of this sort is the Frog-Fish, a hideous creature whichis caught near Asia. It can crawl about a room, if shut up in one, andlooks exactly like an ugly frog. But the most wonderful of all is a South American fish called theHassar. It usually lives in pools of water inland, and if the poolwhere it is happens to dry up, it will travel a whole night over landin search of a new home. It is an experienced traveler, and is said tosupply itself with water for its journey. If the Hassar finds all thepools and streams dried up, it will bury itself in the sand, and fallinto a kind of stupor until the rainy season comes around and bringsit back to life. "Aunt Sheen, " so called from the beauty of her skin, used to tellSammy another story about this famous fish. It seems that the Hassarbuilds a nest just like a bird, only hers is under water along thereeds and rushes of some shore. The nest is made of vegetable fibres, and is shaped like a hollow ball, flat at the top. From a hole in thisball the mother can pass in and out, and she watches over her nestwith the most tender care, until the young ones leave it. Fishermen catch the Hassar by holding a basket in front of the nestand beating it with sticks. When the poor mother comes out to defendher family, she falls into the basket and is captured. "And serves her right, too, " Aunt Sheen always concluded. "Building anest and watching over it is a silly thing for a sensible fish to do. No one ever thinks of such behavior except some miserable little fishcalled Sticklebacks, and a few other inferior kinds. Why couldn't sheleave her spawn in a quiet place somewhere near the shore, and thenlet them hatch out and look after themselves? That's the way I wasbrought up. " Now, this speech may sound very unkind and even heartless, but leavingthe young to look after themselves is the customary thing amongfishes. And when you consider that one mother fish often has manyhundreds of children, it is not to be wondered at that she finds itimpossible to take care of such a very large family. The deep sea fishes come to the shore in the breeding season, deposittheir eggs, or spawn, in some convenient spot, sometimes in theseaweed, or in vegetable matter, sometimes in the sand, on rocks, orin little, secluded pools, and then they bother themselves no moreabout their offspring. The salmon, and some other kinds of sea fish go up the rivers andstreams inland to deposit their young. Salmon are very strong, andthey can make tremendous leaps and shoot up rapids with greatswiftness. Indeed, the salmon is one of the most rapid swimmers in thefish family, and it is said that one salmon could make a tour of theworld in a few weeks. Sammy was very proud of his family, as well he might be, for hismaiden aunt was always telling stories of their relations andconnections. Aunt Sheen was a big fish, the oldest and largest, not only in her ownpool, but in all the salmon stream. In her youth she had been a greattraveler and seen many wonderful sights, and was regarded with awe andadmiration by the younger fish. But she had grown fat and lazy withage, and was now content to spend the remainder of her days in thisquiet stream which hid itself among the northern pines a good manymiles from the sea. It was a pleasant place, with deep, still pools here and there in theshade, nice, slippery mossy rocks to hide under, and sunlit shallowswhere the water rippled over the white pebbles, or leaped musicallydown a tiny waterfall. Such merry times as Sammy and his companions had chasing each other upand down the stream, leaping the waterfall, jumping over the rocks, and playing hide-and-seek in the shallows. Then there was always theexcitement of watching for the flies and different insects thathovered near, and which made delicious meals when caught. The youngsalmon used to boast of the flies they had captured, just as boys andmen do of their luck in fishing. But our hero soon grew tired of this quiet life. It seemed very stupidand humdrum when compared with Aunt Sheen's marvelous tales of thegreat ocean, and the strange sights and thrilling adventures thatthere awaited the voyager. He was larger than his brothers andsisters, his sea-going instinct was strong within him, he longed forthe wonders of the great, unknown world, and grew tired of AuntSheen's repeated warnings. This old fish always professed to be entirely uninterested in thedoings of her youthful relatives. It was a matter of creed with her. But in spite of this fact she was very fussy over the young fish, andgave them a great deal of what Sammy considered tiresome advice. "There is safety in numbers, " was her favorite saying. "When you wantto go on a journey wait until your companions are ready, and go in aschool. Dreadful things always happen to young fish if they start outby themselves, they get eaten by sharks, or caught by those awfultwo-legged monsters on land, and the devil-fish is always on thelookout for them. " "But, " Sammy would protest, "you have always said that some of themost terrible experiences you ever had came when you were with a lotof others. That time you were nearly speared going up the rapids youwere in a school, and when you were caught in the net and it broke--" "It wouldn't have broken if there hadn't been a school of fish in it, "interrupted his aunt, tartly. "That just proves what I say; the weightof so many made the hole, and so I escaped. "The only time when I came near getting caught was once when I wasalone and got a hook in my gills. My! it was terrible! I ought to haveknown better, but I was very hungry that morning, and when I saw thatbeautiful fly hanging over the water--" But Sammy had heard this story many times before, and was tired of theconversation. "I don't want to wait any longer for these lazy brothers and sistersof mine to get ready, " he said crossly. "Besides, if I did go in aschool, _I_ might get speared, or caught so that the rest couldget away, and that would not suit me a bit. I'd rather risk theflies. " "You are an impertinent young fish, " said Aunt Sheen, and she retiredunder her favorite rock in a rage. That night when everything was very still, and all the world seemedasleep, alone and unobserved Sammy swam quietly down stream andstarted alone on his wanderings. It was a lovely moonlight night, and only the faint sighing of thewind in the pine-trees broke the silence. On and on swam Sammy following the stream as it twisted and turned nowin the shadow, now in the moonlight. Now it flowed along straight andsmooth with scarcely a ripple, its banks sweet with dew-soaked wildflowers, and now it dashed against a huge rock which partly blockedits path, or glided swiftly over shallow rapids. All night long Sammy kept on his way, and all the time he felt that hewas gradually going down, down, down, as the stream crept towards thesea. The next morning he found himself in a strange country. The littlestream down which he had been traveling had become a river. There werehouses here and there on the shores, cultivated fields andpasture-lands, and in some places cattle browsed on the banks, orstood knee-deep in the water. The strange sights and sounds filled Sammy with awe, and somethinglike fear. He kept carefully in deep water and occasionally hid undera rock when he saw a big, strange fish approaching, for he knew thatlarge fish often ate smaller ones. Once in a while he stopped to ask a question of some brother salmon asto the right way to go, but the answer was always, "Follow the riverand you can't go wrong, " and follow the river he did. When noon came he was fortunate enough to catch several fat flies, which made a delicious meal. Then he rested and dozed for a time inthe shade of the bank, after which, feeling much refreshed, he startedagain on his journey. For a day or so he traveled on, stopping only for a little rest andfood, and getting more and more eager and excited all the time as heneared his destination. Once the journey came near having an untimely ending for, unheedingAunt Sheen's caution as to strange flies, he leaped eagerly at aparticularly beautiful one poised over his head. Fortunately for ourhero a strong puff of wind blew the fly aside at that moment, but notbefore the cruel hook which was concealed in it had grazed his tendermouth. A good deal scared by his adventure, and feeling much lessself-confident, Sammy swam away, resolved to avoid all suspiciousinsects in the future. He had several other narrow escapes at thisstage of his journey, but they are not important enough to mentionhere. But always as he journeyed on the river grew wider and wider, deeperand deeper. Strange dark shapes passed over his head, strange fishswam past him, the banks seemed very far away, and the currents werestrong and hard to swim against. For quite a while there had been a new and delightfully salt taste andsmell to the water, it became stronger and stronger as he went on;then there was a roar of breakers along the shores, and the swift tideswept Sammy away from the river's mouth, and out into the vast ocean. CHAPTER II HOW SAMMY ESCAPED FROM THE SHARK AND MADE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THEHERMIT-CRAB Oh a wily old crab is the Hermit-Crab, And a crafty old crab is he! His home he makes in a stolen cell, And the passing stranger he loves full well But beware of his hospitality! For a hungry old crab is the Hermit-Crab, And a wicked old crab is he. "Dear me! what a very large place the sea is, " said Sammy. He had gonequite a distance before he realized that the occasion for hurry wasnow over, and then he rose gracefully to the surface and looked abouthim. Overhead stretched the blue sky speckled with fleecy, whiteclouds, and off in the distance a long line of white sand showed theshore line, against which the incoming tide sent its undulatingbillows. Near the shore circled a flock of sea-gulls, and far away, where sea and sky seemed to meet, the white sails of a ship gleamed inthe sun. In every other direction, as far as the eye could reach, stretched the blue waters of the ocean. Presently a large fish sprang from the waves, his silvery scalessparkling in the sun, then fell back with a gentle splash. Thisrecalled Sammy to himself, and diving hastily below, he swam slowlyabout looking at his surroundings with a good deal of curiosity. It was a strange world on which he gazed. Water was everywhere, above, below, and on all sides, and strange weeds and vegetables grew up fromhidden rocks. A graceful jelly-fish floated past, expanding andcontracting its umbrella-shaped body, and waving about its long armsor tentacles. Queer fish of all shapes and sizes swam about, thelarger ones eying the stranger curiously, the smaller keeping at arespectful distance. But Sammy had a very friendly feeling towards them all, and was justabout to speak to a near-by fish, whose appearance seemed to indicatethat he might belong to the Salmon family, when suddenly there was ageneral hurrying out of the way on all sides. Many of the fish divedquickly below to hide in some convenient spot, and the more rapidswimmers took to their fins with great haste. Turning quickly to see the cause of the commotion, Sammy discovered alarge, and very hungry-looking shark just behind him. The creature hada hideous mouth, with several rows of sharp teeth, and while notdangerous to man, this Dog-Fish, or Blue Shark, has a great liking foryoung and tender fish. This fact our hero instantly divined, and sped away as fast as hisfins could carry him, Mr. Shark in hot pursuit. Sammy had theadvantage of being some distance from his enemy when discovered, butsharks are extremely swift swimmers, and for a time it seemed as ifpoor Sammy's fate was sealed. No matter how hard he swam the monsterslowly gained on him. No race with his playfellows in the stream athome was ever so exciting as this. All the famous swimming qualitiesof his family were put to the test now, as he darted like an arrowthrough the water, the cruel shark close behind. But presently Sammy began to tire. In another moment all would havebeen over, had he not spied far below him, partly hidden by seaweed, aledge of large rocks. His instinct told him that under one of those hemight find a hiding place. Down he darted, as quick as a flash, and inanother instant just as the shark turned on his side and opened hishuge jaws, Sammy lay safe, but quivering, in a friendly hollow underthe sheltering rocks. Mr. Shark, disappointed at losing his dinner, swam around and aroundthe ledge vainly trying to find some way of squeezing his big body inamong the crevices of the rocks, but at length abandoned the attemptas hopeless, and departed in a very bad humor to look for anothervictim. It was some time before Sammy recovered enough from his fright to lookabout him, but presently his ever-present curiosity overcame otherfeelings, and he began to examine his new quarters with much interest. He was in a tiny cave, whose hard bottom was covered with sand and muddeposited by the constant washing of the tide. From the walls andceiling hung curious weeds, and a few brightly colored shells lay inlittle holes and crevices formed in the rock. While thus employed in viewing his surroundings Sammy discovered acrab partly hidden in the mud on the floor of the cave. It was a verystrange-looking creature, for while the fore part of it had legs andclaws like an ordinary crab, the rear part was concealed in the shellof a large sea-snail. [Illustration: HERMIT CRAB. ] As Sammy gazed the crab slowly crept out from the mud, still keeping awatchful eye on the intruder. "Fine day, " said Sammy, pleasantly. "Charming, " replied the Crab. "Water's a little cool, though, " said Sammy. "It's very comfortable in here, " said the Crab, "and the tide is veryfavorable this morning; it brought me in some fine fat snails forbreakfast. By the way, have you had breakfast?" And as he spoke heagain retreated into the mud. "Oh, yes, indeed!" replied Sammy, politely, "I had a good meal sometime ago before the shark got after me. " And, forthwith, he gave athrilling account of his adventure, adding something to it after themanner of storytellers, and throwing in a description of his past lifeand present ambition. To all of which the Crab listened with mostflattering interest. "Remarkable, " he murmured. "You have no idea how delightful it is fora poor Hermit like me to hear something of the outside world. I leadsuch a retired life that it is a real pleasure to entertain a strangerin my humble abode. This little cave is mine by the right ofpossession, and in it I live, far from the whirl of society, and beingsecluded in my habits, and somewhat bashful, I always retire into themud when strangers appear. Occasionally when crabs, (little ones), sea-snails, and small shell-fish wander in in search of apartments Iconsent to have a short conference with them, but it is a rare thingfor me to speak to a fish as large as yourself. " "I am highly honored, " said our hero. "But tell me, how do you happen to have that large shell on yourback?" "That, " replied the Crab, proudly, "is the former home of a Sea-Snail, now alas! no more. You see my name of the Hermit-Crab comes from myliking to conceal my tail, which is long and soft, with two or threehooks on it, in the empty shell of some sea animal, snail, or thelike. Unlike the ordinary crabs, our branch of the family all possessthese tails. Our only hope of prolonging our existence is to protectthis weak tail, so as soon as we are born we crawl into some emptyshell, and holding on with the hooks, are thus fairly well protectedfrom attacks in the rear. We can carry the shell about with us, and intime, as we grow bigger, it becomes necessary to find a larger one. The shell in which I now live once belonged to a big snail. It wasjust the right size for my needs, and, there being no other way out ofthe difficulty, I was compelled to eat him up in order to getpossession of his home. It was a wrong act, the impulse of a moment, and I assure you that I have always deeply regretted the cruel deed, "and the Hermit paused to sigh deeply. [Illustration: HERMIT CRAB IN SHELL. ] Now Sammy had very small faith in the repentance of the Hermit. Infact he had a suspicion that he was a bloodthirsty old hypocrite, andthat those unwary strangers who had come to look for apartments in thepast, had never returned alive. This was an uncomfortable thought, sohe kept a sharp eye on the Hermit, while he listened to the longdescription the other gave him of the habits and customs of hisfamily. Our hero was soon to learn that bragging about one's ancestors andconnections was not a weakness confined alone to Aunt Sheen, for manyother fish possessed it, and this seems strange when they openlydeclared that they sometimes devoured their younger and weakerrelations. The Hermit-Crab belonged to a large family called the Crustaceans. Allkinds of crabs, lobsters, as well as shrimps, barnacles, sea-acorns, etc. , are members of this family, though all belong to differentbranches of it. The lobster is first cousin to the crab, thoughsomewhat larger, yet the two resemble each other very closely. Thecrab has four pairs of legs, as well as a large pair of claws. He is arapid swimmer, though his sidewise motion gives him a very awkwardappearance. And, although a great eater, it hardly seems likely thatMr. Crab ever suffers from indigestion, since nature has given himeight jaws, and a large stomach furnished with teeth. He has also aheart, and liver. The crab, in common with the lobster, possesses one very convenientpeculiarity. He can cast off a claw if it is hurt in any way, and hesometimes throws one or two away if he is frightened by thunder, forhe is a great coward in a thunder-storm. But, no matter in what waythe claw is lost, Mr. Crab can grow another one, although it will notbe as large, or as strong as the first one. The claws of a crab are his weapons, and terrible ones they are, too. With them he defends himself against his enemies, and with them heattacks his prey and tears it to pieces. His bill of fare is composed of some kinds of fish and lower wateranimals; and it is said that some crabs feed on sharks and whales. Inreturn fishes, sea-stars, sea-urchins and some shell-fish eat theyoung crustaceans, and even attack the larger ones. In the sand of the seashore the mother crab, or lobster, lays hereggs, and there she leaves them to be hatched by the sun. Severalthousand eggs are laid at a time, but as many of the water animalsfeed on the eggs and young, of course all the members of this largefamily do not come to mature crabhood. Lobsters like best to live along rocky shores, where the water isclear and deep, and there they are caught in small wicker baskets, ornets. As for the crab, he loves to hide in the mud, and he can live longerthan the lobster when taken out of the water, by reason of thedifferent formation of his gills. The Hermit-Crab seemed particularly proud of some of his relations wholive on land, and told Sammy marvelous tales of their strange habits. Some of these land-crabs will suffocate if dipped in the water. Theylive in the shades of the deep forest, often a long way from the sea, but come to the seashore at certain seasons to lay their eggs in thesand. When once they have started on their march to the sea nothingcan turn them aside from the path in which they are traveling. Another cousin of the Hermit lives in the East and West Indies. It iscalled the "Calling Crab, " because it has a very large claw which itholds above its head when running, and this gives it the appearance ofbeckoning to some one. This Calling Crab makes its home in holes, orburrows on land. [Illustration: CALLING CRAB. ] Still another land relation is the East India Cocoa-Nut Crab, whichlives upon the cocoanuts that fall from the trees. With its large, heavy claws it tears the husk from the cocoanut, and makes a hole inthe nut, and takes out the meat. These crabs also make their homes indeep burrows, which they line with the husks and fibres from thecocoanuts. Though a land crab the Cocoa-Nut cousin is fond of the sea, and takes a bath in it every night. These crabs grow to a very largesize. Crabs, and all crustaceans multiply enormously, and are of all sizesfrom very tiny ones to one respectable Japan crab which coverstwenty-five feet of ground. In the tropics they grow very large, andare of many different varieties. Some crabs live in fresh water rivers and streams, some of the lowerforms of the family in the extreme North, and others in dark, under-ground caves. Like almost all of the crustaceans, the crabs and lobsters cast theirshells every year. Besides indulging in this habit himself, theHermit-Crab had once witnessed the toilet of a large lobster, and hegave Sammy a graphic description of the operation. It seems that some days before it was time for him to get his newsuit, Mr. Lobster retired to a quiet place, gave up all society, andfasted rigorously. Of course this severe treatment soon caused him tolose flesh; he became thinner and thinner and the shell grew looserand looser. After awhile he grew restless. Evidently his peace of mindand body was much disturbed, for he rolled about, scratched himself, and crawled here and there as if distracted. Soon after this his shellsplit clear up the back, and then such a wriggling, and tugging andsquirming as there was until finally the whole outside shell of thelobster, legs, claws, and everything else was forced through thenarrow slit in his back! When the old shell was gotten off it looked exactly like the livinglobster; and as for Mr. Lobster himself, lo! he was clothed in a brannew suit of clothes. But although undoubtedly proud of his fineapparel, he was too cautious to show it off as yet. He knew full wellthat his new shell was very soft and tender, and that his enemiesliked him best in this condition, and that, alas! even his own familywould not hesitate, if they discovered him, to have a feast at hisexpense. So, knowing his danger, and being pretty well tired after hisstruggle with his toilet, Mr. Lobster prudently retired from the gazeof the outside world, until his new shell hardened. But, when that was accomplished and he sallied forth, courageous andvery hungry, you may be sure that an unhappy fate awaited the weak andtender member of fishland that fell in his path! Surely the life of a fish must be far from monotonous, since he hasalways the excitement of hunting his own meals, and keeping out of theway of others of his kind who are hunting for him! Still, nervousprostration is quite unknown in that big water-world, and so it is tobe inferred that the fishes live only for the pleasures of the day, and do not worry over the possible unpleasant things of the morrow. "Which, " said grandma, as she folded up her sewing, "is often a verygood principle to go on. So, children, off to bed with you, andanother evening we will learn how Sammy met the Pilot. " CHAPTER III THE STAR-FISH, THE UNSOCIABLE OYSTERS AND THE PILOT It is not to be wondered at that our hero should feel a good deal ofdistrust concerning his host. To be sure the Hermit had declared thathe never preyed upon fish as large as Sammy, since they invariablydisagreed with him, and he was very polite and affable to his guest. But there was a certain suggestiveness about some of his remarks thatwas unpleasant, and his furtive, watchful gaze made Sammy nervous. Thewicked old Hermit's mouth was really watering for this innocent, fresh-water fish, and he was only awaiting a favorable opportunity toseize him with his cruel claws. Fortunately for Sammy his instincttold him that the crab was a dangerous companion. So he soon found anexcuse to leave the cave on an exploring expedition, greatly to theHermit's regret. Sammy's experience with the shark was still fresh in his mind, and fora time he kept close to the ledge ready for a dash to safety shoulddanger again threaten. It was a most interesting place to explore, this ledge. There were bigrocks and little rocks, flat rocks, rocks hidden by mud and sand, andsharp, jutting rocks full of peril to ships at low tide. In one or two places near the ledge the ocean was so very deep thatSammy never ventured to explore its depths, while from another pointhe could clearly see the sand at the bottom of the sea, and loved todescend and swim lazily about examining the shell-fish, sea-snails andother curious creatures that made their home there. The long ledge had many inhabitants and Sammy was soon on very goodterms with a couple of jolly sea-urchins, whose round, prickly bodieswere half hidden in the little holes which they had bored in the rock. The sea-urchins made him acquainted with some relations of theirs, afamily of star-fish living on a flat shelf of rock near by. Thestar-fishes proved very agreeable companions, being both polite andpretty. They had lovely orange colored backs, out of which protrudedtheir five arms, or rays, giving them the star-like appearance fromwhich they get their name. Under these rays were rows of tiny feelers, or suckers which they used as feet. With these a star-fish can crawlabout, or even turn himself over if he wishes to, and if he isdisturbed or frightened these little feelers shrink up and concealthemselves in tiny holes in the rays. Some star-fishes have the power of breaking off their rays, and, likethe crab and lobster, can grow new ones to take their place. They havemany beautiful relations in the star-fish family, one of the loveliestbeing the Brittle-star, so called because it will break in pieces whentouched. Another relative is the Sun-star, which has twelve or fifteenrays, and often grows to a very large size. Its color is sometimespurple, sometimes red, with white rays tipped with red; truly agorgeous creature, and no doubt very vain of his wonderful beauty! All star-fishes have mouths and stomachs, which they put to good use, being exceedingly fond of oysters, and such like, which they suck outof their shells when opportunity offers. One of this particular Star-Fish family, Meteor by name, proved veryfriendly indeed to Sammy, and through him our hero learned of a fineOyster Colony which had established itself on a mud bank not very fardistant. [Illustration: STAR-FISH. Meteor proved very friendly indeed. ] Now Sammy was naturally of an inquisitive disposition, and an OysterColony being something new he was anxious to visit it. Meteor was alsoeager to pay a call, not so much from curiosity, as in the hope ofextracting a fat bivalve from his shell for dinner. So one fine day off the two started, Sammy swimming slowly to keep upwith his companion, and presently they came in sight of the Colony. Itwas a large mud bank literally covered with oysters. Some were halfhidden, others piled one upon another, and still others in littlegroups apart. Such a quantity as there were, and such queer-looking, dirty things, with their rough shells hinged at the back! Every mouthwas wide open, eagerly sucking in the tiny water animals and plants onwhich the oyster feeds. They paid but small attention to Sammy, but as soon as Meteor came insight, shell after shell quickly closed, and the whole Colonyimmediately became to all appearances, a deaf, dumb and blind asylum. Not a sign betrayed that they were living creatures, and the disgustof the two adventurers may well be imagined. In vain did Sammy askquestions, and put forth his best conversational powers; in vain didthe Star-Fish attempt to conceal his identity by hiding in the mud, the cautious oysters were not to be fooled, and finally, much put out, the two companions were obliged to retire unsatisfied. "It's all my fault, " grumbled the Star-Fish, as they moved slowlyaway. "I should have had sense enough to creep along in a lessconspicuous manner. You see so many different kinds of sea-folks, crabs, sea-snails, etc. , as well as our own family feed on the oystersthat it makes them very timid, and they close their shells at theleast sign of danger. And, of course, once the shells are shut thesharpest and most experienced claw is of no use. It is much easier tohunt oysters before the shell hardens, though it is not considered asmuch sport. " "Are oysters' shells ever soft?" inquired Sammy in great surprise. "Oh, yes, indeed!" said Meteor, in a very superior tone. "Why Isupposed that every fish in the sea knew that, but I forget, you arefrom the fresh water. "The young oysters are hatched in the shell of the mother in the formof eggs. She keeps them for awhile, but presently sets them free, andalthough they are very tiny, they have eyes to see with, and can swimabout. The oysters have large families, and I knew of one Lady Oysterwho had two million young ones, but of course, only a few lived togrow up, since they are greatly prized as food by all fish, anddelicious meals they make too, as I can tell you from experience. "But about the young oysters: Well they are driven about by thecurrents and tides, and finally attach themselves to some object, likea rock, or hide in the sand and mud, and there they take uphousekeeping for life, for, once their shell hardens, they cannotmove. "They are stupid creatures as compared with superior fish, like youand me for instance; but of course, since they have no head proper, they cannot be expected to use their brains. An Oyster has a largeheart, however, as well as eyes, mouth, lips and liver, and hebreathes through little tiny things like leaflets on each side of hisbody. I have heard that the oysters in the Indian Ocean contain verybeautiful and costly pearls, as well as those in the Pacific, andother seas, and a good many common oysters have pearls in them too. "They say that the two-legged land race value the oyster on account ofthe pearls, and that they are very fond of it as an article of food:and indeed I've been told that this horrible race of land creatureswill devour or make use of in some way, almost anything that comes outof the water. How glad I am that I live in the sea, instead of onshore! "However, as I was saying, the oysters have lots of enemies, and theymake few friends outside of their own family, and no wonder when youconsider how very stuck-up they are. " "They are certainly very unsociable, " agreed Sammy. "Still it has beennice to learn as much about them as you have been able to tell me, andI am greatly obliged to you. " "Don't mention it, " returned the Star-Fish, affably. "I make it mybusiness to know the manner of life and habits of the creatures I liveupon, and a good deal about those I have to avoid, and it will give megreat pleasure to give you any information in my power. And above allthings beware of that old hypocrite the Hermit-Crab, and all hisfamily. " This friendly advice proved of great benefit to Sammy during his stayat the ledge, and indeed, all through his life in the ocean. As heacquired a greater knowledge of the ways of the sea he lost much ofhis timidity, though none of that caution that is the safeguard ofevery wise fish. Each day as he took longer trips about the ledge, he made newdiscoveries and new acquaintances, and though these were allinteresting, yet he longed to leave the ledge entirely and journey toCoral-Land. Of this wonderful, faraway country he had heard marveloustales from Aunt Sheen, although she herself had never seen it. Eversince his smallest fishhood Sammy had longed to see with his own eyesthe glories of this delightful place, where the coral grew, sea-flowers bloomed, and hundreds of lovely fish swam about in thecalm, blue water. But it was a long distance, and he knew that manydangers awaited the inexperienced traveler. So, although he neverabandoned his intention of visiting the spot which he had come so farto see, he wisely decided to wait until some fish more versed in theways of the sea than himself, should be going in his direction. To this end, guided by the advice of Meteor, he accosted several fishwho might prove desirable companions, but for a time with no success. The Herring was unwilling to leave the school which he was going tojoin; the Cod was bound for Newfoundland with his family, and fearedthat a warmer climate would not agree with the children. A short conversation with a Mackerel proved more satisfactory. Mr. Mackerel was in a great hurry, for having heard that a school ofherring had gone on ahead, he anticipated a good meal, and was anxiousto be off. "This is my busy day, " he said impatiently in answer to Sammy'squestion. "No, I am not going to Coral-Land, it's too far south for meat this reason. But if you will wait here awhile you may see a cousinof mine who might act as guide. He is a Pilot-Fish and is out of a jobat present. You will know him by the three dark blue bands about hisbody. Now, I really must say good-day, " and away he swam in atremendous hurry. For some time longer Sammy lingered near examining the different fishthat passed, but none with three bands about his body was to be seen. At length a large fish of a silver color appeared, and as he swamleisurely nearer Sammy saw that the stranger was indeed marked withthree dark blue bands. Surely this must be the Pilot, and as such headdressed him. "Yes, that is my name, " replied the Pilot, who had a very shrewdfish-of-the-sea expression; "and so Cousin Mack. Told you I was out ofa job, did he? Well so I am, but I was intending to take a rest beforegoing to work again. However, I would be willing to take charge of youthis trip as a special favor. "Oh, yes! I've been to Coral-Land a great many times, and know all theregular inhabitants as well as the ordinary visitors. But as this isyour first trip, and as it is always more trouble to pilot aninexperienced fish, I think I will have to make a little extra charge. My terms are usually one-half of all the feed, but in your case Ithink I should have to ask a little more, say three-quarters. Is thatsatisfactory?" "Perfectly, " replied Sammy, delighted to make any arrangement, although he had a suspicion that the sly Pilot was taking advantage ofhis greenness. "Very well then, " said the Pilot, "I will take you to Coral-Land onthose terms, and will guarantee to protect you as far as possible, from all danger. I am well known as an excellent guide, the WhiteShark will testify as to my ability in that line. But don't getfrightened, " he added, as Sammy began to shiver at the mention of theShark's name. "I forgot that you are not on as good terms with thesharks as I am. However I am not on speaking acquaintance with them atpresent, and since I know their habits, will promise to keep you wellout of their way. "And now suppose we look about for a bite for supper, talking alwaysmakes me very hungry, then to-morrow I will meet you at the ledge, andwe can start fresh on our journey. " CHAPTER IV ON TO CORAL-LAND For him who goes a-traveling Upon the stormy sea, A tried and trusty pilot Is the safest company. "And did the Pilot really take good care of Sammy?" asked Bob, anxiously, as he and Eleanor took their places on the little balconywith grandma, and eagerly awaited the continuation of the ocean story. "I don't believe he did, " said his sister positively. "I just knowthat old Pilot was a hypocrite like the Hermit-Crab and ate up poorSammy the first chance he got. " "Time will show, " said the old lady as she snipped her silk with hersilver scissors. "It is a very bad plan to read the last chapter of abook first. " As for the Pilot, he had his weaknesses and faults like all people andall fish, and what they were we will find out as we go along. * * * * * Bright and early the next morning Sammy bade farewell to his friendsat the ledge, and in company with his guide started forth on his longjourney to Coral-Land. All the Star-Fishes and Sea-Urchins assembledto see him off, and wish him a safe and prosperous voyage. Even theHermit peered cautiously out from his cave, and waved an adieu withone claw. But his crafty eyes had a wistful expression as though hesaid to himself, "My what a fool I was to let that fellow escape!" "Speaking of sharks, " remarked the Pilot, as he and his companionglided easily through the water, "many unjust things have been saidabout me because I am sometimes seen with the White Shark. They say afish is always known by the company he keeps, but I think it is veryunfair to judge me in that way, particularly as I never stayed withthe shark because I liked him. I knew him for a heartless andferocious monster who would attack anything that came in his way, andI was a good deal afraid of him. I only went with him as a matter ofconvenience to myself. But it was commonly supposed that I accompaniedhim as a guide in order to show him the best feeding places, and tellhim what dangers to avoid, and that was how I got my name of thePilot-Fish. But the real reason was that I got better food when incompany with the White Shark than any other way. "Our usual plan was to follow some ship, which we often did for weeks, or months at a time, for a great deal of nice fish food is alwaysthrown overboard from vessels; and as the White Shark only cared forthe big pieces, all the tender little morsels fell to my lot. I livedwell in those days, but I had to give up the job after awhile, thenervous strain was too great. "You see the White Shark that I was with then was a very big fellow, (fully thirty feet long), and just as strong and ugly as he was big. Once, down in the tropics where he usually lives, I saw him break aman's leg with one stroke of his tail. His temper was awful, and hewould stop at nothing when angry. He had enormous jaws, with six rowsof flat teeth, and to see him turn on his side, and open those jawswas enough to give you cold chills for a week. "The good food that we got from our ship usually kept the White Sharkin a fairly good humor, but, knowing him as I did, I was well awarethat if the food should happen to run short, he would not hesitate tomake a meal off of me; and although I am an excellent swimmer, andstood a good chance of being able to escape (else I should have neverbeen there at all), still there was always a possibility of somethingunpleasant happening, and it got to be rather wearing. "So, one day when we were following a particularly promising vessel, Imade an excuse to stay behind, while the White Shark went on alone, and when he and the ship were both out of sight, I took theopportunity to escape. Since then I have carefully avoided the societyof all sharks, but what I have learned about them and their ways hasbeen of great benefit to me, and will be a help to us now, since theyprefer the warm waters of the tropics, and that is where we are bound. However, you may trust me to keep as far out of their course aspossible. "We will need to keep a sharp lookout for the Blue Shark, whom youhave already had the pleasure of meeting, and we may catch a glimpseof the Hammer-headed Shark, a terribly fierce monster with a headshaped like a hammer. [Illustration: HAMMERHEADED SHARK A Terribly Fierce Monster is theHammerheaded Shark] "But the enemy that I dread most of all is the Sword-Fish, so namedfrom the long sword-shaped snout on his upper jaw. This sword is verystrong, and so sharp that it will easily pierce a boat. The WhiteShark is bad enough, but the Sword-Fish is even worse. His aim isunerring, and his disposition so fierce that he will attack anythingthat comes in his path, large or small. I saw one once that measuredtwenty feet, but that was from a safe distance, for I make it a ruleto give them all a wide berth. [Illustration: SWORD-FISH The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most ofAll] "Then there is the Saw-Fish, whose long snout has teeth on both sideslike a saw, and his company is not desirable either. "Fortunately for us the Sea-Wolf prefers the northern ocean, andfortunate it is for the northern fish that he is a slow swimmer, elsethe next census would show a decided decrease in the fish family. TheSea-Wolf has a tremendous appetite, and his huge jaws, armed each withsix rows of teeth, can easily crush the toughest shell-fish, of whichfood he is very fond. They are often to be seen over seven feet long, and being desperate fighters they are almost as much dreaded as theSword-Fish. " With these, and many other stories of the fish world the Pilotbeguiled the tedium of the journey. He told about the famousSucking-Fish, or Remora, which has a wonderful flat apparatus on itshead by which it sticks to any object, fish, rock, or ship to which itattaches itself, and once fixed it is impossible to make it loose itshold. The natives in Africa use this fish to catch turtles with. Theytie a long, stout string to the Remora, and throw the fish overboard. When the Remora finds a turtle it presses its head tightly against it, sticks fast, and both are hauled up together Sometimes the Remora willlift a turtle weighing many pounds. [Illustration: REMORA The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on itsHead] Another of the Pilot's favorite yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish whichmakes its home in the Mediterranean Sea, and which possesses powerfulelectric batteries with which it paralyzes its prey. [Illustration: TORPEDO-FISH One of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns WasAbout the Torpedo-Fish] Altogether the Pilot was a most interesting companion, his knowledgeof the sea was both useful and entertaining, and the sharp outlookthat he kept more than once saved them from unsuspected danger. Tothis watchfulness Sammy owed his escape from the Sea-Devil. Thistreacherous creature makes its home in the mud, which it stirs up inorder the better to conceal itself. While thus hidden, it waves aboutin the cloudy water two long, slender feelers, which to an unwary fishlook like some tempting article of food. Feeling decidedly hungrySammy was darting towards this apparently delicious meal, when thePilot interfered and explained the nature of the bait which was meantto attract him within reach of the Angler hidden in the mud. [Illustration: SEA-DEVIL The Treacherous Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish] Truth to tell our hero often went hungry during his somewhat lengthyjourney, for, in spite of his other most admirable qualities, thePilot-Fish was very greedy. Few indeed were the morsels that fell topoor Sammy's share when his guide had finished his meals, and theyoung salmon had occasion more than once to wish that he had driven asharper bargain. But, although he was growing thin, he comfortedhimself with the reflection that they were quickly nearing thepromised land, where the Pilot assured him delicious food of all kindsabounded. For now the water was growing warmer, more and more brilliant were thefish and ocean plants, and strange and beautiful rocks, like fairycastles rose up from the bed of the ocean. One morning they saw a strange sight. Away off in the distance thesurface of the water was dark with some large moving substance. "It is a school of Flying-Fish, " said the Pilot. "Wait here and youwill see them leap. " As he spoke the vast body sprang into the air, and the sun gleamedbrightly on beautiful blue bodies, and silver wings, as the fishessailed off in different directions. It was a wonderful sight, butlasted only for a moment, then splash, splash, one after another fellback into the water, while the sea-gulls circling near seemed to uttera scream of derision. Again and again, by hundreds at a time, thebeautiful fish leaped and sailed, only to fall back as before. [Illustration: FLYING-FISH One of the School of Flying-Fish WhichSammy Met] "They cannot really fly, you know, " explained the Pilot, "for they arenot able to raise themselves in the air after their first leap, andcan only sail for a few feet on a level. And those things that looklike wings are simply very large Pectoral fins, which can support themfor awhile in the air. And a very silly practice the whole thing istoo. Those fish would be a great deal better off if they only kept totheir own element, and stayed pretty well under water. As it is theyare in constant danger, for the sea-gulls are always watching for themabove, and the Bonito beneath. And that reminds me that it would besafer for us to dive below, for the Bonito is always to be metfollowing the Flying-Fish, and he is not particular, (being alwayshungry) as to what kind of fish he dines on. His usual plan is tofollow the Flying-Fish, keeping near the surface, and when the fish hehas picked out drops, the Bonito has his reward. He is a clever fish, and being a rapid swimmer, is fond of following vessels, like myself. The presence of the Flying-Fish proves that we are nearing ourdestination, and after a few more miles our journey will be over. " This was a cheering thought, and the two companions swam gaily alongin the best of spirits. Sammy would have liked to stop occasionally toexamine some particularly interesting object, but his guide hurriedhim on. "For, " said he, "this is by far the most dangerous part of ourvoyage. The most vicious of our enemies lurk outside of Coral-Landwaiting for a chance to grab the tourist, but, once inside that longreef that you see some distance ahead, and we are safe. I have aspecial entrance known to myself alone, and no very large fish, orshark can get through it. I only hope that we can reach it withoutbeing seen. " But it was a vain hope. No sooner were the words uttered, than someinstinct caused the Pilot to glance hastily behind him, and there, well in the rear to be sure, but moving towards them withuncomfortable swiftness, were two large, dark moving bodies. "Sharks!" cried Sammy in terror. "Sword-Fish!" said the more experienced Pilot. "Follow me and swim foryour life!" Away he darted, heading in a straight line for the high reef, awaydarted Sammy after him, and on came the murderous Sword-Fish. Fasterand faster swam the pursued, and faster and faster the pursuers. Onthey came, nearer, nearer and still nearer, their huge shapes andcruel swords suggesting a fearful death. Sammy's strength was almost gone, his fins were growing weaker, and heswam more and more slowly, while the mouth of the monster nearest himwatered in eager anticipation. But the dauntless Pilot still kept on his course, and showed no signof weakening. Straight at the large reef, now very near, he dashed, and then, just as destruction seemed certain, he swerved to the rightand disappeared from view in a mass of weeds that grew out from therock. With one last desperate effort Sammy followed, the weeds closedbehind him, and passing quickly through a small hole in the reef, helay, quivering, exhausted, but safe on the other side. Furious at their disappointment the Sword Fishes rushed at the reef, striking it again and again with their sharp swords in a vain attemptto pierce, or batter down the rock. Then they swam wildly aboutlooking for an entrance large enough for them to pass through, butnone was to be found, for the high, circular reef shut in the lagoonwhere the two refugees lay, like a wall. At length, tired out with their exertions, the two Sword-Fish gave upthe chase, and being in a very ill-temper, and having no one else tovent it on, they began to quarrel with each other. "It's all your fault anyway, " snarled Slasher, the biggest andcrossest fish. "How often have I told you to take my advice in thesematters! We should have kept further under water, as I suggested inthe first place, then we would not have been seen so soon. I've nopatience with your stupidity!" "Stupid yourself!" snapped his brother Jabber. "You know as well as Ido that it is much the best plan to keep on a straight line with theprey we are hunting. We can't half see if we are far above or below. If you hadn't splashed so loudly with your tail--" "I didn't splash with my tail, " retorted Slasher angrily. "You did, " insisted Jabber. "I say I didn't!" "I say you did!" * * * * * "Well, well, " said grandma, as she paused to gather up her fancy work, "everybody knows that a family quarrel is the worst kind of quarrel. But in this case the dispute had a speedy ending, for the two brothersfiercely attacked each other, and right there and then they fought aterrible duel, which only ended with the death of both combatants, foreach died pierced through the body with his brother's sword. "So perished the two dreaded sentinels of Coral-Land, and Sammy was athis journey's end. " CHAPTER V IN CORAL-LAND Oh! do you know Where the sea-flowers blow, Down deep in the ocean's bed? Where the shy plants hide 'Neath the swelling tide, And the Anemone lifts its head? Where the Nautilus frail, To set his sail, Creeps forth from the silver sand? Then come with me, And you will see The wonders of Coral-Land. "So this is Coral-Land!" exclaimed Sammy, wonderingly. "What abeautiful place it is!" He and his companion had soon recovered from the fright caused bytheir recent unpleasant experience, and now, filled with a comfortingsense of tranquillity, they swam leisurely along in the placid water. The dangers and privations of the journey were over, they had made anexcellent meal on some delicious tidbits found among the weeds, andnothing now remained but to enjoy to the full the delights of theirnew home. It was truly a charming place, being in reality a good sized lagoon, or lake, shut off from the outside world by the protecting coral-reefswhich encircled it like a large ring. There are many such lagoons, and this one, called by the fish-world, "Coral-Land, " because of the beautiful coral within its depths, wasonly one of many coral-lands, for coral-islands, and coral-reefs arefound everywhere in tropical seas. Sometimes these coral-reefs arefound near the shores of large islands, or continents, and then theyare called Shore-Reefs. There are also Barrier-Reefs, usuallyenclosing an island in the deep sea, and Lagoon Islands or Atolls, which enclose a lagoon, or lake, such as the one where Sammy now was. Near the centre of this Lagoon arose another ring of coral-reef, likea small circle within a larger circle, and in the centre of the secondlittle lake so formed, was a tiny coral-island, dotted here and therewith gay flowers, and waving palm-trees. Outside the reefs the white-topped breakers thundered on unceasingly, but the calm waters of the Lagoon were undisturbed by their fury. Farabove and below towered the magnificent rocks, forming so complete abarricade that sharks and very large fish found it difficult to gainan entrance to the Lagoon, and could never penetrate to the innerlake, where the inhabitants of Coral-Land sometimes took refuge. As for the smaller fish, the reefs were punctured with innumerablelittle passages and caverns through which they could easily gainaccess to the outside ocean, if they wished, but most of thempreferred the quiet and security of the Lagoon. Many had been bornthere and knew no other life, and many, like the Sun-Fish had grown sofat with good living that it would have been almost impossible forthem to squeeze through the largest opening. In fact the Lagoon was like a large aquarium of curious and beautifulfish. Floating lazily along was a round, prickly Globe-Fish, and closebehind him drifted a cross looking Porcupine-Fish, an odd, countrifiedsort of creature, with his gaping mouth, the sharp spines on his uglybody raised in preparation for a possible attack from the strangers. Away off among the distant rocks some dazzling Gold-Fish chased eachother merrily hither and thither; a brilliant blue fish darted outfrom a near-by thicket, and a company of scarlet fish swam past, making a beautiful picture, with the clear, blue waters of the Lagoonas a setting. [Illustration: GLOBE FISH A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land] [Illustration: PORCUPINE FISH Another Curious Inhabitant ofCoral-Land] Far down below myriads of gorgeous shells lay scattered about on thewhite sand like gay figures in a carpet, every color showing plainlythrough the wonderfully transparent water. Here a tree of coral roseup from the depths, its branches covered with lovely star-shapedflowers; farther below a bed of shrubbery sprang from hidden rocks, and close at hand a colony of beautiful Sea-Anemones lifted theirproud heads, and swayed gracefully in the water. Some of these flowerswere shaped like chrysanthemums with rows of fringed petals, some wereshorter and stouter, like dahlias, and all formed a mass of brilliantcolor, pink, purple, orange, blood-red, and sea-blue, striped withpink. Never had Sammy seen such a sight as this bed of Anemones, and, struckwith admiration, he stopped to examine them more closely. But theexperienced Pilot warned him to be careful. "They look very fine, " said he, "but they are not to be trusted. " Youknow, of course, that the Sea-Anemones, like almost all flowers andplants which grow in the ocean, are living animals, polyps, we callthem. The Anemones are polyps, and the coral big and little, livingand dead is being made, or has been made by polyps. "You see that bed of pink flowers over there, and those green rushes, and those fern-like plants? Well, they are all living polyps, orcolonies of polyps, some kinds of which leave coral when they die, like the coral polyps proper. "As for the Anemones; those innocent looking flowers really possesspowerful weapons in the shape of tiny lassos, which are concealed inlasso-cells. These lasso-cells, which are very small, are carefullyhidden in the walls of those petal-like tentacles, or feelers of theAnemone. Still other lasso-cells are hidden in the mouth of theAnemone, and inside its stomach. In the cells the long, slender, thread-like lassos lie coiled up ready for use. The lassos escape fromthe cells by turning themselves inside out with lightning-likeswiftness, and woe to the crab, or small water animal that comes incontact with this lovely flower! It is immediately pierced by thelassos, and poisoned by the deadly fluid hidden in the cells. Even bigfish have been known to die in great agony when touched by theSea-Anemone. "The Anemone frequently swallows a whole crab (if it is a good sizeitself) and is particularly fond of gulping down its food in thismanner, keeping it for awhile in its stomach to squeeze out the juice;after which what is left is thrown out through its mouth. "All Anemones have mouths and stomachs, and some have rows of eyeslike a necklace around the body. The mouth is a small opening in thecentre of the disk, or head of the Anemone, and this leads into thestomach below. "Sometimes the Anemone uses the tentacles around the disk to help feeditself, and it also uses the mouth, lips and disk for the samepurpose. When the Anemone is at rest it expands its disk and draws inthe sea water, and when it is disturbed it contracts, and throws outthe water from its mouth. The Anemones are very sensitive to touch, and will shrink up like a sensitive plant. They are of all sizes too;that little blue one over there is only about one-eighth of an inch, and that big purple fellow stands over a foot from its base. [Illustration: A COLONY OF SEA ANEMONES] "You see that the body of the Anemone is shaped like a column, theflat head, or disk, being at the top, with rows of tentacles, likepetals, fringing the edge. The bottom of the Anemone is also flat, andwith this flat base it holds fast to the rocks to which it attachesitself. The Sea-Anemones are able to move about from rock to rock, andin that they differ from their first cousins, the Coral Polyps, forthey are always stationary. "The Anemone has several curious ways of reproducing itself. Sometimesone animal will divide itself and become two individuals, andsometimes pieces from the bottom of the Anemone will become separateAnemones. Another strange way is by throwing out the young through themouth, and it doesn't seem to make much difference whether they comeout in the shape of eggs, or whether they are fully formed, as isfrequently the case. "Still another process of reproduction is by budding. A small lumpappears on the parent Anemone; this keeps on growing and growing untilit soon has a mouth, disk and tentacles like the mother; after whichit separates, and starts out in life for itself. Whole colonies ofAnemones are formed in this way. "But come, " said the Pilot. "Here we have spent all this time talkingabout the Anemones, and the coral is far more interesting andbeautiful. Suppose we take a look at this large tree, " he went on inhis most school-master manner. "See how lovely it is with its trunkand branches covered with little star-shaped flowers! Those flowersare the polyps, and they, or rather their ancestors, made the tree. You know that the most important of the coral polyps live in groups, or colonies. They usually reproduce themselves by budding in very muchthe same way as do the Anemones, but the Coral Polyp does not separatefrom the parent when it gets its growth; it stays fastened to themother, and soon imitates her example by producing a bud which becomesa coral flower. And so it goes on until there is a whole colony ofanimals, each one having a separate mouth and stomach for his support, and yet continuing as a part of the family. "I told you that the Anemones and Coral Polyps were first cousins, andso they are, for almost the only difference between them is that theAnemones have no coral in their make-up. Then too, the Coral Polypscannot move about like the Anemones, and they are somewhat differentin appearance, being more like lovely daisies, or stars, thanchrysanthemums. "The coral is made from the lime of which the water of the oceancontains a large quantity, and is hidden in the sides and lower partof the polyp, there being none in the stomach and disk. When the polypdies the fleshy part decays, and the coral, which is the skeleton ofthe polyp, is left. It is very hard, being composed of carbonate oflime, and will last for ages. The inside of this tree that we arelooking at is all dead coral, or corallum, while the flowers that areon the outside of the trunk and branches are the living animals. "Some kinds of coral polyps bud and extend in different directions, and that accounts for the many wonderful shapes in which coral grows. Some species divide in two, like the Anemones, but the majority livein families, or colonies. There are coral reefs and coral trees, domesand balls of coral, graceful vases, and all sorts and kinds ofdifferent plants and odd growths. "You know that living coral cannot exist above the surface of theocean, for exposure to the sun and air kills the polyps; yet it isalways growing upward and outward, the living animals making theirhomes upon the tombs of their ancestors, so to speak, until they intheir turn perish and add their skeletons to the growing structure. "The most wonderful of all coral is that found in the coral reefs, which are so old that the most ancient fish in all fishdom, or hisgreat-grandfather before him, could not tell when they were begun; andso hard and enduring that the storms of centuries have never been ableto destroy them. But strong as they are, the mighty ocean, (bothfriend and foe to the coral), is still stronger, and in time theconstant washing and beating of the tides wear away portions of thehard rock, changes the formation of the reefs, and helps in a largemeasure in the making of the lovely coral islands. But still the coralgoes on growing, the living polyps protecting the dead coral below andbeneath, and then dying to make way for the next generation. And sothe coral holds its own in spite of the fury of the sea, and the manylittle boring water animals that strive to penetrate the dead coral, and crumble the rock into ruins. But the coral has its friends, aswell as enemies, and the most useful of the first are various weedsand plants which grow on the reefs, and beside protecting the upperparts from exposure, help in their formation by leaving a kind ofcoral behind them when they die. [Illustration: A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OFCORAL, AND OCTOPUS] "If you will look about you, " went on the Pilot, "you will see whatbeautiful colors some of the coral has. See that big piece over therelike a large red toadstool, and this curious vase all covered on theoutside with tiny polyps like purple stars! You will find it in manylovely colors, and still more fantastic shapes. I have heard that somevarieties of pink and red coral are very highly valued for jewelry bythe two-legged land race. " In this manner the learned Pilot discoursed to his pupil, being onlytoo glad to have an excuse for showing off his superior knowledge; andSammy drank it all in, having in mind the time when he should returnto his far-away home and brag of his adventures to the simplefresh-water fish. Beside acting as guide, and explaining to his companion the mysteriesof Coral-Land, the Pilot kindly introduced Sammy to some of hisacquaintances and friends. One of these was a very large odd-lookingSun-Fish, a curious creature, all head and no body. This fish, beingvery haughty in his manners, and exclusive in his tastes, wasconsidered very aristocratic: and having spent the greater part of hislife in the Lagoon, was acknowledged as the great social leader ofCoral-Land. The Sun-Fish presented Sammy to the Trunk-Fish, (so named from hiscurious shape), and the Trunk-Fish in turn introduced him to theGlobe-Fish and the Porcupine-Fish, and they made him acquainted withthe family of scarlet fish, and some handsome gold-fish. Two of thegold-fish, called respectively Gay and Gilt, were particularlyfriendly to Sammy, who soon found them much more entertaining than theworthy, but somewhat prosy Pilot. So, as the days went on, our hero spent more and more of his time inthe company of his new friends, while the Pilot was content, now thathis duty was done, to gossip with the Sun-Fish, or betake himself tosome particularly good feeding ground of which he knew. Coral-Landabounded in quantities of good things such as fishes love, and Sammysoon grew fat, for Gay and Gilt were much less greedy than the Pilot, and always shared their meals evenly with their friend. It did nottake him long to learn what to enjoy and what to avoid, both in theway of food and acquaintances, and he found it a most useful form ofknowledge. Thus he learned to beware of the graceful jelly-fishes who wereconstantly to be met floating about, their long tentacles streamingbehind, and their umbrella-shaped disks expanding and contracting asthey swam, for he knew that the Jelly-Fish was a cousin of theSea-Anemone, and that its tentacles could sting most unpleasantly. Sohe admired them from a distance, and very beautiful they were, especially at night, when their gleaming phosphorescent bodies lightedup the darkness of the sleeping Lagoon. Sammy learned that the affectionate embrace of the many-armed Octopuswas not to be desired; and that a thicket of seaweed is a goodhiding-place from a chance enemy, and is apt to contain many delicioustidbits in the way of fish food. He knew the manners and habits of themany brilliant-hued fish who live in Coral-Land; and he knew that thefloor of the Lagoon had as many curious and beautiful inhabitants asits waters. There the Star-Fish sprawled on the sand, the Sea-Cucumbercrawled along, expanding and contracting its worm-like body; there theSea-Urchin hid himself in the rock, and shells large and small, pink, blue, red and all the colors of the rainbow lay scattered about on thesand and rocks. All these shells had, of course, their living inhabitants, for a shellis always the home of some water animal, and when the owner dies theshell is left as a monument, and very beautiful monuments most of themare. The Sea-Snail, the Cockle, the Razor-shell and many others have each agood-sized foot which helps them in crawling along, or in boring holesfor themselves in the rocks. [Illustration: a. SEA SNAIL b. NAUTILUS c. COCKLE, SHOWING FOOTd. RAZOR SHELL] Sammy had taken some pains to become acquainted with the Nautilus andhis family, whose beautiful little boats he had often seen sailinggaily along on the surface of the Lagoon, especially after a stormwhen the water was calm. The Nautilus has a beautiful spiral mother-of-pearl shell, and when ona voyage it uses part of its body as a sail, and the long tentaclesabout its mouth help it in swimming. It spends a good deal of its timeon the bottom of the ocean near the coral reefs, and can creep alongvery quickly, supporting itself with its head and tentacles. The headis flat and muscular and acts as a defense to the opening of theshell, and the Nautilus also possesses very strong jaws which it makesgood use of in crushing crabs and other shell-fish on which it feeds. Sammy found it rather difficult at first to come to a friendlyunderstanding with the Nautilus, for the gallant little mariner wassomewhat shy of strangers, and would frequently show his distrust bysuddenly drawing in his tentacles, upsetting his shell, and droppingto the bottom of the Lagoon, thus effectually cutting short anyconversation. But this was only his way of protecting himself; after atime he grew bolder, and being a true sailor spun many a wonderfulyarn about his voyages. To the Nautilus Sammy was indebted for a most important piece ofinformation. It happened in this wise. He had now spent several weeksin Coral-Land. He knew the Lagoon thoroughly from end to end, the bestfeeding and hiding-places, the delightful caverns and caves in thereefs, and was on friendly terms with almost all its inhabitants. Buta fish is a restless creature, and, strange to say, Sammy was dailygrowing more and more weary of this peaceful Lagoon. It was all verywonderful to be sure, the beautiful coral in its lovely colors andfantastic shapes, the gay flowers and plants, the strange shells, andthe brilliant, sparkling fish; but then the warm water _was_certainly enervating, and the mountain stream that he called home hadmany charms, now that he was no longer there. The Pilot-Fish had long since departed for other scenes, and Sammywished that he had consented to accompany him. Now it was too late, and the only thing to do was to wait and hope for some way of beatinga retreat. Not caring to confide his weakness to his two friends, whowould not understand it, he kept his secret to himself, longing moreand more for that quiet mountain stream so very far away. One fine day as Sammy was swimming sadly along, and alone, near theouter reef of the Lagoon, his friend, the Nautilus approached him ingreat excitement. "I've seen such a strange sight, " he exclaimed eagerly, sailing closeup to the salmon in his haste. "This morning I thought I would have alittle adventure, for it's very tiresome spending so much time in theLagoon, so I found my way, through a passage known only to myself, outto the ocean, and such fun as I had sailing up and down! To be sure Ihad to keep a pretty sharp outlook, for it is a dangerous place outthere. However, nothing of any consequence happened, and I wasbeginning to feel a little disappointed, when suddenly, only a shortdistance away, I saw a school of large, pink fish, very much like youin appearance, and all swimming north. Never before in all myexperience have I known a school of fish of that kind in ourneighborhood! It will be the talk of Coral-Land for a week. Excuse me, but I really must go and tell my family, " and abruptly upsetting hisshell the Nautilus disappeared at once from view. For a moment Sammy hesitated. Gay and Gilt, with his other friends, were far away. Should he try to find them and say good-bye? No, itwould take too much time, and they would be sure to protest againsthis going, and then the school would be out of sight. One swift glanceabout him, and away he dashed; another moment and he was at the reef, a passageway out was found, and darting through the breakers, he roseto the surface and looked forth once more on the broad ocean. Behindhim lay all the wonders and beauties of Coral-Land, and there, faraway towards the north, a mass of moving fish darkened the surface ofthe water. Could he reach them before they disappeared, or before somehideous monster saw and intercepted his flight? Away he darted, faster, faster, and still faster. Now the school was getting larger, he was surely gaining; still nearer, and he could see the sun gleam oncountless scales; nearer still, one final effort, and the school ofsalmon opened to receive him, and then swept on northward andhomeward. * * * * * There was a pause. Grandma dropped her work, and leaning idly back inher rocking-chair, gazed dreamily out over the ocean, sparkling in itssunset glory. "Is that all?" inquired Eleanor. "Didn't Sammy really get home?" "That is all, " said grandma. "What became of our hero after he joinedthe school of salmon I never knew. In all likelihood he never left hiscompanions. But whether he guided them to the pleasant waters of thatmountain stream, or whether they took him with them to some lake orinland river, I cannot tell. " As for Gay and Gilt, they long mourned the mysterious disappearance oftheir playfellow, and often now when the sun shines brightly on theblue waters of the Lagoon, when the Nautilus sails forth on hisvoyage, and the sea-flowers sway and nod in their deep beds, the twogold-fish swim sadly about amid the depths of Coral-Land and tellstories to the passing stranger of the merry young salmon who camefrom the north, so long ago. THE END.