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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/7460-h.zip b/7460-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7c0a615 --- /dev/null +++ b/7460-h.zip diff --git a/7460-h/7460-h.htm b/7460-h/7460-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a7871b1 --- /dev/null +++ b/7460-h/7460-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2154 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of How Sammy went to Coral-Land, by Emily Paret Atwater</title> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's How Sammy Went to Coral-Land, by Emily Paret Atwater + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: How Sammy Went to Coral-Land + +Author: Emily Paret Atwater + +Posting Date: March 24, 2014 [EBook #7460] +Release Date: February, 2005 +First Posted: May 4, 2003 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + + + + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<center> +<a name="sammy"></a> +<a href="images/sammy.jpg"><img src="images/sammy1.jpg" alt="sammy.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p align=center>“SAMMY.” +<br> +<a href="images/sammy.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<h1 align=center>HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND</h1> + +<h3 align=center>by</h3> + +<h2 align=center>EMILY PARET ATWATER</h2> +<h3 align=center>Author of “Tommy’s Adventures,” etc.</h3> + +<br> + +<p align=center><i>TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE “GREEN SHELL”</i></p> + + +<p align=center><i>For much of the Natural History part of this little +volume the author 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 to mingle some fiction with the facts, but trusts that the +“Gentle Reader” will easily distinguish the one from the +other.</i></p> + + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + +<p><a href="#chap0">HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND</a></p> + +<p><a href="#chap1">I. HOW SAMMY WENT OUT TO SEE THE WORLD</a></p> + +<p><a href="#chap2">II. HOW SAMMY ESCAPED FROM THE SHARK AND +MADE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THE HERMIT-CRAB</a></p> + +<p><a href="#chap3">III. THE STAR-FISH, THE UNSOCIABLE OYSTERS +AND THE PILOT</a></p> + +<p><a href="#chap4">IV. ON TO CORAL-LAND</a></p> + +<p><a href="#chap5">V. IN CORAL-LAND</a></p> + + + +<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<p><a href="#sammy">“SAMMY”</a></p> + +<p><a href="#hermit">HERMIT-CRAB</a></p> + +<p><a href="#hermitshell">HERMIT-CRAB IN SHELL</a></p> + +<p><a href="#calling">CALLING CRAB</a></p> + +<p><a href="#starfish">STAR-FISH—Meteor proved +very friendly indeed</a></p> + +<p><a href="#hammerhead">HAMMERHEADED SHARK—A +Terribly Fierce Monster is the Hammerheaded Shark</a></p> + +<p><a href="#swordfish">SWORD-FISH—The Enemy +the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of All</a></p> + +<p><a href="#remora">REMORA—The Remora Has a +Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its Head</a></p> + +<p><a href="#torpedo">TORPEDO-FISH—One of the +Pilot-Fish’s Favorite Yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish</a></p> + +<p><a href="#devil">SEA-DEVIL—The Treacherous +Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish</a></p> + +<p><a href="#flying">FLYING-FISH—One of the School +of Flying-Fish which Sammy Met</a></p> + +<p><a href="#globe">GLOBE-FISH—A Curious Inhabitant +of Coral-Land</a></p> + +<p><a href="#porcupine">PORCUPINE-FISH—Another Curious +Inhabitant of Coral-Land</a></p> + +<p><a href="#anemones">A COLONY OF SEA-ANEMONES</a></p> + +<p><a href="#octopus">A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING +STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF CORAL, AND OCTOPUS</a></p> + +<p><a href="#snail">SEA-SNAIL</a></p> + +<p><a href="#cockle">COCKLE, SHOWING FOOT</a></p> + +<p><a href="#razor">RAZOR-SHELL</a></p> + +<p><a href="#nautilus">NAUTILUS</a></p> + + +<a name="chap0"></a><h2>HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND</h2> + +<p>“Well, children,” said grandma, “which shall it be, fairy stories, +stories about giants, or ‘really truly,’ stories?”</p> + +<p>They had been spending a month at the seashore, grandma, Bob and +Eleanor. Little Bob had been very ill in the spring, and when hot +weather came the doctor ordered sea air and sea bathing to bring back +color to the pale cheeks, and strength to the thin little body.</p> + +<p>But Bob’s father was a poor country parson and there seemed no way to +fill the doctor’s prescription. At this juncture grandma, like the +charming fairy godmother that she was, appeared on the scene. She knew +a quiet spot (one of the few still in existence), where there were no +big hotels, no board-walks, and no merry-go-rounds. It was the very +place where she wanted to go to get rid of her rheumatism; Bob and +Eleanor should go with her, and their father and mother could follow +later when the parson’s vacation came.</p> + +<p>It took but a short time to carry out this delightful plan, and at the +opening of my story the children had already been a week at the +seashore. Such fun as they had been having bathing, digging in the +sand, gathering shells and seaweed, or sitting quietly with grandma +under the big umbrella, watching the waves break and roll up on the +shore! And after supper there was always that pleasant half hour, on +the little balcony overlooking the ocean, when grandma told her +bedtime stories.</p> + +<p>They were all sitting there on this particular evening, grandma in her +big rocking-chair, and Bob and Eleanor on their favorite cushions at +her feet. The little folks had been begging for their usual treat, for +grandma’s stories were delightful, and her fund of knowledge (to the +children), quite limitless.</p> + +<p>“I’m getting too old for fairy stories,” said Eleanor, who was eleven +and had advanced ideas. “Only real <i>little</i> children believe in +goblins and giants, and I’m in the third reader now.”</p> + +<p>“I like ’em,” said dreamy, nine-year old Bob, “fairies and giants can +always do things that just ordinary people can’t. Please do tell us +some fairy stories, grandma.”</p> + +<p>“No, true stories,” insisted Eleanor.</p> + +<p>“How would it do to make a compromise?” suggested grandma. “You were +asking me some questions yesterday about the shells, seaweed and all +the fascinating things found on the shore. Suppose I tell you a story +about all the wonderful creatures that live in the ocean? The part of +it that tells how they live and grow, and get their food will be all +true, and I think Eleanor will find it more marvelous than the +make-believe part, which will tell about the adventures, and the +conversations that our hero had with the strange creatures that he met +with in his wanderings.”</p> + +<p>This proposition was agreeable; the children settled themselves +comfortably to listen, and grandma, with her eyes on a passing sail, +began—</p> + + +<a name="chap1"></a><h2>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h3>HOW SAMMY WENT OUT TO SEE THE WORLD</h3> + +<p>Once upon a time there lived in the depths of a deep, tranquil pool a +young salmon, whom we will call “Sammy,” for short. He was a very +handsome fish, and decidedly vain of his good looks. His flesh was a +beautiful pink, and the scales that form the armor, or coat-of-mail of +most fishes, were particularly handsome on Sammy, and glittered with +many colors in the sunlight. He had a very graceful shape besides, and +his fins were the envy of all the young fish of his acquaintance.</p> + +<p>Almost all fishes have a great many fins, and although they differ +sometimes in position and number according to the fish, the most +important ones are the Dorsal fin, which stands straight up from the +back, the Caudal fin, which is in the end of the tail, and the +Pectoral fins, which are at the sides and take the place of feet in +animals.</p> + +<p>These fins all help to make the fish the splendid swimmers that they +are, and are large and strong, or small and weak, according to which +part of the water the fish inhabits. If he prefers the surface of the +ocean, or a large body of water, his fins must be large enough, and +strong enough to battle against fierce waves, and strong tides, while +the fish who lives far below where the water is more calm finds his +weaker fins ample for his needs. The long, oval body which most fishes +possess is another great help in gliding rapidly through the water.</p> + +<p>Like others of his kind Sammy had a very strong spine in which was an +air-bladder. By pressing the air out of this he could swim easily at a +great depth, and by inflating it to let the air in, like a balloon, he +could rise and swim along the surface.</p> + +<p>Sammy’s eyes were large and round, and he could see splendidly, +especially when the water was clear. His hearing, as well as his sense +of smell was also good, and he breathed through the gills on each side +of his throat. When taken out of the water the fish really dies of +suffocation, for the water that enters its throat and flows out +through the gills is the air that keeps it alive.</p> + +<p>Sammy’s maiden aunt, an old fish who lived in the same stream with +him, used to tell strange tales of fish that can live several days out +of water by reason of the different formation of their gills.</p> + +<p>One of these is a tropical fish called the Anabas. It has very strong +Pectoral fins which it uses like feet when on land, and it will even +climb trees to catch the insects which it eats.</p> + +<p>Another fish of this sort is the Frog-Fish, a hideous creature which +is caught near Asia. It can crawl about a room, if shut up in one, and +looks exactly like an ugly frog.</p> + +<p>But the most wonderful of all is a South American fish called the +Hassar. It usually lives in pools of water inland, and if the pool +where it is happens to dry up, it will travel a whole night over land +in search of a new home. It is an experienced traveler, and is said to +supply itself with water for its journey. If the Hassar finds all the +pools and streams dried up, it will bury itself in the sand, and fall +into a kind of stupor until the rainy season comes around and brings +it back to life.</p> + +<p>“Aunt Sheen,” so called from the beauty of her skin, used to tell +Sammy another story about this famous fish. It seems that the Hassar +builds a nest just like a bird, only hers is under water along the +reeds 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 this +ball the mother can pass in and out, and she watches over her nest +with the most tender care, until the young ones leave it.</p> + +<p>Fishermen catch the Hassar by holding a basket in front of the nest +and beating it with sticks. When the poor mother comes out to defend +her family, she falls into the basket and is captured.</p> + +<p>“And serves her right, too,” Aunt Sheen always concluded. “Building a +nest 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 fish +called Sticklebacks, and a few other inferior kinds. Why couldn’t she +leave her spawn in a quiet place somewhere near the shore, and then +let them hatch out and look after themselves? That’s the way I was +brought up.”</p> + +<p>Now, this speech may sound very unkind and even heartless, but leaving +the young to look after themselves is the customary thing among +fishes. And when you consider that one mother fish often has many +hundreds of children, it is not to be wondered at that she finds it +impossible to take care of such a very large family.</p> + +<p>The deep sea fishes come to the shore in the breeding season, deposit +their eggs, or spawn, in some convenient spot, sometimes in the +seaweed, or in vegetable matter, sometimes in the sand, on rocks, or +in little, secluded pools, and then they bother themselves no more +about their offspring.</p> + +<p>The salmon, and some other kinds of sea fish go up the rivers and +streams inland to deposit their young. Salmon are very strong, and +they can make tremendous leaps and shoot up rapids with great +swiftness. Indeed, the salmon is one of the most rapid swimmers in the +fish family, and it is said that one salmon could make a tour of the +world in a few weeks.</p> + +<p>Sammy was very proud of his family, as well he might be, for his +maiden aunt was always telling stories of their relations and +connections.</p> + +<p>Aunt Sheen was a big fish, the oldest and largest, not only in her own +pool, but in all the salmon stream. In her youth she had been a great +traveler and seen many wonderful sights, and was regarded with awe and +admiration by the younger fish. But she had grown fat and lazy with +age, and was now content to spend the remainder of her days in this +quiet stream which hid itself among the northern pines a good many +miles from the sea.</p> + +<p>It was a pleasant place, with deep, still pools here and there in the +shade, nice, slippery mossy rocks to hide under, and sunlit shallows +where the water rippled over the white pebbles, or leaped musically +down a tiny waterfall.</p> + +<p>Such merry times as Sammy and his companions had chasing each other up +and down the stream, leaping the waterfall, jumping over the rocks, +and playing hide-and-seek in the shallows. Then there was always the +excitement of watching for the flies and different insects that +hovered near, and which made delicious meals when caught. The young +salmon used to boast of the flies they had captured, just as boys and +men do of their luck in fishing.</p> + +<p>But our hero soon grew tired of this quiet life. It seemed very stupid +and humdrum when compared with Aunt Sheen’s marvelous tales of the +great ocean, and the strange sights and thrilling adventures that +there awaited the voyager. He was larger than his brothers and +sisters, his sea-going instinct was strong within him, he longed for +the wonders of the great, unknown world, and grew tired of Aunt +Sheen’s repeated warnings.</p> + +<p>This old fish always professed to be entirely uninterested in the +doings 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, and +gave them a great deal of what Sammy considered tiresome advice.</p> + +<p>“There is safety in numbers,” was her favorite saying. “When you want +to go on a journey wait until your companions are ready, and go in a +school. Dreadful things always happen to young fish if they start out +by themselves, they get eaten by sharks, or caught by those awful +two-legged monsters on land, and the devil-fish is always on the +lookout for them.”</p> + +<p>“But,” Sammy would protest, “you have always said that some of the +most terrible experiences you ever had came when you were with a lot +of others. That time you were nearly speared going up the rapids you +were in a school, and when you were caught in the net and it broke—”</p> + +<p>“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 weight +of so many made the hole, and so I escaped.</p> + +<p>“The only time when I came near getting caught was once when I was +alone and got a hook in my gills. My! it was terrible! I ought to have +known better, but I was very hungry that morning, and when I saw that +beautiful fly hanging over the water—”</p> + +<p>But Sammy had heard this story many times before, and was tired of the +conversation.</p> + +<p>“I don’t want to wait any longer for these lazy brothers and sisters +of mine to get ready,” he said crossly. “Besides, if I did go in a +school, <i>I</i> might get speared, or caught so that the rest could +get away, and that would not suit me a bit. I’d rather risk the +flies.”</p> + +<p>“You are an impertinent young fish,” said Aunt Sheen, and she retired +under her favorite rock in a rage.</p> + +<p>That night when everything was very still, and all the world seemed +asleep, alone and unobserved Sammy swam quietly down stream and +started alone on his wanderings.</p> + +<p>It was a lovely moonlight night, and only the faint sighing of the +wind in the pine-trees broke the silence.</p> + +<p>On and on swam Sammy following the stream as it twisted and turned now +in the shadow, now in the moonlight. Now it flowed along straight and +smooth with scarcely a ripple, its banks sweet with dew-soaked wild +flowers, and now it dashed against a huge rock which partly blocked +its path, or glided swiftly over shallow rapids.</p> + +<p>All night long Sammy kept on his way, and all the time he felt that he +was gradually going down, down, down, as the stream crept towards the +sea.</p> + +<p>The next morning he found himself in a strange country. The little +stream down which he had been traveling had become a river. There were +houses here and there on the shores, cultivated fields and +pasture-lands, and in some places cattle browsed on the banks, or +stood knee-deep in the water.</p> + +<p>The strange sights and sounds filled Sammy with awe, and something +like fear. He kept carefully in deep water and occasionally hid under +a rock when he saw a big, strange fish approaching, for he knew that +large fish often ate smaller ones.</p> + +<p>Once in a while he stopped to ask a question of some brother salmon as +to the right way to go, but the answer was always, “Follow the river +and you can’t go wrong,” and follow the river he did.</p> + +<p>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 in +the shade of the bank, after which, feeling much refreshed, he started +again on his journey.</p> + +<p>For a day or so he traveled on, stopping only for a little rest and +food, and getting more and more eager and excited all the time as he +neared his destination.</p> + +<p>Once the journey came near having an untimely ending for, unheeding +Aunt Sheen’s caution as to strange flies, he leaped eagerly at a +particularly beautiful one poised over his head. Fortunately for our +hero a strong puff of wind blew the fly aside at that moment, but not +before the cruel hook which was concealed in it had grazed his tender +mouth.</p> + +<p>A good deal scared by his adventure, and feeling much less +self-confident, Sammy swam away, resolved to avoid all suspicious +insects in the future. He had several other narrow escapes at this +stage of his journey, but they are not important enough to mention +here.</p> + +<p>But always as he journeyed on the river grew wider and wider, deeper +and deeper. Strange dark shapes passed over his head, strange fish +swam past him, the banks seemed very far away, and the currents were +strong and hard to swim against.</p> + +<p>For quite a while there had been a new and delightfully salt taste and +smell 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 tide +swept Sammy away from the river’s mouth, and out into the vast ocean.</p> + + +<a name="chap2"></a><h2>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h3>HOW SAMMY ESCAPED FROM THE SHARK AND MADE THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THE +HERMIT-CRAB</h3> + +<blockquote><i> + Oh a wily old crab is the Hermit-Crab,<br> + And a crafty old crab is he!<br> + His home he makes in a stolen cell,<br> + And the passing stranger he loves full well<br> + But beware of his hospitality!<br> + For a hungry old crab is the Hermit-Crab,<br> + And a wicked old crab is he.<br> +</i></blockquote> + +<p>“Dear me! what a very large place the sea is,” said Sammy. He had gone +quite a distance before he realized that the occasion for hurry was +now over, and then he rose gracefully to the surface and looked about +him. Overhead stretched the blue sky speckled with fleecy, white +clouds, and off in the distance a long line of white sand showed the +shore line, against which the incoming tide sent its undulating +billows. 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 in +the sun. In every other direction, as far as the eye could reach, +stretched the blue waters of the ocean.</p> + +<p>Presently a large fish sprang from the waves, his silvery scales +sparkling in the sun, then fell back with a gentle splash. This +recalled Sammy to himself, and diving hastily below, he swam slowly +about looking at his surroundings with a good deal of curiosity.</p> + +<p>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 from +hidden rocks. A graceful jelly-fish floated past, expanding and +contracting its umbrella-shaped body, and waving about its long arms +or tentacles. Queer fish of all shapes and sizes swam about, the +larger ones eying the stranger curiously, the smaller keeping at a +respectful distance.</p> + +<p>But Sammy had a very friendly feeling towards them all, and was just +about to speak to a near-by fish, whose appearance seemed to indicate +that he might belong to the Salmon family, when suddenly there was a +general hurrying out of the way on all sides. Many of the fish dived +quickly below to hide in some convenient spot, and the more rapid +swimmers took to their fins with great haste.</p> + +<p>Turning quickly to see the cause of the commotion, Sammy discovered a +large, and very hungry-looking shark just behind him. The creature had +a hideous mouth, with several rows of sharp teeth, and while not +dangerous to man, this Dog-Fish, or Blue Shark, has a great liking for +young and tender fish.</p> + +<p>This fact our hero instantly divined, and sped away as fast as his +fins could carry him, Mr. Shark in hot pursuit. Sammy had the +advantage of being some distance from his enemy when discovered, but +sharks are extremely swift swimmers, and for a time it seemed as if +poor Sammy’s fate was sealed. No matter how hard he swam the monster +slowly gained on him. No race with his playfellows in the stream at +home was ever so exciting as this. All the famous swimming qualities +of his family were put to the test now, as he darted like an arrow +through the water, the cruel shark close behind.</p> + +<p>But presently Sammy began to tire. In another moment all would have +been over, had he not spied far below him, partly hidden by seaweed, a +ledge of large rocks. His instinct told him that under one of those he +might find a hiding place. Down he darted, as quick as a flash, and in +another instant just as the shark turned on his side and opened his +huge jaws, Sammy lay safe, but quivering, in a friendly hollow under +the sheltering rocks.</p> + +<p>Mr. Shark, disappointed at losing his dinner, swam around and around +the ledge vainly trying to find some way of squeezing his big body in +among the crevices of the rocks, but at length abandoned the attempt +as hopeless, and departed in a very bad humor to look for another +victim.</p> + +<p>It was some time before Sammy recovered enough from his fright to look +about him, but presently his ever-present curiosity overcame other +feelings, and he began to examine his new quarters with much interest.</p> + +<p>He was in a tiny cave, whose hard bottom was covered with sand and mud +deposited by the constant washing of the tide. From the walls and +ceiling hung curious weeds, and a few brightly colored shells lay in +little holes and crevices formed in the rock.</p> + +<p>While thus employed in viewing his surroundings Sammy discovered a +crab partly hidden in the mud on the floor of the cave. It was a very +strange-looking creature, for while the fore part of it had legs and +claws like an ordinary crab, the rear part was concealed in the shell +of a large sea-snail.</p> + +<center> +<a name="hermit"></a> +<a href="images/hermit.jpg"><img src="images/hermit1.jpg" alt="hermit.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>HERMIT CRAB. +<br> +<a href="images/hermit.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>As Sammy gazed the crab slowly crept out from the mud, still keeping a +watchful eye on the intruder.</p> + +<p>“Fine day,” said Sammy, pleasantly.</p> + +<p>“Charming,” replied the Crab.</p> + +<p>“Water’s a little cool, though,” said Sammy.</p> + +<p>“It’s very comfortable in here,” said the Crab, “and the tide is very +favorable this morning; it brought me in some fine fat snails for +breakfast. By the way, have you had breakfast?” And as he spoke he +again retreated into the mud.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, indeed!” replied Sammy, politely, “I had a good meal some +time ago before the shark got after me.” And, forthwith, he gave a +thrilling account of his adventure, adding something to it after the +manner of storytellers, and throwing in a description of his past life +and present ambition. To all of which the Crab listened with most +flattering interest.</p> + +<p>“Remarkable,” he murmured. “You have no idea how delightful it is for +a poor Hermit like me to hear something of the outside world. I lead +such a retired life that it is a real pleasure to entertain a stranger +in my humble abode. This little cave is mine by the right of +possession, and in it I live, far from the whirl of society, and being +secluded in my habits, and somewhat bashful, I always retire into the +mud when strangers appear. Occasionally when crabs, (little ones), +sea-snails, and small shell-fish wander in in search of apartments I +consent to have a short conference with them, but it is a rare thing +for me to speak to a fish as large as yourself.”</p> + +<p>“I am highly honored,” said our hero.</p> + +<p>“But tell me, how do you happen to have that large shell on your +back?”</p> + +<p>“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 my +liking to conceal my tail, which is long and soft, with two or three +hooks on it, in the empty shell of some sea animal, snail, or the +like. Unlike the ordinary crabs, our branch of the family all possess +these tails. Our only hope of prolonging our existence is to protect +this weak tail, so as soon as we are born we crawl into some empty +shell, and holding on with the hooks, are thus fairly well protected +from attacks in the rear. We can carry the shell about with us, and in +time, 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 was +just the right size for my needs, and, there being no other way out of +the difficulty, I was compelled to eat him up in order to get +possession 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.</p> + +<center> +<a name="hermitshell"></a> +<a href="images/hermit_shell.jpg"><img src="images/hermit_shell1.jpg" border="0" alt="hermit_shell.jpg"></a> +<p>HERMIT CRAB IN SHELL. +<br> +<a href="images/hermit_shell.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Now Sammy had very small faith in the repentance of the Hermit. In +fact he had a suspicion that he was a bloodthirsty old hypocrite, and +that those unwary strangers who had come to look for apartments in the +past, had never returned alive. This was an uncomfortable thought, so +he kept a sharp eye on the Hermit, while he listened to the long +description the other gave him of the habits and customs of his +family.</p> + +<p>Our hero was soon to learn that bragging about one’s ancestors and +connections was not a weakness confined alone to Aunt Sheen, for many +other fish possessed it, and this seems strange when they openly +declared that they sometimes devoured their younger and weaker +relations.</p> + +<p>The Hermit-Crab belonged to a large family called the Crustaceans. All +kinds of crabs, lobsters, as well as shrimps, barnacles, sea-acorns, +etc., are members of this family, though all belong to different +branches of it. The lobster is first cousin to the crab, though +somewhat larger, yet the two resemble each other very closely. The +crab has four pairs of legs, as well as a large pair of claws. He is a +rapid swimmer, though his sidewise motion gives him a very awkward +appearance. And, although a great eater, it hardly seems likely that +Mr. Crab ever suffers from indigestion, since nature has given him +eight jaws, and a large stomach furnished with teeth. He has also a +heart, and liver.</p> + +<p>The crab, in common with the lobster, possesses one very convenient +peculiarity. He can cast off a claw if it is hurt in any way, and he +sometimes throws one or two away if he is frightened by thunder, for +he is a great coward in a thunder-storm. But, no matter in what way +the claw is lost, Mr. Crab can grow another one, although it will not +be as large, or as strong as the first one.</p> + +<p>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 he +attacks his prey and tears it to pieces.</p> + +<p>His bill of fare is composed of some kinds of fish and lower water +animals; and it is said that some crabs feed on sharks and whales. In +return fishes, sea-stars, sea-urchins and some shell-fish eat the +young crustaceans, and even attack the larger ones.</p> + +<p>In the sand of the seashore the mother crab, or lobster, lays her +eggs, and there she leaves them to be hatched by the sun. Several +thousand eggs are laid at a time, but as many of the water animals +feed on the eggs and young, of course all the members of this large +family do not come to mature crabhood.</p> + +<p>Lobsters like best to live along rocky shores, where the water is +clear and deep, and there they are caught in small wicker baskets, or +nets.</p> + +<p>As for the crab, he loves to hide in the mud, and he can live longer +than the lobster when taken out of the water, by reason of the +different formation of his gills.</p> + +<p>The Hermit-Crab seemed particularly proud of some of his relations who +live on land, and told Sammy marvelous tales of their strange habits. +Some of these land-crabs will suffocate if dipped in the water. They +live 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 the +sand. When once they have started on their march to the sea nothing +can turn them aside from the path in which they are traveling.</p> + +<p>Another cousin of the Hermit lives in the East and West Indies. It is +called the “Calling Crab,” because it has a very large claw which it +holds above its head when running, and this gives it the appearance of +beckoning to some one. This Calling Crab makes its home in holes, or +burrows on land.</p> + +<center> +<a name="calling"></a> +<a href="images/calling.jpg"><img src="images/calling1.jpg" alt="calling.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>CALLING CRAB. +<br> +<a href="images/calling.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Still another land relation is the East India Cocoa-Nut Crab, which +lives upon the cocoanuts that fall from the trees. With its large, +heavy claws it tears the husk from the cocoanut, and makes a hole in +the nut, and takes out the meat. These crabs also make their homes in +deep burrows, which they line with the husks and fibres from the +cocoanuts. 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 large +size.</p> + +<p>Crabs, and all crustaceans multiply enormously, and are of all sizes +from very tiny ones to one respectable Japan crab which covers +twenty-five feet of ground. In the tropics they grow very large, and +are of many different varieties.</p> + +<p>Some crabs live in fresh water rivers and streams, some of the lower +forms of the family in the extreme North, and others in dark, +under-ground caves.</p> + +<p>Like almost all of the crustaceans, the crabs and lobsters cast their +shells every year. Besides indulging in this habit himself, the +Hermit-Crab had once witnessed the toilet of a large lobster, and he +gave Sammy a graphic description of the operation.</p> + +<p>It seems that some days before it was time for him to get his new +suit, Mr. Lobster retired to a quiet place, gave up all society, and +fasted rigorously. Of course this severe treatment soon caused him to +lose flesh; he became thinner and thinner and the shell grew looser +and looser. After awhile he grew restless. Evidently his peace of mind +and body was much disturbed, for he rolled about, scratched himself, +and crawled here and there as if distracted. Soon after this his shell +split clear up the back, and then such a wriggling, and tugging and +squirming as there was until finally the whole outside shell of the +lobster, legs, claws, and everything else was forced through the +narrow slit in his back!</p> + +<p>When the old shell was gotten off it looked exactly like the living +lobster; and as for Mr. Lobster himself, lo! he was clothed in a bran +new suit of clothes. But although undoubtedly proud of his fine +apparel, he was too cautious to show it off as yet. He knew full well +that his new shell was very soft and tender, and that his enemies +liked him best in this condition, and that, alas! even his own family +would not hesitate, if they discovered him, to have a feast at his +expense. So, knowing his danger, and being pretty well tired after his +struggle with his toilet, Mr. Lobster prudently retired from the gaze +of the outside world, until his new shell hardened.</p> + +<p>But, when that was accomplished and he sallied forth, courageous and +very hungry, you may be sure that an unhappy fate awaited the weak and +tender member of fishland that fell in his path!</p> + +<p>Surely the life of a fish must be far from monotonous, since he has +always the excitement of hunting his own meals, and keeping out of the +way of others of his kind who are hunting for him! Still, nervous +prostration is quite unknown in that big water-world, and so it is to +be inferred that the fishes live only for the pleasures of the day, +and do not worry over the possible unpleasant things of the morrow.</p> + +<p>“Which,” said grandma, as she folded up her sewing, “is often a very +good principle to go on. So, children, off to bed with you, and +another evening we will learn how Sammy met the Pilot.”</p> + +<a name="chap3"></a><h2>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>THE STAR-FISH, THE UNSOCIABLE OYSTERS AND THE PILOT</h3> + +<p>It is not to be wondered at that our hero should feel a good deal of +distrust concerning his host. To be sure the Hermit had declared that +he never preyed upon fish as large as Sammy, since they invariably +disagreed with him, and he was very polite and affable to his guest. +But there was a certain suggestiveness about some of his remarks that +was unpleasant, and his furtive, watchful gaze made Sammy nervous. The +wicked old Hermit’s mouth was really watering for this innocent, +fresh-water fish, and he was only awaiting a favorable opportunity to +seize him with his cruel claws. Fortunately for Sammy his instinct +told him that the crab was a dangerous companion. So he soon found an +excuse to leave the cave on an exploring expedition, greatly to the +Hermit’s regret.</p> + +<p>Sammy’s experience with the shark was still fresh in his mind, and for +a time he kept close to the ledge ready for a dash to safety should +danger again threaten.</p> + +<p>It was a most interesting place to explore, this ledge. There were big +rocks and little rocks, flat rocks, rocks hidden by mud and sand, and +sharp, jutting rocks full of peril to ships at low tide.</p> + +<p>In one or two places near the ledge the ocean was so very deep that +Sammy never ventured to explore its depths, while from another point +he could clearly see the sand at the bottom of the sea, and loved to +descend and swim lazily about examining the shell-fish, sea-snails and +other curious creatures that made their home there.</p> + +<p>The long ledge had many inhabitants and Sammy was soon on very good +terms with a couple of jolly sea-urchins, whose round, prickly bodies +were half hidden in the little holes which they had bored in the rock. +The sea-urchins made him acquainted with some relations of theirs, a +family of star-fish living on a flat shelf of rock near by. The +star-fishes proved very agreeable companions, being both polite and +pretty. They had lovely orange colored backs, out of which protruded +their five arms, or rays, giving them the star-like appearance from +which 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 crawl +about, or even turn himself over if he wishes to, and if he is +disturbed or frightened these little feelers shrink up and conceal +themselves in tiny holes in the rays.</p> + +<p>Some star-fishes have the power of breaking off their rays, and, like +the crab and lobster, can grow new ones to take their place. They have +many beautiful relations in the star-fish family, one of the loveliest +being the Brittle-star, so called because it will break in pieces when +touched. Another relative is the Sun-star, which has twelve or fifteen +rays, and often grows to a very large size. Its color is sometimes +purple, sometimes red, with white rays tipped with red; truly a +gorgeous creature, and no doubt very vain of his wonderful beauty!</p> + +<p>All star-fishes have mouths and stomachs, which they put to good use, +being exceedingly fond of oysters, and such like, which they suck out +of their shells when opportunity offers.</p> + +<p>One of this particular Star-Fish family, Meteor by name, proved very +friendly indeed to Sammy, and through him our hero learned of a fine +Oyster Colony which had established itself on a mud bank not very far +distant.</p> + +<center> +<a name="starfish"></a> +<a href="images/starfish.jpg"><img src="images/starfish1.jpg" alt="starfish.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>STAR-FISH.<br> +Meteor proved very friendly indeed. +<br> +<a href="images/starfish.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Now Sammy was naturally of an inquisitive disposition, and an Oyster +Colony being something new he was anxious to visit it. Meteor was also +eager to pay a call, not so much from curiosity, as in the hope of +extracting a fat bivalve from his shell for dinner.</p> + +<p>So one fine day off the two started, Sammy swimming slowly to keep up +with his companion, and presently they came in sight of the Colony. It +was a large mud bank literally covered with oysters. Some were half +hidden, others piled one upon another, and still others in little +groups apart. Such a quantity as there were, and such queer-looking, +dirty things, with their rough shells hinged at the back! Every mouth +was wide open, eagerly sucking in the tiny water animals and plants on +which the oyster feeds.</p> + +<p>They paid but small attention to Sammy, but as soon as Meteor came in +sight, shell after shell quickly closed, and the whole Colony +immediately became to all appearances, a deaf, dumb and blind asylum. +Not a sign betrayed that they were living creatures, and the disgust +of the two adventurers may well be imagined. In vain did Sammy ask +questions, and put forth his best conversational powers; in vain did +the 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.</p> + +<p>“It’s all my fault,” grumbled the Star-Fish, as they moved slowly +away. “I should have had sense enough to creep along in a less +conspicuous manner. You see so many different kinds of sea-folks, +crabs, sea-snails, etc., as well as our own family feed on the oysters +that it makes them very timid, and they close their shells at the +least sign of danger. And, of course, once the shells are shut the +sharpest and most experienced claw is of no use. It is much easier to +hunt oysters before the shell hardens, though it is not considered as +much sport.”</p> + +<p>“Are oysters’ shells ever soft?” inquired Sammy in great surprise.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes, indeed!” said Meteor, in a very superior tone. “Why I +supposed that every fish in the sea knew that, but I forget, you are +from the fresh water.</p> + +<p>“The young oysters are hatched in the shell of the mother in the form +of eggs. She keeps them for awhile, but presently sets them free, and +although they are very tiny, they have eyes to see with, and can swim +about. The oysters have large families, and I knew of one Lady Oyster +who had two million young ones, but of course, only a few lived to +grow up, since they are greatly prized as food by all fish, and +delicious meals they make too, as I can tell you from experience.</p> + +<p>“But about the young oysters: Well they are driven about by the +currents and tides, and finally attach themselves to some object, like +a rock, or hide in the sand and mud, and there they take up +housekeeping for life, for, once their shell hardens, they cannot +move.</p> + +<p>“They are stupid creatures as compared with superior fish, like you +and me for instance; but of course, since they have no head proper, +they cannot be expected to use their brains. An Oyster has a large +heart, however, as well as eyes, mouth, lips and liver, and he +breathes through little tiny things like leaflets on each side of his +body. I have heard that the oysters in the Indian Ocean contain very +beautiful and costly pearls, as well as those in the Pacific, and +other seas, and a good many common oysters have pearls in them too.</p> + +<p>“They say that the two-legged land race value the oyster on account of +the 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 creatures +will devour or make use of in some way, almost anything that comes out +of the water. How glad I am that I live in the sea, instead of on +shore!</p> + +<p>“However, as I was saying, the oysters have lots of enemies, and they +make few friends outside of their own family, and no wonder when you +consider how very stuck-up they are.”</p> + +<p>“They are certainly very unsociable,” agreed Sammy. “Still it has been +nice to learn as much about them as you have been able to tell me, and +I am greatly obliged to you.”</p> + +<p>“Don’t mention it,” returned the Star-Fish, affably. “I make it my +business to know the manner of life and habits of the creatures I live +upon, and a good deal about those I have to avoid, and it will give me +great pleasure to give you any information in my power. And above all +things beware of that old hypocrite the Hermit-Crab, and all his +family.”</p> + +<p>This friendly advice proved of great benefit to Sammy during his stay +at the ledge, and indeed, all through his life in the ocean. As he +acquired a greater knowledge of the ways of the sea he lost much of +his timidity, though none of that caution that is the safeguard of +every wise fish.</p> + +<p>Each day as he took longer trips about the ledge, he made new +discoveries and new acquaintances, and though these were all +interesting, yet he longed to leave the ledge entirely and journey to +Coral-Land. Of this wonderful, faraway country he had heard marvelous +tales from Aunt Sheen, although she herself had never seen it. Ever +since his smallest fishhood Sammy had longed to see with his own eyes +the glories of this delightful place, where the coral grew, +sea-flowers bloomed, and hundreds of lovely fish swam about in the +calm, blue water. But it was a long distance, and he knew that many +dangers awaited the inexperienced traveler. So, although he never +abandoned his intention of visiting the spot which he had come so far +to see, he wisely decided to wait until some fish more versed in the +ways of the sea than himself, should be going in his direction.</p> + +<p>To this end, guided by the advice of Meteor, he accosted several fish +who might prove desirable companions, but for a time with no success. +The Herring was unwilling to leave the school which he was going to +join; the Cod was bound for Newfoundland with his family, and feared +that a warmer climate would not agree with the children.</p> + +<p>A short conversation with a Mackerel proved more satisfactory. Mr. +Mackerel was in a great hurry, for having heard that a school of +herring had gone on ahead, he anticipated a good meal, and was anxious +to be off.</p> + +<p>“This is my busy day,” he said impatiently in answer to Sammy’s +question. “No, I am not going to Coral-Land, it’s too far south for me +at this reason. But if you will wait here awhile you may see a cousin +of mine who might act as guide. He is a Pilot-Fish and is out of a job +at present. You will know him by the three dark blue bands about his +body. Now, I really must say good-day,” and away he swam in a +tremendous hurry.</p> + +<p>For some time longer Sammy lingered near examining the different fish +that 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 swam +leisurely nearer Sammy saw that the stranger was indeed marked with +three dark blue bands. Surely this must be the Pilot, and as such he +addressed him.</p> + +<p>“Yes, that is my name,” replied the Pilot, who had a very shrewd +fish-of-the-sea expression; “and so Cousin Mack. told you I was out of +a job, did he? Well so I am, but I was intending to take a rest before +going to work again. However, I would be willing to take charge of you +this trip as a special favor.</p> + +<p>“Oh, yes! I’ve been to Coral-Land a great many times, and know all the +regular inhabitants as well as the ordinary visitors. But as this is +your first trip, and as it is always more trouble to pilot an +inexperienced 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 I +think I should have to ask a little more, say three-quarters. Is that +satisfactory?”</p> + +<p>“Perfectly,” replied Sammy, delighted to make any arrangement, +although he had a suspicion that the sly Pilot was taking advantage of +his greenness.</p> + +<p>“Very well then,” said the Pilot, “I will take you to Coral-Land on +those terms, and will guarantee to protect you as far as possible, +from all danger. I am well known as an excellent guide, the White +Shark will testify as to my ability in that line. But don’t get +frightened,” he added, as Sammy began to shiver at the mention of the +Shark’s name. “I forgot that you are not on as good terms with the +sharks as I am. However I am not on speaking acquaintance with them at +present, and since I know their habits, will promise to keep you well +out of their way.</p> + +<p>“And now suppose we look about for a bite for supper, talking always +makes me very hungry, then to-morrow I will meet you at the ledge, and +we can start fresh on our journey.”</p> + + +<a name="chap4"></a><h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h3>ON TO CORAL-LAND</h3> + +<blockquote><i> + For him who goes a-traveling<br> + Upon the stormy sea,<br> + A tried and trusty pilot<br> + Is the safest company.<br> +</i></blockquote> + +<p>“And did the Pilot really take good care of Sammy?” asked Bob, +anxiously, as he and Eleanor took their places on the little balcony +with grandma, and eagerly awaited the continuation of the ocean story.</p> + +<p>“I don’t believe he did,” said his sister positively. “I just know +that old Pilot was a hypocrite like the Hermit-Crab and ate up poor +Sammy the first chance he got.”</p> + +<p>“Time will show,” said the old lady as she snipped her silk with her +silver scissors. “It is a very bad plan to read the last chapter of a +book first.”</p> + +<p>As for the Pilot, he had his weaknesses and faults like all people and +all fish, and what they were we will find out as we go along.</p> + +<hr> + +<p>Bright and early the next morning Sammy bade farewell to his friends +at the ledge, and in company with his guide started forth on his long +journey to Coral-Land. All the Star-Fishes and Sea-Urchins assembled +to see him off, and wish him a safe and prosperous voyage. Even the +Hermit peered cautiously out from his cave, and waved an adieu with +one claw. But his crafty eyes had a wistful expression as though he +said to himself, “My what a fool I was to let that fellow escape!”</p> + +<p>“Speaking of sharks,” remarked the Pilot, as he and his companion +glided easily through the water, “many unjust things have been said +about me because I am sometimes seen with the White Shark. They say a +fish is always known by the company he keeps, but I think it is very +unfair to judge me in that way, particularly as I never stayed with +the shark because I liked him. I knew him for a heartless and +ferocious monster who would attack anything that came in his way, and +I was a good deal afraid of him. I only went with him as a matter of +convenience to myself. But it was commonly supposed that I accompanied +him as a guide in order to show him the best feeding places, and tell +him what dangers to avoid, and that was how I got my name of the +Pilot-Fish. But the real reason was that I got better food when in +company with the White Shark than any other way.</p> + +<p>“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 always +thrown overboard from vessels; and as the White Shark only cared for +the big pieces, all the tender little morsels fell to my lot. I lived +well in those days, but I had to give up the job after awhile, the +nervous strain was too great.</p> + +<p>“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 a +man’s leg with one stroke of his tail. His temper was awful, and he +would stop at nothing when angry. He had enormous jaws, with six rows +of flat teeth, and to see him turn on his side, and open those jaws +was enough to give you cold chills for a week.</p> + +<p>“The good food that we got from our ship usually kept the White Shark +in a fairly good humor, but, knowing him as I did, I was well aware +that if the food should happen to run short, he would not hesitate to +make a meal off of me; and although I am an excellent swimmer, and +stood a good chance of being able to escape (else I should have never +been there at all), still there was always a possibility of something +unpleasant happening, and it got to be rather wearing.</p> + +<p>“So, one day when we were following a particularly promising vessel, I +made 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 the +opportunity to escape. Since then I have carefully avoided the society +of all sharks, but what I have learned about them and their ways has +been of great benefit to me, and will be a help to us now, since they +prefer 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 as +possible.</p> + +<p>“We will need to keep a sharp lookout for the Blue Shark, whom you +have already had the pleasure of meeting, and we may catch a glimpse +of the Hammer-headed Shark, a terribly fierce monster with a head +shaped like a hammer.</p> + +<center> +<a name="hammerhead"></a> +<a href="images/hammerhead.jpg"><img src="images/hammerhead1.jpg" alt="hammerhead.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>HAMMERHEADED SHARK<br> +A Terribly Fierce Monster is the Hammerheaded Shark +<br> +<a href="images/hammerhead.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>“But the enemy that I dread most of all is the Sword-Fish, so named +from the long sword-shaped snout on his upper jaw. This sword is very +strong, and so sharp that it will easily pierce a boat. The White +Shark is bad enough, but the Sword-Fish is even worse. His aim is +unerring, and his disposition so fierce that he will attack anything +that comes in his path, large or small. I saw one once that measured +twenty feet, but that was from a safe distance, for I make it a rule +to give them all a wide berth.</p> + +<center> +<a name="swordfish"></a> +<a href="images/swordfish.jpg"><img src="images/swordfish1.jpg" alt="swordfish.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>SWORD-FISH<br> +The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of All +<br> +<a href="images/swordfish.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>“Then there is the Saw-Fish, whose long snout has teeth on both sides +like a saw, and his company is not desirable either.</p> + +<p>“Fortunately for us the Sea-Wolf prefers the northern ocean, and +fortunate it is for the northern fish that he is a slow swimmer, else +the next census would show a decided decrease in the fish family. The +Sea-Wolf has a tremendous appetite, and his huge jaws, armed each with +six rows of teeth, can easily crush the toughest shell-fish, of which +food 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 the +Sword-Fish.”</p> + +<p>With these, and many other stories of the fish world the Pilot +beguiled the tedium of the journey. He told about the famous +Sucking-Fish, or Remora, which has a wonderful flat apparatus on its +head by which it sticks to any object, fish, rock, or ship to which it +attaches itself, and once fixed it is impossible to make it loose its +hold. The natives in Africa use this fish to catch turtles with. They +tie 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 will +lift a turtle weighing many pounds.</p> + +<center> +<a name="remora"></a> +<a href="images/remora.jpg"><img src="images/remora1.jpg" alt="remora.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>REMORA<br> +The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its Head +<br> +<a href="images/remora.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Another of the Pilot’s favorite yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish which +makes its home in the Mediterranean Sea, and which possesses powerful +electric batteries with which it paralyzes its prey.</p> + +<center> +<a name="torpedo"></a> +<a href="images/torpedo.jpg"><img src="images/torpedo1.jpg" alt="torpedo.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>TORPEDO-FISH<br> +One of the Pilot-Fish’s Favorite Yarns Was About the Torpedo-Fish +<br> +<a href="images/torpedo.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Altogether the Pilot was a most interesting companion, his knowledge +of the sea was both useful and entertaining, and the sharp outlook +that he kept more than once saved them from unsuspected danger. To +this watchfulness Sammy owed his escape from the Sea-Devil. This +treacherous creature makes its home in the mud, which it stirs up in +order the better to conceal itself. While thus hidden, it waves about +in the cloudy water two long, slender feelers, which to an unwary fish +look like some tempting article of food. Feeling decidedly hungry +Sammy was darting towards this apparently delicious meal, when the +Pilot interfered and explained the nature of the bait which was meant +to attract him within reach of the Angler hidden in the mud.</p> + +<center> +<a name="devil"></a> +<a href="images/devil.jpg"><img src="images/devil1.jpg" alt="devil.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>SEA-DEVIL<br> +The Treacherous Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish +<br> +<a href="images/devil.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Truth to tell our hero often went hungry during his somewhat lengthy +journey, for, in spite of his other most admirable qualities, the +Pilot-Fish was very greedy. Few indeed were the morsels that fell to +poor Sammy’s share when his guide had finished his meals, and the +young salmon had occasion more than once to wish that he had driven a +sharper bargain. But, although he was growing thin, he comforted +himself with the reflection that they were quickly nearing the +promised land, where the Pilot assured him delicious food of all kinds +abounded.</p> + +<p>For now the water was growing warmer, more and more brilliant were the +fish and ocean plants, and strange and beautiful rocks, like fairy +castles rose up from the bed of the ocean.</p> + +<p>One morning they saw a strange sight. Away off in the distance the +surface of the water was dark with some large moving substance.</p> + +<p>“It is a school of Flying-Fish,” said the Pilot. “Wait here and you +will see them leap.”</p> + +<p>As he spoke the vast body sprang into the air, and the sun gleamed +brightly on beautiful blue bodies, and silver wings, as the fishes +sailed off in different directions. It was a wonderful sight, but +lasted only for a moment, then splash, splash, one after another fell +back into the water, while the sea-gulls circling near seemed to utter +a scream of derision. Again and again, by hundreds at a time, the +beautiful fish leaped and sailed, only to fall back as before.</p> + +<center> +<a name="flying"></a> +<a href="images/flying.jpg"><img src="images/flying1.jpg" alt="flying.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>FLYING-FISH<br> +One of the School of Flying-Fish Which Sammy Met +<br> +<a href="images/flying.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>“They cannot really fly, you know,” explained the Pilot, “for they are +not able to raise themselves in the air after their first leap, and +can only sail for a few feet on a level. And those things that look +like wings are simply very large Pectoral fins, which can support them +for awhile in the air. And a very silly practice the whole thing is +too. Those fish would be a great deal better off if they only kept to +their own element, and stayed pretty well under water. As it is they +are in constant danger, for the sea-gulls are always watching for them +above, and the Bonito beneath. And that reminds me that it would be +safer for us to dive below, for the Bonito is always to be met +following the Flying-Fish, and he is not particular, (being always +hungry) as to what kind of fish he dines on. His usual plan is to +follow the Flying-Fish, keeping near the surface, and when the fish he +has 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 our +destination, and after a few more miles our journey will be over.”</p> + +<p>This was a cheering thought, and the two companions swam gaily along +in the best of spirits. Sammy would have liked to stop occasionally to +examine some particularly interesting object, but his guide hurried +him on. “For,” said he, “this is by far the most dangerous part of our +voyage. The most vicious of our enemies lurk outside of Coral-Land +waiting for a chance to grab the tourist, but, once inside that long +reef that you see some distance ahead, and we are safe. I have a +special entrance known to myself alone, and no very large fish, or +shark can get through it. I only hope that we can reach it without +being seen.”</p> + +<p>But it was a vain hope. No sooner were the words uttered, than some +instinct caused the Pilot to glance hastily behind him, and there, +well in the rear to be sure, but moving towards them with +uncomfortable swiftness, were two large, dark moving bodies.</p> + +<p>“Sharks!” cried Sammy in terror.</p> + +<p>“Sword-Fish!” said the more experienced Pilot. “Follow me and swim for +your life!”</p> + +<p>Away he darted, heading in a straight line for the high reef, away +darted Sammy after him, and on came the murderous Sword-Fish. Faster +and faster swam the pursued, and faster and faster the pursuers. On +they came, nearer, nearer and still nearer, their huge shapes and +cruel swords suggesting a fearful death.</p> + +<p>Sammy’s strength was almost gone, his fins were growing weaker, and he +swam more and more slowly, while the mouth of the monster nearest him +watered in eager anticipation.</p> + +<p>But the dauntless Pilot still kept on his course, and showed no sign +of weakening. Straight at the large reef, now very near, he dashed, +and then, just as destruction seemed certain, he swerved to the right +and disappeared from view in a mass of weeds that grew out from the +rock. With one last desperate effort Sammy followed, the weeds closed +behind him, and passing quickly through a small hole in the reef, he +lay, quivering, exhausted, but safe on the other side.</p> + +<p>Furious at their disappointment the Sword Fishes rushed at the reef, +striking it again and again with their sharp swords in a vain attempt +to pierce, or batter down the rock. Then they swam wildly about +looking for an entrance large enough for them to pass through, but +none was to be found, for the high, circular reef shut in the lagoon +where the two refugees lay, like a wall.</p> + +<p>At length, tired out with their exertions, the two Sword-Fish gave up +the chase, and being in a very ill-temper, and having no one else to +vent it on, they began to quarrel with each other.</p> + +<p>“It’s all your fault anyway,” snarled Slasher, the biggest and +crossest fish. “How often have I told you to take my advice in these +matters! We should have kept further under water, as I suggested in +the first place, then we would not have been seen so soon. I’ve no +patience with your stupidity!”</p> + +<p>“Stupid yourself!” snapped his brother Jabber. “You know as well as I +do that it is much the best plan to keep on a straight line with the +prey 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—”</p> + +<p>“I didn’t splash with my tail,” retorted Slasher angrily.</p> + +<p>“You did,” insisted Jabber.</p> + +<p>“I say I didn’t!”</p> + +<p>“I say you did!”</p> + +<hr> + +<p>“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 brothers +fiercely attacked each other, and right there and then they fought a +terrible duel, which only ended with the death of both combatants, for +each died pierced through the body with his brother’s sword.</p> + +<p>“So perished the two dreaded sentinels of Coral-Land, and Sammy was at +his journey’s end.”</p> + + +<a name="chap5"></a><h2>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h3>IN CORAL-LAND</h3> + +<blockquote><i> + Oh! do you know<br> + Where the sea-flowers blow,<br> + Down deep in the ocean’s bed?<br> + Where the shy plants hide<br> + ’Neath the swelling tide,<br> + And the Anemone lifts its head?<br> + Where the Nautilus frail,<br> + To set his sail,<br> + Creeps forth from the silver sand?<br> + Then come with me,<br> + And you will see<br> + The wonders of Coral-Land.<br> +</i></blockquote> + +<p>“So this is Coral-Land!” exclaimed Sammy, wonderingly. “What a +beautiful place it is!”</p> + +<p>He and his companion had soon recovered from the fright caused by +their recent unpleasant experience, and now, filled with a comforting +sense of tranquillity, they swam leisurely along in the placid water. +The dangers and privations of the journey were over, they had made an +excellent meal on some delicious tidbits found among the weeds, and +nothing now remained but to enjoy to the full the delights of their +new home.</p> + +<p>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-reefs +which encircled it like a large ring.</p> + +<p>There are many such lagoons, and this one, called by the fish-world, +“Coral-Land,” because of the beautiful coral within its depths, was +only one of many coral-lands, for coral-islands, and coral-reefs are +found everywhere in tropical seas. Sometimes these coral-reefs are +found near the shores of large islands, or continents, and then they +are called Shore-Reefs. There are also Barrier-Reefs, usually +enclosing 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.</p> + +<p>Near the centre of this Lagoon arose another ring of coral-reef, like +a small circle within a larger circle, and in the centre of the second +little lake so formed, was a tiny coral-island, dotted here and there +with gay flowers, and waving palm-trees.</p> + +<p>Outside the reefs the white-topped breakers thundered on unceasingly, +but the calm waters of the Lagoon were undisturbed by their fury. Far +above and below towered the magnificent rocks, forming so complete a +barricade that sharks and very large fish found it difficult to gain +an entrance to the Lagoon, and could never penetrate to the inner +lake, where the inhabitants of Coral-Land sometimes took refuge.</p> + +<p>As for the smaller fish, the reefs were punctured with innumerable +little passages and caverns through which they could easily gain +access to the outside ocean, if they wished, but most of them +preferred the quiet and security of the Lagoon. Many had been born +there and knew no other life, and many, like the Sun-Fish had grown so +fat with good living that it would have been almost impossible for +them to squeeze through the largest opening.</p> + +<p>In fact the Lagoon was like a large aquarium of curious and beautiful +fish. Floating lazily along was a round, prickly Globe-Fish, and close +behind him drifted a cross looking Porcupine-Fish, an odd, countrified +sort of creature, with his gaping mouth, the sharp spines on his ugly +body raised in preparation for a possible attack from the strangers. +Away off among the distant rocks some dazzling Gold-Fish chased each +other merrily hither and thither; a brilliant blue fish darted out +from a near-by thicket, and a company of scarlet fish swam past, +making a beautiful picture, with the clear, blue waters of the Lagoon +as a setting.</p> + +<center> +<a name="globe"></a> +<a href="images/globe.jpg"><img src="images/globe1.jpg" alt="globe.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>GLOBE-FISH<br> +A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land +<br> +<a href="images/globe.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<center> +<a name="porcupine"></a> +<a href="images/porcupine.jpg"><img src="images/porcupine1.jpg" alt="porcupine.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>PORCUPINE-FISH<br> +Another Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land +<br> +<a href="images/porcupine.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Far down below myriads of gorgeous shells lay scattered about on the +white sand like gay figures in a carpet, every color showing plainly +through the wonderfully transparent water. Here a tree of coral rose +up from the depths, its branches covered with lovely star-shaped +flowers; farther below a bed of shrubbery sprang from hidden rocks, +and close at hand a colony of beautiful Sea-Anemones lifted their +proud heads, and swayed gracefully in the water. Some of these flowers +were shaped like chrysanthemums with rows of fringed petals, some were +shorter and stouter, like dahlias, and all formed a mass of brilliant +color, pink, purple, orange, blood-red, and sea-blue, striped with +pink.</p> + +<p>Never had Sammy seen such a sight as this bed of Anemones, and, struck +with admiration, he stopped to examine them more closely. But the +experienced Pilot warned him to be careful.</p> + +<p>“They look very fine,” said he, “but they are not to be trusted.” You +know, of course, that the Sea-Anemones, like almost all flowers and +plants which grow in the ocean, are living animals, polyps, we call +them. The Anemones are polyps, and the coral big and little, living +and dead is being made, or has been made by polyps.</p> + +<p>“You see that bed of pink flowers over there, and those green rushes, +and those fern-like plants? Well, they are all living polyps, or +colonies of polyps, some kinds of which leave coral when they die, +like the coral polyps proper.</p> + +<p>“As for the Anemones; those innocent looking flowers really possess +powerful weapons in the shape of tiny lassos, which are concealed in +lasso-cells. These lasso-cells, which are very small, are carefully +hidden in the walls of those petal-like tentacles, or feelers of the +Anemone. Still other lasso-cells are hidden in the mouth of the +Anemone, and inside its stomach. In the cells the long, slender, +thread-like lassos lie coiled up ready for use. The lassos escape from +the cells by turning themselves inside out with lightning-like +swiftness, and woe to the crab, or small water animal that comes in +contact with this lovely flower! It is immediately pierced by the +lassos, and poisoned by the deadly fluid hidden in the cells. Even big +fish have been known to die in great agony when touched by the +Sea-Anemone.</p> + +<p>“The Anemone frequently swallows a whole crab (if it is a good size +itself) and is particularly fond of gulping down its food in this +manner, keeping it for awhile in its stomach to squeeze out the juice; +after which what is left is thrown out through its mouth.</p> + +<p>“All Anemones have mouths and stomachs, and some have rows of eyes +like a necklace around the body. The mouth is a small opening in the +centre of the disk, or head of the Anemone, and this leads into the +stomach below.</p> + +<p>“Sometimes the Anemone uses the tentacles around the disk to help feed +itself, and it also uses the mouth, lips and disk for the same +purpose. When the Anemone is at rest it expands its disk and draws in +the sea water, and when it is disturbed it contracts, and throws out +the 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.</p> + +<center> +<a name="anemones"></a> +<a href="images/anemones.jpg"><img src="images/anemones1.jpg" alt="anemones.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>A COLONY OF SEA ANEMONES +<br> +<a href="images/anemones.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>“You see that the body of the Anemone is shaped like a column, the +flat head, or disk, being at the top, with rows of tentacles, like +petals, fringing the edge. The bottom of the Anemone is also flat, and +with this flat base it holds fast to the rocks to which it attaches +itself. The Sea-Anemones are able to move about from rock to rock, and +in that they differ from their first cousins, the Coral Polyps, for +they are always stationary.</p> + +<p>“The Anemone has several curious ways of reproducing itself. Sometimes +one animal will divide itself and become two individuals, and +sometimes pieces from the bottom of the Anemone will become separate +Anemones. Another strange way is by throwing out the young through the +mouth, and it doesn’t seem to make much difference whether they come +out in the shape of eggs, or whether they are fully formed, as is +frequently the case.</p> + +<p>“Still another process of reproduction is by budding. A small lump +appears on the parent Anemone; this keeps on growing and growing until +it soon has a mouth, disk and tentacles like the mother; after which +it separates, and starts out in life for itself. Whole colonies of +Anemones are formed in this way.</p> + +<p>“But come,” said the Pilot. “Here we have spent all this time talking +about the Anemones, and the coral is far more interesting and +beautiful. Suppose we take a look at this large tree,” he went on in +his most school-master manner. “See how lovely it is with its trunk +and branches covered with little star-shaped flowers! Those flowers +are 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 much +the same way as do the Anemones, but the Coral Polyp does not separate +from the parent when it gets its growth; it stays fastened to the +mother, and soon imitates her example by producing a bud which becomes +a coral flower. And so it goes on until there is a whole colony of +animals, each one having a separate mouth and stomach for his support, +and yet continuing as a part of the family.</p> + +<p>“I told you that the Anemones and Coral Polyps were first cousins, and +so they are, for almost the only difference between them is that the +Anemones have no coral in their make-up. Then too, the Coral Polyps +cannot move about like the Anemones, and they are somewhat different +in appearance, being more like lovely daisies, or stars, than +chrysanthemums.</p> + +<p>“The coral is made from the lime of which the water of the ocean +contains a large quantity, and is hidden in the sides and lower part +of the polyp, there being none in the stomach and disk. When the polyp +dies the fleshy part decays, and the coral, which is the skeleton of +the polyp, is left. It is very hard, being composed of carbonate of +lime, and will last for ages. The inside of this tree that we are +looking at is all dead coral, or corallum, while the flowers that are +on the outside of the trunk and branches are the living animals.</p> + +<p>“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 live +in families, or colonies. There are coral reefs and coral trees, domes +and balls of coral, graceful vases, and all sorts and kinds of +different plants and odd growths.</p> + +<p>“You know that living coral cannot exist above the surface of the +ocean, for exposure to the sun and air kills the polyps; yet it is +always growing upward and outward, the living animals making their +homes upon the tombs of their ancestors, so to speak, until they in +their turn perish and add their skeletons to the growing structure.</p> + +<p>“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 his +great-grandfather before him, could not tell when they were begun; and +so hard and enduring that the storms of centuries have never been able +to destroy them. But strong as they are, the mighty ocean, (both +friend and foe to the coral), is still stronger, and in time the +constant washing and beating of the tides wear away portions of the +hard rock, changes the formation of the reefs, and helps in a large +measure in the making of the lovely coral islands. But still the coral +goes on growing, the living polyps protecting the dead coral below and +beneath, and then dying to make way for the next generation. And so +the coral holds its own in spite of the fury of the sea, and the many +little boring water animals that strive to penetrate the dead coral, +and crumble the rock into ruins. But the coral has its friends, as +well as enemies, and the most useful of the first are various weeds +and plants which grow on the reefs, and beside protecting the upper +parts from exposure, help in their formation by leaving a kind of +coral behind them when they die.</p> + +<center> +<a name="octopus"></a> +<a href="images/octopus.jpg"><img src="images/octopus1.jpg" alt="octopus.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF +CORAL, AND OCTOPUS. +<br> +<a href="images/octopus.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>“If you will look about you,” went on the Pilot, “you will see what +beautiful colors some of the coral has. See that big piece over there +like a large red toadstool, and this curious vase all covered on the +outside with tiny polyps like purple stars! You will find it in many +lovely colors, and still more fantastic shapes. I have heard that some +varieties of pink and red coral are very highly valued for jewelry by +the two-legged land race.”</p> + +<p>In this manner the learned Pilot discoursed to his pupil, being only +too glad to have an excuse for showing off his superior knowledge; and +Sammy drank it all in, having in mind the time when he should return +to his far-away home and brag of his adventures to the simple +fresh-water fish.</p> + +<p>Beside acting as guide, and explaining to his companion the mysteries +of Coral-Land, the Pilot kindly introduced Sammy to some of his +acquaintances and friends. One of these was a very large odd-looking +Sun-Fish, a curious creature, all head and no body. This fish, being +very haughty in his manners, and exclusive in his tastes, was +considered very aristocratic: and having spent the greater part of his +life in the Lagoon, was acknowledged as the great social leader of +Coral-Land.</p> + +<p>The Sun-Fish presented Sammy to the Trunk-Fish, (so named from his +curious shape), and the Trunk-Fish in turn introduced him to the +Globe-Fish and the Porcupine-Fish, and they made him acquainted with +the family of scarlet fish, and some handsome gold-fish. Two of the +gold-fish, called respectively Gay and Gilt, were particularly +friendly to Sammy, who soon found them much more entertaining than the +worthy, but somewhat prosy Pilot.</p> + +<p>So, as the days went on, our hero spent more and more of his time in +the company of his new friends, while the Pilot was content, now that +his duty was done, to gossip with the Sun-Fish, or betake himself to +some particularly good feeding ground of which he knew. Coral-Land +abounded in quantities of good things such as fishes love, and Sammy +soon grew fat, for Gay and Gilt were much less greedy than the Pilot, +and always shared their meals evenly with their friend. It did not +take him long to learn what to enjoy and what to avoid, both in the +way of food and acquaintances, and he found it a most useful form of +knowledge.</p> + +<p>Thus he learned to beware of the graceful jelly-fishes who were +constantly to be met floating about, their long tentacles streaming +behind, and their umbrella-shaped disks expanding and contracting as +they swam, for he knew that the Jelly-Fish was a cousin of the +Sea-Anemone, and that its tentacles could sting most unpleasantly. So +he admired them from a distance, and very beautiful they were, +especially at night, when their gleaming phosphorescent bodies lighted +up the darkness of the sleeping Lagoon.</p> + +<p>Sammy learned that the affectionate embrace of the many-armed Octopus +was not to be desired; and that a thicket of seaweed is a good +hiding-place from a chance enemy, and is apt to contain many delicious +tidbits in the way of fish food. He knew the manners and habits of the +many brilliant-hued fish who live in Coral-Land; and he knew that the +floor of the Lagoon had as many curious and beautiful inhabitants as +its waters. There the Star-Fish sprawled on the sand, the Sea-Cucumber +crawled along, expanding and contracting its worm-like body; there the +Sea-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 the +sand and rocks.</p> + +<p>All these shells had, of course, their living inhabitants, for a shell +is always the home of some water animal, and when the owner dies the +shell is left as a monument, and very beautiful monuments most of them +are.</p> + +<p>The Sea-Snail, the Cockle, the Razor-shell and many others have each a +good-sized foot which helps them in crawling along, or in boring holes +for themselves in the rocks.</p> + +<center> +<a name="snail"></a> +<a href="images/snail.jpg"><img src="images/snail1.jpg" alt="snail.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>SEA-SNAIL +<br> +<a href="images/snail.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<center> +<a name="cockle"></a> +<a href="images/cockle.jpg"><img src="images/cockle1.jpg" alt="cockle.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>COCKLE, SHOWING FOOT +<br> +<a href="images/cockle.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<center> +<a name="razor"></a> +<a href="images/razor.jpg"><img src="images/razor1.jpg" alt="razor.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>RAZOR-SHELL +<br> +<a href="images/razor.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Sammy had taken some pains to become acquainted with the Nautilus and +his family, whose beautiful little boats he had often seen sailing +gaily along on the surface of the Lagoon, especially after a storm +when the water was calm.</p> + +<p>The Nautilus has a beautiful spiral mother-of-pearl shell, and when on +a voyage it uses part of its body as a sail, and the long tentacles +about its mouth help it in swimming. It spends a good deal of its time +on the bottom of the ocean near the coral reefs, and can creep along +very quickly, supporting itself with its head and tentacles. The head +is flat and muscular and acts as a defense to the opening of the +shell, and the Nautilus also possesses very strong jaws which it makes +good use of in crushing crabs and other shell-fish on which it feeds.</p> + +<center> +<a name="nautilus"></a> +<a href="images/nautilus.jpg"><img src="images/nautilus1.jpg" alt="nautilus.jpg" border="0"></a> +<p>NAUTILUS +<br> +<a href="images/nautilus.jpg">View larger image</a> +</p> +</center> + +<p>Sammy found it rather difficult at first to come to a friendly +understanding with the Nautilus, for the gallant little mariner was +somewhat shy of strangers, and would frequently show his distrust by +suddenly drawing in his tentacles, upsetting his shell, and dropping +to the bottom of the Lagoon, thus effectually cutting short any +conversation. But this was only his way of protecting himself; after a +time he grew bolder, and being a true sailor spun many a wonderful +yarn about his voyages.</p> + +<p>To the Nautilus Sammy was indebted for a most important piece of +information. It happened in this wise. He had now spent several weeks +in Coral-Land. He knew the Lagoon thoroughly from end to end, the best +feeding and hiding-places, the delightful caverns and caves in the +reefs, and was on friendly terms with almost all its inhabitants. But +a fish is a restless creature, and, strange to say, Sammy was daily +growing more and more weary of this peaceful Lagoon. It was all very +wonderful to be sure, the beautiful coral in its lovely colors and +fantastic shapes, the gay flowers and plants, the strange shells, and +the brilliant, sparkling fish; but then the warm water <i>was</i> +certainly enervating, and the mountain stream that he called home had +many charms, now that he was no longer there.</p> + +<p>The Pilot-Fish had long since departed for other scenes, and Sammy +wished 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 beating +a retreat. Not caring to confide his weakness to his two friends, who +would not understand it, he kept his secret to himself, longing more +and more for that quiet mountain stream so very far away.</p> + +<p>One fine day as Sammy was swimming sadly along, and alone, near the +outer reef of the Lagoon, his friend, the Nautilus approached him in +great excitement.</p> + +<p>“I’ve seen such a strange sight,” he exclaimed eagerly, sailing close +up to the salmon in his haste. “This morning I thought I would have a +little adventure, for it’s very tiresome spending so much time in the +Lagoon, so I found my way, through a passage known only to myself, out +to the ocean, and such fun as I had sailing up and down! To be sure I +had to keep a pretty sharp outlook, for it is a dangerous place out +there. However, nothing of any consequence happened, and I was +beginning to feel a little disappointed, when suddenly, only a short +distance away, I saw a school of large, pink fish, very much like you +in appearance, and all swimming north. Never before in all my +experience have I known a school of fish of that kind in our +neighborhood! 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 his +shell the Nautilus disappeared at once from view.</p> + +<p>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, it +would take too much time, and they would be sure to protest against +his going, and then the school would be out of sight. One swift glance +about him, and away he dashed; another moment and he was at the reef, +a passageway out was found, and darting through the breakers, he rose +to the surface and looked forth once more on the broad ocean. Behind +him lay all the wonders and beauties of Coral-Land, and there, far +away towards the north, a mass of moving fish darkened the surface of +the water. Could he reach them before they disappeared, or before some +hideous 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 on +countless scales; nearer still, one final effort, and the school of +salmon opened to receive him, and then swept on northward and +homeward.</p> + +<hr> + +<p>There was a pause. Grandma dropped her work, and leaning idly back in +her rocking-chair, gazed dreamily out over the ocean, sparkling in its +sunset glory.</p> + +<p>“Is that all?” inquired Eleanor. “Didn’t Sammy really get home?”</p> + +<p>“That is all,” said grandma. “What became of our hero after he joined +the school of salmon I never knew. In all likelihood he never left his +companions. But whether he guided them to the pleasant waters of that +mountain stream, or whether they took him with them to some lake or +inland river, I cannot tell.”</p> + +<p>As for Gay and Gilt, they long mourned the mysterious disappearance of +their playfellow, and often now when the sun shines brightly on the +blue waters of the Lagoon, when the Nautilus sails forth on his +voyage, and the sea-flowers sway and nod in their deep beds, the two +gold-fish swim sadly about amid the depths of Coral-Land and tell +stories to the passing stranger of the merry young salmon who came +from the north, so long ago.</p> + +<h3>THE END.</h3> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of How Sammy Went to Coral-Land, by +Emily Paret Atwater + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + +***** This file should be named 7460-h.htm or 7460-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/4/6/7460/ + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..975467e --- /dev/null +++ b/7460-h/images/torpedo.jpg diff --git a/7460-h/images/torpedo1.jpg b/7460-h/images/torpedo1.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5127b10 --- /dev/null +++ b/7460-h/images/torpedo1.jpg diff --git a/7460.txt b/7460.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6b0ed56 --- /dev/null +++ b/7460.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2003 @@ +Project Gutenberg's How Sammy Went to Coral-Land, by Emily Paret Atwater + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: How Sammy Went to Coral-Land + +Author: Emily Paret Atwater + +Posting Date: March 24, 2014 [EBook #7460] +Release Date: February, 2005 +First Posted: May 4, 2003 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + + + + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: "SAMMY".] + +HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND + +BY EMILY PARET ATWATER +Author of "Tommy's Adventures," etc. + + +_TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE "GREEN SHELL"_ + + +_For much of the Natural History part of this little volume the +author 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 to +mingle some fiction with the facts, but trusts that the "Gentle +Reader" 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-FISH +Meteor proved very friendly indeed + +HAMMERHEADED SHARK +A Terribly Fierce Monster is the Hammerheaded Shark + +SWORD-FISH +The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of All + +REMORA +The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its Head + +TORPEDO-FISH +One of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish + +SEA-DEVIL +The Treacherous Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish + +FLYING-FISH +One of the School of Flying-Fish which Sammy Met + +GLOBE-FISH +A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land + +PORCUPINE-FISH +Another Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land + +A COLONY OF SEA-ANEMONES + +A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF CORAL, AND +OCTOPUS + +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 and +Eleanor. Little Bob had been very ill in the spring, and when hot +weather came the doctor ordered sea air and sea bathing to bring back +color 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 to +fill the doctor's prescription. At this juncture grandma, like the +charming fairy godmother that she was, appeared on the scene. She knew +a quiet spot (one of the few still in existence), where there were no +big hotels, no board-walks, and no merry-go-rounds. It was the very +place where she wanted to go to get rid of her rheumatism; Bob and +Eleanor should go with her, and their father and mother could follow +later when the parson's vacation came. + +It took but a short time to carry out this delightful plan, and at the +opening of my story the children had already been a week at the +seashore. Such fun as they had been having bathing, digging in the +sand, gathering shells and seaweed, or sitting quietly with grandma +under the big umbrella, watching the waves break and roll up on the +shore! And after supper there was always that pleasant half hour, on +the little balcony overlooking the ocean, when grandma told her +bedtime stories. + +They were all sitting there on this particular evening, grandma in her +big rocking-chair, and Bob and Eleanor on their favorite cushions at +her feet. The little folks had been begging for their usual treat, for +grandma's stories were delightful, and her fund of knowledge (to the +children), quite limitless. + +"I'm getting too old for fairy stories," said Eleanor, who was eleven +and had advanced ideas. "Only real _little_ children believe in +goblins and giants, and I'm in the third reader now." + +"I like 'em," said dreamy, nine-year old Bob, "fairies and giants can +always do things that just ordinary people can't. Please do tell us +some fairy stories, grandma." + +"No, true stories," insisted Eleanor. + +"How would it do to make a compromise?" suggested grandma. "You were +asking me some questions yesterday about the shells, seaweed and all +the fascinating things found on the shore. Suppose I tell you a story +about all the wonderful creatures that live in the ocean? The part of +it that tells how they live and grow, and get their food will be all +true, and I think Eleanor will find it more marvelous than the +make-believe part, which will tell about the adventures, and the +conversations that our hero had with the strange creatures that he met +with in his wanderings." + +This proposition was agreeable; the children settled themselves +comfortably 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 a +young salmon, whom we will call "Sammy," for short. He was a very +handsome fish, and decidedly vain of his good looks. His flesh was a +beautiful pink, and the scales that form the armor, or coat-of-mail of +most fishes, were particularly handsome on Sammy, and glittered with +many colors in the sunlight. He had a very graceful shape besides, and +his fins were the envy of all the young fish of his acquaintance. + +Almost all fishes have a great many fins, and although they differ +sometimes in position and number according to the fish, the most +important ones are the Dorsal fin, which stands straight up from the +back, the Caudal fin, which is in the end of the tail, and the +Pectoral fins, which are at the sides and take the place of feet in +animals. + +These fins all help to make the fish the splendid swimmers that they +are, and are large and strong, or small and weak, according to which +part of the water the fish inhabits. If he prefers the surface of the +ocean, or a large body of water, his fins must be large enough, and +strong enough to battle against fierce waves, and strong tides, while +the fish who lives far below where the water is more calm finds his +weaker fins ample for his needs. The long, oval body which most fishes +possess is another great help in gliding rapidly through the water. + +Like others of his kind Sammy had a very strong spine in which was an +air-bladder. By pressing the air out of this he could swim easily at a +great depth, and by inflating it to let the air in, like a balloon, he +could 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 sense +of smell was also good, and he breathed through the gills on each side +of his throat. When taken out of the water the fish really dies of +suffocation, for the water that enters its throat and flows out +through the gills is the air that keeps it alive. + +Sammy's maiden aunt, an old fish who lived in the same stream with +him, used to tell strange tales of fish that can live several days out +of water by reason of the different formation of their gills. + +One of these is a tropical fish called the Anabas. It has very strong +Pectoral fins which it uses like feet when on land, and it will even +climb trees to catch the insects which it eats. + +Another fish of this sort is the Frog-Fish, a hideous creature which +is caught near Asia. It can crawl about a room, if shut up in one, and +looks exactly like an ugly frog. + +But the most wonderful of all is a South American fish called the +Hassar. It usually lives in pools of water inland, and if the pool +where it is happens to dry up, it will travel a whole night over land +in search of a new home. It is an experienced traveler, and is said to +supply itself with water for its journey. If the Hassar finds all the +pools and streams dried up, it will bury itself in the sand, and fall +into a kind of stupor until the rainy season comes around and brings +it back to life. + +"Aunt Sheen," so called from the beauty of her skin, used to tell +Sammy another story about this famous fish. It seems that the Hassar +builds a nest just like a bird, only hers is under water along the +reeds 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 this +ball the mother can pass in and out, and she watches over her nest +with the most tender care, until the young ones leave it. + +Fishermen catch the Hassar by holding a basket in front of the nest +and beating it with sticks. When the poor mother comes out to defend +her family, she falls into the basket and is captured. + +"And serves her right, too," Aunt Sheen always concluded. "Building a +nest 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 fish +called Sticklebacks, and a few other inferior kinds. Why couldn't she +leave her spawn in a quiet place somewhere near the shore, and then +let them hatch out and look after themselves? That's the way I was +brought up." + +Now, this speech may sound very unkind and even heartless, but leaving +the young to look after themselves is the customary thing among +fishes. And when you consider that one mother fish often has many +hundreds of children, it is not to be wondered at that she finds it +impossible to take care of such a very large family. + +The deep sea fishes come to the shore in the breeding season, deposit +their eggs, or spawn, in some convenient spot, sometimes in the +seaweed, or in vegetable matter, sometimes in the sand, on rocks, or +in little, secluded pools, and then they bother themselves no more +about their offspring. + +The salmon, and some other kinds of sea fish go up the rivers and +streams inland to deposit their young. Salmon are very strong, and +they can make tremendous leaps and shoot up rapids with great +swiftness. Indeed, the salmon is one of the most rapid swimmers in the +fish family, and it is said that one salmon could make a tour of the +world in a few weeks. + +Sammy was very proud of his family, as well he might be, for his +maiden aunt was always telling stories of their relations and +connections. + +Aunt Sheen was a big fish, the oldest and largest, not only in her own +pool, but in all the salmon stream. In her youth she had been a great +traveler and seen many wonderful sights, and was regarded with awe and +admiration by the younger fish. But she had grown fat and lazy with +age, and was now content to spend the remainder of her days in this +quiet stream which hid itself among the northern pines a good many +miles from the sea. + +It was a pleasant place, with deep, still pools here and there in the +shade, nice, slippery mossy rocks to hide under, and sunlit shallows +where the water rippled over the white pebbles, or leaped musically +down a tiny waterfall. + +Such merry times as Sammy and his companions had chasing each other up +and down the stream, leaping the waterfall, jumping over the rocks, +and playing hide-and-seek in the shallows. Then there was always the +excitement of watching for the flies and different insects that +hovered near, and which made delicious meals when caught. The young +salmon used to boast of the flies they had captured, just as boys and +men do of their luck in fishing. + +But our hero soon grew tired of this quiet life. It seemed very stupid +and humdrum when compared with Aunt Sheen's marvelous tales of the +great ocean, and the strange sights and thrilling adventures that +there awaited the voyager. He was larger than his brothers and +sisters, his sea-going instinct was strong within him, he longed for +the wonders of the great, unknown world, and grew tired of Aunt +Sheen's repeated warnings. + +This old fish always professed to be entirely uninterested in the +doings 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, and +gave them a great deal of what Sammy considered tiresome advice. + +"There is safety in numbers," was her favorite saying. "When you want +to go on a journey wait until your companions are ready, and go in a +school. Dreadful things always happen to young fish if they start out +by themselves, they get eaten by sharks, or caught by those awful +two-legged monsters on land, and the devil-fish is always on the +lookout for them." + +"But," Sammy would protest, "you have always said that some of the +most terrible experiences you ever had came when you were with a lot +of others. That time you were nearly speared going up the rapids you +were 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 weight +of so many made the hole, and so I escaped. + +"The only time when I came near getting caught was once when I was +alone and got a hook in my gills. My! it was terrible! I ought to have +known better, but I was very hungry that morning, and when I saw that +beautiful fly hanging over the water--" + +But Sammy had heard this story many times before, and was tired of the +conversation. + +"I don't want to wait any longer for these lazy brothers and sisters +of mine to get ready," he said crossly. "Besides, if I did go in a +school, _I_ might get speared, or caught so that the rest could +get away, and that would not suit me a bit. I'd rather risk the +flies." + +"You are an impertinent young fish," said Aunt Sheen, and she retired +under her favorite rock in a rage. + +That night when everything was very still, and all the world seemed +asleep, alone and unobserved Sammy swam quietly down stream and +started alone on his wanderings. + +It was a lovely moonlight night, and only the faint sighing of the +wind in the pine-trees broke the silence. + +On and on swam Sammy following the stream as it twisted and turned now +in the shadow, now in the moonlight. Now it flowed along straight and +smooth with scarcely a ripple, its banks sweet with dew-soaked wild +flowers, and now it dashed against a huge rock which partly blocked +its path, or glided swiftly over shallow rapids. + +All night long Sammy kept on his way, and all the time he felt that he +was gradually going down, down, down, as the stream crept towards the +sea. + +The next morning he found himself in a strange country. The little +stream down which he had been traveling had become a river. There were +houses here and there on the shores, cultivated fields and +pasture-lands, and in some places cattle browsed on the banks, or +stood knee-deep in the water. + +The strange sights and sounds filled Sammy with awe, and something +like fear. He kept carefully in deep water and occasionally hid under +a rock when he saw a big, strange fish approaching, for he knew that +large fish often ate smaller ones. + +Once in a while he stopped to ask a question of some brother salmon as +to the right way to go, but the answer was always, "Follow the river +and 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 in +the shade of the bank, after which, feeling much refreshed, he started +again on his journey. + +For a day or so he traveled on, stopping only for a little rest and +food, and getting more and more eager and excited all the time as he +neared his destination. + +Once the journey came near having an untimely ending for, unheeding +Aunt Sheen's caution as to strange flies, he leaped eagerly at a +particularly beautiful one poised over his head. Fortunately for our +hero a strong puff of wind blew the fly aside at that moment, but not +before the cruel hook which was concealed in it had grazed his tender +mouth. + +A good deal scared by his adventure, and feeling much less +self-confident, Sammy swam away, resolved to avoid all suspicious +insects in the future. He had several other narrow escapes at this +stage of his journey, but they are not important enough to mention +here. + +But always as he journeyed on the river grew wider and wider, deeper +and deeper. Strange dark shapes passed over his head, strange fish +swam past him, the banks seemed very far away, and the currents were +strong and hard to swim against. + +For quite a while there had been a new and delightfully salt taste and +smell 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 tide +swept 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 THE +HERMIT-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 gone +quite a distance before he realized that the occasion for hurry was +now over, and then he rose gracefully to the surface and looked about +him. Overhead stretched the blue sky speckled with fleecy, white +clouds, and off in the distance a long line of white sand showed the +shore line, against which the incoming tide sent its undulating +billows. 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 in +the 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 scales +sparkling in the sun, then fell back with a gentle splash. This +recalled Sammy to himself, and diving hastily below, he swam slowly +about 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 from +hidden rocks. A graceful jelly-fish floated past, expanding and +contracting its umbrella-shaped body, and waving about its long arms +or tentacles. Queer fish of all shapes and sizes swam about, the +larger ones eying the stranger curiously, the smaller keeping at a +respectful distance. + +But Sammy had a very friendly feeling towards them all, and was just +about to speak to a near-by fish, whose appearance seemed to indicate +that he might belong to the Salmon family, when suddenly there was a +general hurrying out of the way on all sides. Many of the fish dived +quickly below to hide in some convenient spot, and the more rapid +swimmers took to their fins with great haste. + +Turning quickly to see the cause of the commotion, Sammy discovered a +large, and very hungry-looking shark just behind him. The creature had +a hideous mouth, with several rows of sharp teeth, and while not +dangerous to man, this Dog-Fish, or Blue Shark, has a great liking for +young and tender fish. + +This fact our hero instantly divined, and sped away as fast as his +fins could carry him, Mr. Shark in hot pursuit. Sammy had the +advantage of being some distance from his enemy when discovered, but +sharks are extremely swift swimmers, and for a time it seemed as if +poor Sammy's fate was sealed. No matter how hard he swam the monster +slowly gained on him. No race with his playfellows in the stream at +home was ever so exciting as this. All the famous swimming qualities +of his family were put to the test now, as he darted like an arrow +through the water, the cruel shark close behind. + +But presently Sammy began to tire. In another moment all would have +been over, had he not spied far below him, partly hidden by seaweed, a +ledge of large rocks. His instinct told him that under one of those he +might find a hiding place. Down he darted, as quick as a flash, and in +another instant just as the shark turned on his side and opened his +huge jaws, Sammy lay safe, but quivering, in a friendly hollow under +the sheltering rocks. + +Mr. Shark, disappointed at losing his dinner, swam around and around +the ledge vainly trying to find some way of squeezing his big body in +among the crevices of the rocks, but at length abandoned the attempt +as hopeless, and departed in a very bad humor to look for another +victim. + +It was some time before Sammy recovered enough from his fright to look +about him, but presently his ever-present curiosity overcame other +feelings, 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 mud +deposited by the constant washing of the tide. From the walls and +ceiling hung curious weeds, and a few brightly colored shells lay in +little holes and crevices formed in the rock. + +While thus employed in viewing his surroundings Sammy discovered a +crab partly hidden in the mud on the floor of the cave. It was a very +strange-looking creature, for while the fore part of it had legs and +claws like an ordinary crab, the rear part was concealed in the shell +of a large sea-snail. + +[Illustration: HERMIT CRAB.] + +As Sammy gazed the crab slowly crept out from the mud, still keeping a +watchful 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 very +favorable this morning; it brought me in some fine fat snails for +breakfast. By the way, have you had breakfast?" And as he spoke he +again retreated into the mud. + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" replied Sammy, politely, "I had a good meal some +time ago before the shark got after me." And, forthwith, he gave a +thrilling account of his adventure, adding something to it after the +manner of storytellers, and throwing in a description of his past life +and present ambition. To all of which the Crab listened with most +flattering interest. + +"Remarkable," he murmured. "You have no idea how delightful it is for +a poor Hermit like me to hear something of the outside world. I lead +such a retired life that it is a real pleasure to entertain a stranger +in my humble abode. This little cave is mine by the right of +possession, and in it I live, far from the whirl of society, and being +secluded in my habits, and somewhat bashful, I always retire into the +mud when strangers appear. Occasionally when crabs, (little ones), +sea-snails, and small shell-fish wander in in search of apartments I +consent to have a short conference with them, but it is a rare thing +for 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 your +back?" + +"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 my +liking to conceal my tail, which is long and soft, with two or three +hooks on it, in the empty shell of some sea animal, snail, or the +like. Unlike the ordinary crabs, our branch of the family all possess +these tails. Our only hope of prolonging our existence is to protect +this weak tail, so as soon as we are born we crawl into some empty +shell, and holding on with the hooks, are thus fairly well protected +from attacks in the rear. We can carry the shell about with us, and in +time, 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 was +just the right size for my needs, and, there being no other way out of +the difficulty, I was compelled to eat him up in order to get +possession 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. In +fact he had a suspicion that he was a bloodthirsty old hypocrite, and +that those unwary strangers who had come to look for apartments in the +past, had never returned alive. This was an uncomfortable thought, so +he kept a sharp eye on the Hermit, while he listened to the long +description the other gave him of the habits and customs of his +family. + +Our hero was soon to learn that bragging about one's ancestors and +connections was not a weakness confined alone to Aunt Sheen, for many +other fish possessed it, and this seems strange when they openly +declared that they sometimes devoured their younger and weaker +relations. + +The Hermit-Crab belonged to a large family called the Crustaceans. All +kinds of crabs, lobsters, as well as shrimps, barnacles, sea-acorns, +etc., are members of this family, though all belong to different +branches of it. The lobster is first cousin to the crab, though +somewhat larger, yet the two resemble each other very closely. The +crab has four pairs of legs, as well as a large pair of claws. He is a +rapid swimmer, though his sidewise motion gives him a very awkward +appearance. And, although a great eater, it hardly seems likely that +Mr. Crab ever suffers from indigestion, since nature has given him +eight jaws, and a large stomach furnished with teeth. He has also a +heart, and liver. + +The crab, in common with the lobster, possesses one very convenient +peculiarity. He can cast off a claw if it is hurt in any way, and he +sometimes throws one or two away if he is frightened by thunder, for +he is a great coward in a thunder-storm. But, no matter in what way +the claw is lost, Mr. Crab can grow another one, although it will not +be 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 he +attacks his prey and tears it to pieces. + +His bill of fare is composed of some kinds of fish and lower water +animals; and it is said that some crabs feed on sharks and whales. In +return fishes, sea-stars, sea-urchins and some shell-fish eat the +young crustaceans, and even attack the larger ones. + +In the sand of the seashore the mother crab, or lobster, lays her +eggs, and there she leaves them to be hatched by the sun. Several +thousand eggs are laid at a time, but as many of the water animals +feed on the eggs and young, of course all the members of this large +family do not come to mature crabhood. + +Lobsters like best to live along rocky shores, where the water is +clear and deep, and there they are caught in small wicker baskets, or +nets. + +As for the crab, he loves to hide in the mud, and he can live longer +than the lobster when taken out of the water, by reason of the +different formation of his gills. + +The Hermit-Crab seemed particularly proud of some of his relations who +live on land, and told Sammy marvelous tales of their strange habits. +Some of these land-crabs will suffocate if dipped in the water. They +live 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 the +sand. When once they have started on their march to the sea nothing +can turn them aside from the path in which they are traveling. + +Another cousin of the Hermit lives in the East and West Indies. It is +called the "Calling Crab," because it has a very large claw which it +holds above its head when running, and this gives it the appearance of +beckoning to some one. This Calling Crab makes its home in holes, or +burrows on land. + +[Illustration: CALLING CRAB.] + +Still another land relation is the East India Cocoa-Nut Crab, which +lives upon the cocoanuts that fall from the trees. With its large, +heavy claws it tears the husk from the cocoanut, and makes a hole in +the nut, and takes out the meat. These crabs also make their homes in +deep burrows, which they line with the husks and fibres from the +cocoanuts. 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 large +size. + +Crabs, and all crustaceans multiply enormously, and are of all sizes +from very tiny ones to one respectable Japan crab which covers +twenty-five feet of ground. In the tropics they grow very large, and +are of many different varieties. + +Some crabs live in fresh water rivers and streams, some of the lower +forms 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 their +shells every year. Besides indulging in this habit himself, the +Hermit-Crab had once witnessed the toilet of a large lobster, and he +gave Sammy a graphic description of the operation. + +It seems that some days before it was time for him to get his new +suit, Mr. Lobster retired to a quiet place, gave up all society, and +fasted rigorously. Of course this severe treatment soon caused him to +lose flesh; he became thinner and thinner and the shell grew looser +and looser. After awhile he grew restless. Evidently his peace of mind +and body was much disturbed, for he rolled about, scratched himself, +and crawled here and there as if distracted. Soon after this his shell +split clear up the back, and then such a wriggling, and tugging and +squirming as there was until finally the whole outside shell of the +lobster, legs, claws, and everything else was forced through the +narrow slit in his back! + +When the old shell was gotten off it looked exactly like the living +lobster; and as for Mr. Lobster himself, lo! he was clothed in a bran +new suit of clothes. But although undoubtedly proud of his fine +apparel, he was too cautious to show it off as yet. He knew full well +that his new shell was very soft and tender, and that his enemies +liked him best in this condition, and that, alas! even his own family +would not hesitate, if they discovered him, to have a feast at his +expense. So, knowing his danger, and being pretty well tired after his +struggle with his toilet, Mr. Lobster prudently retired from the gaze +of the outside world, until his new shell hardened. + +But, when that was accomplished and he sallied forth, courageous and +very hungry, you may be sure that an unhappy fate awaited the weak and +tender member of fishland that fell in his path! + +Surely the life of a fish must be far from monotonous, since he has +always the excitement of hunting his own meals, and keeping out of the +way of others of his kind who are hunting for him! Still, nervous +prostration is quite unknown in that big water-world, and so it is to +be 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 very +good principle to go on. So, children, off to bed with you, and +another 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 of +distrust concerning his host. To be sure the Hermit had declared that +he never preyed upon fish as large as Sammy, since they invariably +disagreed with him, and he was very polite and affable to his guest. +But there was a certain suggestiveness about some of his remarks that +was unpleasant, and his furtive, watchful gaze made Sammy nervous. The +wicked old Hermit's mouth was really watering for this innocent, +fresh-water fish, and he was only awaiting a favorable opportunity to +seize him with his cruel claws. Fortunately for Sammy his instinct +told him that the crab was a dangerous companion. So he soon found an +excuse to leave the cave on an exploring expedition, greatly to the +Hermit's regret. + +Sammy's experience with the shark was still fresh in his mind, and for +a time he kept close to the ledge ready for a dash to safety should +danger again threaten. + +It was a most interesting place to explore, this ledge. There were big +rocks and little rocks, flat rocks, rocks hidden by mud and sand, and +sharp, jutting rocks full of peril to ships at low tide. + +In one or two places near the ledge the ocean was so very deep that +Sammy never ventured to explore its depths, while from another point +he could clearly see the sand at the bottom of the sea, and loved to +descend and swim lazily about examining the shell-fish, sea-snails and +other curious creatures that made their home there. + +The long ledge had many inhabitants and Sammy was soon on very good +terms with a couple of jolly sea-urchins, whose round, prickly bodies +were half hidden in the little holes which they had bored in the rock. +The sea-urchins made him acquainted with some relations of theirs, a +family of star-fish living on a flat shelf of rock near by. The +star-fishes proved very agreeable companions, being both polite and +pretty. They had lovely orange colored backs, out of which protruded +their five arms, or rays, giving them the star-like appearance from +which 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 crawl +about, or even turn himself over if he wishes to, and if he is +disturbed or frightened these little feelers shrink up and conceal +themselves in tiny holes in the rays. + +Some star-fishes have the power of breaking off their rays, and, like +the crab and lobster, can grow new ones to take their place. They have +many beautiful relations in the star-fish family, one of the loveliest +being the Brittle-star, so called because it will break in pieces when +touched. Another relative is the Sun-star, which has twelve or fifteen +rays, and often grows to a very large size. Its color is sometimes +purple, sometimes red, with white rays tipped with red; truly a +gorgeous 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 out +of their shells when opportunity offers. + +One of this particular Star-Fish family, Meteor by name, proved very +friendly indeed to Sammy, and through him our hero learned of a fine +Oyster Colony which had established itself on a mud bank not very far +distant. + +[Illustration: STAR-FISH. Meteor proved very friendly indeed.] + +Now Sammy was naturally of an inquisitive disposition, and an Oyster +Colony being something new he was anxious to visit it. Meteor was also +eager to pay a call, not so much from curiosity, as in the hope of +extracting a fat bivalve from his shell for dinner. + +So one fine day off the two started, Sammy swimming slowly to keep up +with his companion, and presently they came in sight of the Colony. It +was a large mud bank literally covered with oysters. Some were half +hidden, others piled one upon another, and still others in little +groups apart. Such a quantity as there were, and such queer-looking, +dirty things, with their rough shells hinged at the back! Every mouth +was wide open, eagerly sucking in the tiny water animals and plants on +which the oyster feeds. + +They paid but small attention to Sammy, but as soon as Meteor came in +sight, shell after shell quickly closed, and the whole Colony +immediately became to all appearances, a deaf, dumb and blind asylum. +Not a sign betrayed that they were living creatures, and the disgust +of the two adventurers may well be imagined. In vain did Sammy ask +questions, and put forth his best conversational powers; in vain did +the 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 slowly +away. "I should have had sense enough to creep along in a less +conspicuous manner. You see so many different kinds of sea-folks, +crabs, sea-snails, etc., as well as our own family feed on the oysters +that it makes them very timid, and they close their shells at the +least sign of danger. And, of course, once the shells are shut the +sharpest and most experienced claw is of no use. It is much easier to +hunt oysters before the shell hardens, though it is not considered as +much sport." + +"Are oysters' shells ever soft?" inquired Sammy in great surprise. + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" said Meteor, in a very superior tone. "Why I +supposed that every fish in the sea knew that, but I forget, you are +from the fresh water. + +"The young oysters are hatched in the shell of the mother in the form +of eggs. She keeps them for awhile, but presently sets them free, and +although they are very tiny, they have eyes to see with, and can swim +about. The oysters have large families, and I knew of one Lady Oyster +who had two million young ones, but of course, only a few lived to +grow up, since they are greatly prized as food by all fish, and +delicious meals they make too, as I can tell you from experience. + +"But about the young oysters: Well they are driven about by the +currents and tides, and finally attach themselves to some object, like +a rock, or hide in the sand and mud, and there they take up +housekeeping for life, for, once their shell hardens, they cannot +move. + +"They are stupid creatures as compared with superior fish, like you +and me for instance; but of course, since they have no head proper, +they cannot be expected to use their brains. An Oyster has a large +heart, however, as well as eyes, mouth, lips and liver, and he +breathes through little tiny things like leaflets on each side of his +body. I have heard that the oysters in the Indian Ocean contain very +beautiful and costly pearls, as well as those in the Pacific, and +other 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 of +the 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 creatures +will devour or make use of in some way, almost anything that comes out +of the water. How glad I am that I live in the sea, instead of on +shore! + +"However, as I was saying, the oysters have lots of enemies, and they +make few friends outside of their own family, and no wonder when you +consider how very stuck-up they are." + +"They are certainly very unsociable," agreed Sammy. "Still it has been +nice to learn as much about them as you have been able to tell me, and +I am greatly obliged to you." + +"Don't mention it," returned the Star-Fish, affably. "I make it my +business to know the manner of life and habits of the creatures I live +upon, and a good deal about those I have to avoid, and it will give me +great pleasure to give you any information in my power. And above all +things beware of that old hypocrite the Hermit-Crab, and all his +family." + +This friendly advice proved of great benefit to Sammy during his stay +at the ledge, and indeed, all through his life in the ocean. As he +acquired a greater knowledge of the ways of the sea he lost much of +his timidity, though none of that caution that is the safeguard of +every wise fish. + +Each day as he took longer trips about the ledge, he made new +discoveries and new acquaintances, and though these were all +interesting, yet he longed to leave the ledge entirely and journey to +Coral-Land. Of this wonderful, faraway country he had heard marvelous +tales from Aunt Sheen, although she herself had never seen it. Ever +since his smallest fishhood Sammy had longed to see with his own eyes +the glories of this delightful place, where the coral grew, +sea-flowers bloomed, and hundreds of lovely fish swam about in the +calm, blue water. But it was a long distance, and he knew that many +dangers awaited the inexperienced traveler. So, although he never +abandoned his intention of visiting the spot which he had come so far +to see, he wisely decided to wait until some fish more versed in the +ways of the sea than himself, should be going in his direction. + +To this end, guided by the advice of Meteor, he accosted several fish +who might prove desirable companions, but for a time with no success. +The Herring was unwilling to leave the school which he was going to +join; the Cod was bound for Newfoundland with his family, and feared +that 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 of +herring had gone on ahead, he anticipated a good meal, and was anxious +to be off. + +"This is my busy day," he said impatiently in answer to Sammy's +question. "No, I am not going to Coral-Land, it's too far south for me +at this reason. But if you will wait here awhile you may see a cousin +of mine who might act as guide. He is a Pilot-Fish and is out of a job +at present. You will know him by the three dark blue bands about his +body. Now, I really must say good-day," and away he swam in a +tremendous hurry. + +For some time longer Sammy lingered near examining the different fish +that 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 swam +leisurely nearer Sammy saw that the stranger was indeed marked with +three dark blue bands. Surely this must be the Pilot, and as such he +addressed him. + +"Yes, that is my name," replied the Pilot, who had a very shrewd +fish-of-the-sea expression; "and so Cousin Mack. told you I was out of +a job, did he? Well so I am, but I was intending to take a rest before +going to work again. However, I would be willing to take charge of you +this trip as a special favor. + +"Oh, yes! I've been to Coral-Land a great many times, and know all the +regular inhabitants as well as the ordinary visitors. But as this is +your first trip, and as it is always more trouble to pilot an +inexperienced 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 I +think I should have to ask a little more, say three-quarters. Is that +satisfactory?" + +"Perfectly," replied Sammy, delighted to make any arrangement, +although he had a suspicion that the sly Pilot was taking advantage of +his greenness. + +"Very well then," said the Pilot, "I will take you to Coral-Land on +those terms, and will guarantee to protect you as far as possible, +from all danger. I am well known as an excellent guide, the White +Shark will testify as to my ability in that line. But don't get +frightened," he added, as Sammy began to shiver at the mention of the +Shark's name. "I forgot that you are not on as good terms with the +sharks as I am. However I am not on speaking acquaintance with them at +present, and since I know their habits, will promise to keep you well +out of their way. + +"And now suppose we look about for a bite for supper, talking always +makes me very hungry, then to-morrow I will meet you at the ledge, and +we 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 balcony +with grandma, and eagerly awaited the continuation of the ocean story. + +"I don't believe he did," said his sister positively. "I just know +that old Pilot was a hypocrite like the Hermit-Crab and ate up poor +Sammy the first chance he got." + +"Time will show," said the old lady as she snipped her silk with her +silver scissors. "It is a very bad plan to read the last chapter of a +book first." + +As for the Pilot, he had his weaknesses and faults like all people and +all fish, and what they were we will find out as we go along. + + * * * * * + +Bright and early the next morning Sammy bade farewell to his friends +at the ledge, and in company with his guide started forth on his long +journey to Coral-Land. All the Star-Fishes and Sea-Urchins assembled +to see him off, and wish him a safe and prosperous voyage. Even the +Hermit peered cautiously out from his cave, and waved an adieu with +one claw. But his crafty eyes had a wistful expression as though he +said to himself, "My what a fool I was to let that fellow escape!" + +"Speaking of sharks," remarked the Pilot, as he and his companion +glided easily through the water, "many unjust things have been said +about me because I am sometimes seen with the White Shark. They say a +fish is always known by the company he keeps, but I think it is very +unfair to judge me in that way, particularly as I never stayed with +the shark because I liked him. I knew him for a heartless and +ferocious monster who would attack anything that came in his way, and +I was a good deal afraid of him. I only went with him as a matter of +convenience to myself. But it was commonly supposed that I accompanied +him as a guide in order to show him the best feeding places, and tell +him what dangers to avoid, and that was how I got my name of the +Pilot-Fish. But the real reason was that I got better food when in +company 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 always +thrown overboard from vessels; and as the White Shark only cared for +the big pieces, all the tender little morsels fell to my lot. I lived +well in those days, but I had to give up the job after awhile, the +nervous 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 a +man's leg with one stroke of his tail. His temper was awful, and he +would stop at nothing when angry. He had enormous jaws, with six rows +of flat teeth, and to see him turn on his side, and open those jaws +was enough to give you cold chills for a week. + +"The good food that we got from our ship usually kept the White Shark +in a fairly good humor, but, knowing him as I did, I was well aware +that if the food should happen to run short, he would not hesitate to +make a meal off of me; and although I am an excellent swimmer, and +stood a good chance of being able to escape (else I should have never +been there at all), still there was always a possibility of something +unpleasant happening, and it got to be rather wearing. + +"So, one day when we were following a particularly promising vessel, I +made 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 the +opportunity to escape. Since then I have carefully avoided the society +of all sharks, but what I have learned about them and their ways has +been of great benefit to me, and will be a help to us now, since they +prefer 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 as +possible. + +"We will need to keep a sharp lookout for the Blue Shark, whom you +have already had the pleasure of meeting, and we may catch a glimpse +of the Hammer-headed Shark, a terribly fierce monster with a head +shaped like a hammer. + +[Illustration: HAMMERHEADED SHARK A Terribly Fierce Monster is the +Hammerheaded Shark] + +"But the enemy that I dread most of all is the Sword-Fish, so named +from the long sword-shaped snout on his upper jaw. This sword is very +strong, and so sharp that it will easily pierce a boat. The White +Shark is bad enough, but the Sword-Fish is even worse. His aim is +unerring, and his disposition so fierce that he will attack anything +that comes in his path, large or small. I saw one once that measured +twenty feet, but that was from a safe distance, for I make it a rule +to give them all a wide berth. + +[Illustration: SWORD-FISH The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of +All] + +"Then there is the Saw-Fish, whose long snout has teeth on both sides +like a saw, and his company is not desirable either. + +"Fortunately for us the Sea-Wolf prefers the northern ocean, and +fortunate it is for the northern fish that he is a slow swimmer, else +the next census would show a decided decrease in the fish family. The +Sea-Wolf has a tremendous appetite, and his huge jaws, armed each with +six rows of teeth, can easily crush the toughest shell-fish, of which +food 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 the +Sword-Fish." + +With these, and many other stories of the fish world the Pilot +beguiled the tedium of the journey. He told about the famous +Sucking-Fish, or Remora, which has a wonderful flat apparatus on its +head by which it sticks to any object, fish, rock, or ship to which it +attaches itself, and once fixed it is impossible to make it loose its +hold. The natives in Africa use this fish to catch turtles with. They +tie 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 will +lift a turtle weighing many pounds. + +[Illustration: REMORA The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its +Head] + +Another of the Pilot's favorite yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish which +makes its home in the Mediterranean Sea, and which possesses powerful +electric batteries with which it paralyzes its prey. + +[Illustration: TORPEDO-FISH One of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns Was +About the Torpedo-Fish] + +Altogether the Pilot was a most interesting companion, his knowledge +of the sea was both useful and entertaining, and the sharp outlook +that he kept more than once saved them from unsuspected danger. To +this watchfulness Sammy owed his escape from the Sea-Devil. This +treacherous creature makes its home in the mud, which it stirs up in +order the better to conceal itself. While thus hidden, it waves about +in the cloudy water two long, slender feelers, which to an unwary fish +look like some tempting article of food. Feeling decidedly hungry +Sammy was darting towards this apparently delicious meal, when the +Pilot interfered and explained the nature of the bait which was meant +to 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 lengthy +journey, for, in spite of his other most admirable qualities, the +Pilot-Fish was very greedy. Few indeed were the morsels that fell to +poor Sammy's share when his guide had finished his meals, and the +young salmon had occasion more than once to wish that he had driven a +sharper bargain. But, although he was growing thin, he comforted +himself with the reflection that they were quickly nearing the +promised land, where the Pilot assured him delicious food of all kinds +abounded. + +For now the water was growing warmer, more and more brilliant were the +fish and ocean plants, and strange and beautiful rocks, like fairy +castles rose up from the bed of the ocean. + +One morning they saw a strange sight. Away off in the distance the +surface of the water was dark with some large moving substance. + +"It is a school of Flying-Fish," said the Pilot. "Wait here and you +will see them leap." + +As he spoke the vast body sprang into the air, and the sun gleamed +brightly on beautiful blue bodies, and silver wings, as the fishes +sailed off in different directions. It was a wonderful sight, but +lasted only for a moment, then splash, splash, one after another fell +back into the water, while the sea-gulls circling near seemed to utter +a scream of derision. Again and again, by hundreds at a time, the +beautiful fish leaped and sailed, only to fall back as before. + +[Illustration: FLYING-FISH One of the School of Flying-Fish Which +Sammy Met] + +"They cannot really fly, you know," explained the Pilot, "for they are +not able to raise themselves in the air after their first leap, and +can only sail for a few feet on a level. And those things that look +like wings are simply very large Pectoral fins, which can support them +for awhile in the air. And a very silly practice the whole thing is +too. Those fish would be a great deal better off if they only kept to +their own element, and stayed pretty well under water. As it is they +are in constant danger, for the sea-gulls are always watching for them +above, and the Bonito beneath. And that reminds me that it would be +safer for us to dive below, for the Bonito is always to be met +following the Flying-Fish, and he is not particular, (being always +hungry) as to what kind of fish he dines on. His usual plan is to +follow the Flying-Fish, keeping near the surface, and when the fish he +has 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 our +destination, and after a few more miles our journey will be over." + +This was a cheering thought, and the two companions swam gaily along +in the best of spirits. Sammy would have liked to stop occasionally to +examine some particularly interesting object, but his guide hurried +him on. "For," said he, "this is by far the most dangerous part of our +voyage. The most vicious of our enemies lurk outside of Coral-Land +waiting for a chance to grab the tourist, but, once inside that long +reef that you see some distance ahead, and we are safe. I have a +special entrance known to myself alone, and no very large fish, or +shark can get through it. I only hope that we can reach it without +being seen." + +But it was a vain hope. No sooner were the words uttered, than some +instinct caused the Pilot to glance hastily behind him, and there, +well in the rear to be sure, but moving towards them with +uncomfortable swiftness, were two large, dark moving bodies. + +"Sharks!" cried Sammy in terror. + +"Sword-Fish!" said the more experienced Pilot. "Follow me and swim for +your life!" + +Away he darted, heading in a straight line for the high reef, away +darted Sammy after him, and on came the murderous Sword-Fish. Faster +and faster swam the pursued, and faster and faster the pursuers. On +they came, nearer, nearer and still nearer, their huge shapes and +cruel swords suggesting a fearful death. + +Sammy's strength was almost gone, his fins were growing weaker, and he +swam more and more slowly, while the mouth of the monster nearest him +watered in eager anticipation. + +But the dauntless Pilot still kept on his course, and showed no sign +of weakening. Straight at the large reef, now very near, he dashed, +and then, just as destruction seemed certain, he swerved to the right +and disappeared from view in a mass of weeds that grew out from the +rock. With one last desperate effort Sammy followed, the weeds closed +behind him, and passing quickly through a small hole in the reef, he +lay, 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 attempt +to pierce, or batter down the rock. Then they swam wildly about +looking for an entrance large enough for them to pass through, but +none was to be found, for the high, circular reef shut in the lagoon +where the two refugees lay, like a wall. + +At length, tired out with their exertions, the two Sword-Fish gave up +the chase, and being in a very ill-temper, and having no one else to +vent it on, they began to quarrel with each other. + +"It's all your fault anyway," snarled Slasher, the biggest and +crossest fish. "How often have I told you to take my advice in these +matters! We should have kept further under water, as I suggested in +the first place, then we would not have been seen so soon. I've no +patience with your stupidity!" + +"Stupid yourself!" snapped his brother Jabber. "You know as well as I +do that it is much the best plan to keep on a straight line with the +prey 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 brothers +fiercely attacked each other, and right there and then they fought a +terrible duel, which only ended with the death of both combatants, for +each died pierced through the body with his brother's sword. + +"So perished the two dreaded sentinels of Coral-Land, and Sammy was at +his 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 a +beautiful place it is!" + +He and his companion had soon recovered from the fright caused by +their recent unpleasant experience, and now, filled with a comforting +sense of tranquillity, they swam leisurely along in the placid water. +The dangers and privations of the journey were over, they had made an +excellent meal on some delicious tidbits found among the weeds, and +nothing now remained but to enjoy to the full the delights of their +new 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-reefs +which 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, was +only one of many coral-lands, for coral-islands, and coral-reefs are +found everywhere in tropical seas. Sometimes these coral-reefs are +found near the shores of large islands, or continents, and then they +are called Shore-Reefs. There are also Barrier-Reefs, usually +enclosing 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, like +a small circle within a larger circle, and in the centre of the second +little lake so formed, was a tiny coral-island, dotted here and there +with 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. Far +above and below towered the magnificent rocks, forming so complete a +barricade that sharks and very large fish found it difficult to gain +an entrance to the Lagoon, and could never penetrate to the inner +lake, where the inhabitants of Coral-Land sometimes took refuge. + +As for the smaller fish, the reefs were punctured with innumerable +little passages and caverns through which they could easily gain +access to the outside ocean, if they wished, but most of them +preferred the quiet and security of the Lagoon. Many had been born +there and knew no other life, and many, like the Sun-Fish had grown so +fat with good living that it would have been almost impossible for +them to squeeze through the largest opening. + +In fact the Lagoon was like a large aquarium of curious and beautiful +fish. Floating lazily along was a round, prickly Globe-Fish, and close +behind him drifted a cross looking Porcupine-Fish, an odd, countrified +sort of creature, with his gaping mouth, the sharp spines on his ugly +body raised in preparation for a possible attack from the strangers. +Away off among the distant rocks some dazzling Gold-Fish chased each +other merrily hither and thither; a brilliant blue fish darted out +from a near-by thicket, and a company of scarlet fish swam past, +making a beautiful picture, with the clear, blue waters of the Lagoon +as a setting. + +[Illustration: GLOBE FISH A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land] + +[Illustration: PORCUPINE FISH Another Curious Inhabitant of +Coral-Land] + +Far down below myriads of gorgeous shells lay scattered about on the +white sand like gay figures in a carpet, every color showing plainly +through the wonderfully transparent water. Here a tree of coral rose +up from the depths, its branches covered with lovely star-shaped +flowers; farther below a bed of shrubbery sprang from hidden rocks, +and close at hand a colony of beautiful Sea-Anemones lifted their +proud heads, and swayed gracefully in the water. Some of these flowers +were shaped like chrysanthemums with rows of fringed petals, some were +shorter and stouter, like dahlias, and all formed a mass of brilliant +color, pink, purple, orange, blood-red, and sea-blue, striped with +pink. + +Never had Sammy seen such a sight as this bed of Anemones, and, struck +with admiration, he stopped to examine them more closely. But the +experienced Pilot warned him to be careful. + +"They look very fine," said he, "but they are not to be trusted." You +know, of course, that the Sea-Anemones, like almost all flowers and +plants which grow in the ocean, are living animals, polyps, we call +them. The Anemones are polyps, and the coral big and little, living +and 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, or +colonies 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 possess +powerful weapons in the shape of tiny lassos, which are concealed in +lasso-cells. These lasso-cells, which are very small, are carefully +hidden in the walls of those petal-like tentacles, or feelers of the +Anemone. Still other lasso-cells are hidden in the mouth of the +Anemone, and inside its stomach. In the cells the long, slender, +thread-like lassos lie coiled up ready for use. The lassos escape from +the cells by turning themselves inside out with lightning-like +swiftness, and woe to the crab, or small water animal that comes in +contact with this lovely flower! It is immediately pierced by the +lassos, and poisoned by the deadly fluid hidden in the cells. Even big +fish have been known to die in great agony when touched by the +Sea-Anemone. + +"The Anemone frequently swallows a whole crab (if it is a good size +itself) and is particularly fond of gulping down its food in this +manner, 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 eyes +like a necklace around the body. The mouth is a small opening in the +centre of the disk, or head of the Anemone, and this leads into the +stomach below. + +"Sometimes the Anemone uses the tentacles around the disk to help feed +itself, and it also uses the mouth, lips and disk for the same +purpose. When the Anemone is at rest it expands its disk and draws in +the sea water, and when it is disturbed it contracts, and throws out +the 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, the +flat head, or disk, being at the top, with rows of tentacles, like +petals, fringing the edge. The bottom of the Anemone is also flat, and +with this flat base it holds fast to the rocks to which it attaches +itself. The Sea-Anemones are able to move about from rock to rock, and +in that they differ from their first cousins, the Coral Polyps, for +they are always stationary. + +"The Anemone has several curious ways of reproducing itself. Sometimes +one animal will divide itself and become two individuals, and +sometimes pieces from the bottom of the Anemone will become separate +Anemones. Another strange way is by throwing out the young through the +mouth, and it doesn't seem to make much difference whether they come +out in the shape of eggs, or whether they are fully formed, as is +frequently the case. + +"Still another process of reproduction is by budding. A small lump +appears on the parent Anemone; this keeps on growing and growing until +it soon has a mouth, disk and tentacles like the mother; after which +it separates, and starts out in life for itself. Whole colonies of +Anemones are formed in this way. + +"But come," said the Pilot. "Here we have spent all this time talking +about the Anemones, and the coral is far more interesting and +beautiful. Suppose we take a look at this large tree," he went on in +his most school-master manner. "See how lovely it is with its trunk +and branches covered with little star-shaped flowers! Those flowers +are 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 much +the same way as do the Anemones, but the Coral Polyp does not separate +from the parent when it gets its growth; it stays fastened to the +mother, and soon imitates her example by producing a bud which becomes +a coral flower. And so it goes on until there is a whole colony of +animals, 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, and +so they are, for almost the only difference between them is that the +Anemones have no coral in their make-up. Then too, the Coral Polyps +cannot move about like the Anemones, and they are somewhat different +in appearance, being more like lovely daisies, or stars, than +chrysanthemums. + +"The coral is made from the lime of which the water of the ocean +contains a large quantity, and is hidden in the sides and lower part +of the polyp, there being none in the stomach and disk. When the polyp +dies the fleshy part decays, and the coral, which is the skeleton of +the polyp, is left. It is very hard, being composed of carbonate of +lime, and will last for ages. The inside of this tree that we are +looking at is all dead coral, or corallum, while the flowers that are +on 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 live +in families, or colonies. There are coral reefs and coral trees, domes +and balls of coral, graceful vases, and all sorts and kinds of +different plants and odd growths. + +"You know that living coral cannot exist above the surface of the +ocean, for exposure to the sun and air kills the polyps; yet it is +always growing upward and outward, the living animals making their +homes upon the tombs of their ancestors, so to speak, until they in +their 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 his +great-grandfather before him, could not tell when they were begun; and +so hard and enduring that the storms of centuries have never been able +to destroy them. But strong as they are, the mighty ocean, (both +friend and foe to the coral), is still stronger, and in time the +constant washing and beating of the tides wear away portions of the +hard rock, changes the formation of the reefs, and helps in a large +measure in the making of the lovely coral islands. But still the coral +goes on growing, the living polyps protecting the dead coral below and +beneath, and then dying to make way for the next generation. And so +the coral holds its own in spite of the fury of the sea, and the many +little boring water animals that strive to penetrate the dead coral, +and crumble the rock into ruins. But the coral has its friends, as +well as enemies, and the most useful of the first are various weeds +and plants which grow on the reefs, and beside protecting the upper +parts from exposure, help in their formation by leaving a kind of +coral behind them when they die. + +[Illustration: A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF +CORAL, AND OCTOPUS] + +"If you will look about you," went on the Pilot, "you will see what +beautiful colors some of the coral has. See that big piece over there +like a large red toadstool, and this curious vase all covered on the +outside with tiny polyps like purple stars! You will find it in many +lovely colors, and still more fantastic shapes. I have heard that some +varieties of pink and red coral are very highly valued for jewelry by +the two-legged land race." + +In this manner the learned Pilot discoursed to his pupil, being only +too glad to have an excuse for showing off his superior knowledge; and +Sammy drank it all in, having in mind the time when he should return +to his far-away home and brag of his adventures to the simple +fresh-water fish. + +Beside acting as guide, and explaining to his companion the mysteries +of Coral-Land, the Pilot kindly introduced Sammy to some of his +acquaintances and friends. One of these was a very large odd-looking +Sun-Fish, a curious creature, all head and no body. This fish, being +very haughty in his manners, and exclusive in his tastes, was +considered very aristocratic: and having spent the greater part of his +life in the Lagoon, was acknowledged as the great social leader of +Coral-Land. + +The Sun-Fish presented Sammy to the Trunk-Fish, (so named from his +curious shape), and the Trunk-Fish in turn introduced him to the +Globe-Fish and the Porcupine-Fish, and they made him acquainted with +the family of scarlet fish, and some handsome gold-fish. Two of the +gold-fish, called respectively Gay and Gilt, were particularly +friendly to Sammy, who soon found them much more entertaining than the +worthy, but somewhat prosy Pilot. + +So, as the days went on, our hero spent more and more of his time in +the company of his new friends, while the Pilot was content, now that +his duty was done, to gossip with the Sun-Fish, or betake himself to +some particularly good feeding ground of which he knew. Coral-Land +abounded in quantities of good things such as fishes love, and Sammy +soon grew fat, for Gay and Gilt were much less greedy than the Pilot, +and always shared their meals evenly with their friend. It did not +take him long to learn what to enjoy and what to avoid, both in the +way of food and acquaintances, and he found it a most useful form of +knowledge. + +Thus he learned to beware of the graceful jelly-fishes who were +constantly to be met floating about, their long tentacles streaming +behind, and their umbrella-shaped disks expanding and contracting as +they swam, for he knew that the Jelly-Fish was a cousin of the +Sea-Anemone, and that its tentacles could sting most unpleasantly. So +he admired them from a distance, and very beautiful they were, +especially at night, when their gleaming phosphorescent bodies lighted +up the darkness of the sleeping Lagoon. + +Sammy learned that the affectionate embrace of the many-armed Octopus +was not to be desired; and that a thicket of seaweed is a good +hiding-place from a chance enemy, and is apt to contain many delicious +tidbits in the way of fish food. He knew the manners and habits of the +many brilliant-hued fish who live in Coral-Land; and he knew that the +floor of the Lagoon had as many curious and beautiful inhabitants as +its waters. There the Star-Fish sprawled on the sand, the Sea-Cucumber +crawled along, expanding and contracting its worm-like body; there the +Sea-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 the +sand and rocks. + +All these shells had, of course, their living inhabitants, for a shell +is always the home of some water animal, and when the owner dies the +shell is left as a monument, and very beautiful monuments most of them +are. + +The Sea-Snail, the Cockle, the Razor-shell and many others have each a +good-sized foot which helps them in crawling along, or in boring holes +for themselves in the rocks. + +[Illustration: a. SEA SNAIL b. NAUTILUS c. COCKLE, SHOWING FOOT +d. RAZOR SHELL] + +Sammy had taken some pains to become acquainted with the Nautilus and +his family, whose beautiful little boats he had often seen sailing +gaily along on the surface of the Lagoon, especially after a storm +when the water was calm. + +The Nautilus has a beautiful spiral mother-of-pearl shell, and when on +a voyage it uses part of its body as a sail, and the long tentacles +about its mouth help it in swimming. It spends a good deal of its time +on the bottom of the ocean near the coral reefs, and can creep along +very quickly, supporting itself with its head and tentacles. The head +is flat and muscular and acts as a defense to the opening of the +shell, and the Nautilus also possesses very strong jaws which it makes +good use of in crushing crabs and other shell-fish on which it feeds. + +Sammy found it rather difficult at first to come to a friendly +understanding with the Nautilus, for the gallant little mariner was +somewhat shy of strangers, and would frequently show his distrust by +suddenly drawing in his tentacles, upsetting his shell, and dropping +to the bottom of the Lagoon, thus effectually cutting short any +conversation. But this was only his way of protecting himself; after a +time he grew bolder, and being a true sailor spun many a wonderful +yarn about his voyages. + +To the Nautilus Sammy was indebted for a most important piece of +information. It happened in this wise. He had now spent several weeks +in Coral-Land. He knew the Lagoon thoroughly from end to end, the best +feeding and hiding-places, the delightful caverns and caves in the +reefs, and was on friendly terms with almost all its inhabitants. But +a fish is a restless creature, and, strange to say, Sammy was daily +growing more and more weary of this peaceful Lagoon. It was all very +wonderful to be sure, the beautiful coral in its lovely colors and +fantastic shapes, the gay flowers and plants, the strange shells, and +the brilliant, sparkling fish; but then the warm water _was_ +certainly enervating, and the mountain stream that he called home had +many charms, now that he was no longer there. + +The Pilot-Fish had long since departed for other scenes, and Sammy +wished 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 beating +a retreat. Not caring to confide his weakness to his two friends, who +would not understand it, he kept his secret to himself, longing more +and more for that quiet mountain stream so very far away. + +One fine day as Sammy was swimming sadly along, and alone, near the +outer reef of the Lagoon, his friend, the Nautilus approached him in +great excitement. + +"I've seen such a strange sight," he exclaimed eagerly, sailing close +up to the salmon in his haste. "This morning I thought I would have a +little adventure, for it's very tiresome spending so much time in the +Lagoon, so I found my way, through a passage known only to myself, out +to the ocean, and such fun as I had sailing up and down! To be sure I +had to keep a pretty sharp outlook, for it is a dangerous place out +there. However, nothing of any consequence happened, and I was +beginning to feel a little disappointed, when suddenly, only a short +distance away, I saw a school of large, pink fish, very much like you +in appearance, and all swimming north. Never before in all my +experience have I known a school of fish of that kind in our +neighborhood! 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 his +shell 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, it +would take too much time, and they would be sure to protest against +his going, and then the school would be out of sight. One swift glance +about him, and away he dashed; another moment and he was at the reef, +a passageway out was found, and darting through the breakers, he rose +to the surface and looked forth once more on the broad ocean. Behind +him lay all the wonders and beauties of Coral-Land, and there, far +away towards the north, a mass of moving fish darkened the surface of +the water. Could he reach them before they disappeared, or before some +hideous 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 on +countless scales; nearer still, one final effort, and the school of +salmon opened to receive him, and then swept on northward and +homeward. + + * * * * * + +There was a pause. Grandma dropped her work, and leaning idly back in +her rocking-chair, gazed dreamily out over the ocean, sparkling in its +sunset glory. + +"Is that all?" inquired Eleanor. "Didn't Sammy really get home?" + +"That is all," said grandma. "What became of our hero after he joined +the school of salmon I never knew. In all likelihood he never left his +companions. But whether he guided them to the pleasant waters of that +mountain stream, or whether they took him with them to some lake or +inland river, I cannot tell." + +As for Gay and Gilt, they long mourned the mysterious disappearance of +their playfellow, and often now when the sun shines brightly on the +blue waters of the Lagoon, when the Nautilus sails forth on his +voyage, and the sea-flowers sway and nod in their deep beds, the two +gold-fish swim sadly about amid the depths of Coral-Land and tell +stories to the passing stranger of the merry young salmon who came +from the north, so long ago. + +THE END. + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of How Sammy Went to Coral-Land, by +Emily Paret Atwater + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + +***** This file should be named 7460.txt or 7460.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/7/4/6/7460/ + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55a0573 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #7460 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/7460) diff --git a/old/corln10.txt b/old/corln10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f035c94 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/corln10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1974 @@ +Project Gutenberg's How Sammy Went to Coral-Land, by Emily Paret Atwater + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. 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You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: How Sammy Went to Coral-Land + +Author: Emily Paret Atwater + +Release Date: February, 2005 [EBook #7460] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on May 4, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + + + + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + +[Illustration: "SAMMY".] + +HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND + +BY EMILY PARET ATWATER +Author of "Tommy's Adventures," etc. + + +_TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE "GREEN SHELL"_ + + +_For much of the Natural History part of this little volume the +author 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 to +mingle some fiction with the facts, but trusts that the "Gentle +Reader" 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-FISH +Meteor proved very friendly indeed + +HAMMERHEADED SHARK +A Terribly Fierce Monster is the Hammerheaded Shark + +SWORD-FISH +The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of All + +REMORA +The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its Head + +TORPEDO-FISH +One of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish + +SEA-DEVIL +The Treacherous Sea-Devil and an Unwary Fish + +FLYING-FISH +One of the School of Flying-Fish which Sammy Met + +GLOBE-FISH +A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land + +PORCUPINE-FISH +Another Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land + +A COLONY OF SEA-ANEMONES + +A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF CORAL, AND +OCTOPUS + +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 and +Eleanor. Little Bob had been very ill in the spring, and when hot +weather came the doctor ordered sea air and sea bathing to bring back +color 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 to +fill the doctor's prescription. At this juncture grandma, like the +charming fairy godmother that she was, appeared on the scene. She knew +a quiet spot (one of the few still in existence), where there were no +big hotels, no board-walks, and no merry-go-rounds. It was the very +place where she wanted to go to get rid of her rheumatism; Bob and +Eleanor should go with her, and their father and mother could follow +later when the parson's vacation came. + +It took but a short time to carry out this delightful plan, and at the +opening of my story the children had already been a week at the +seashore. Such fun as they had been having bathing, digging in the +sand, gathering shells and seaweed, or sitting quietly with grandma +under the big umbrella, watching the waves break and roll up on the +shore! And after supper there was always that pleasant half hour, on +the little balcony overlooking the ocean, when grandma told her +bedtime stories. + +They were all sitting there on this particular evening, grandma in her +big rocking-chair, and Bob and Eleanor on their favorite cushions at +her feet. The little folks had been begging for their usual treat, for +grandma's stories were delightful, and her fund of knowledge (to the +children), quite limitless. + +"I'm getting too old for fairy stories," said Eleanor, who was eleven +and had advanced ideas. "Only real _little_ children believe in +goblins and giants, and I'm in the third reader now." + +"I like 'em," said dreamy, nine-year old Bob, "fairies and giants can +always do things that just ordinary people can't. Please do tell us +some fairy stories, grandma." + +"No, true stories," insisted Eleanor. + +"How would it do to make a compromise?" suggested grandma. "You were +asking me some questions yesterday about the shells, seaweed and all +the fascinating things found on the shore. Suppose I tell you a story +about all the wonderful creatures that live in the ocean? The part of +it that tells how they live and grow, and get their food will be all +true, and I think Eleanor will find it more marvelous than the +make-believe part, which will tell about the adventures, and the +conversations that our hero had with the strange creatures that he met +with in his wanderings." + +This proposition was agreeable; the children settled themselves +comfortably 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 a +young salmon, whom we will call "Sammy," for short. He was a very +handsome fish, and decidedly vain of his good looks. His flesh was a +beautiful pink, and the scales that form the armor, or coat-of-mail of +most fishes, were particularly handsome on Sammy, and glittered with +many colors in the sunlight. He had a very graceful shape besides, and +his fins were the envy of all the young fish of his acquaintance. + +Almost all fishes have a great many fins, and although they differ +sometimes in position and number according to the fish, the most +important ones are the Dorsal fin, which stands straight up from the +back, the Caudal fin, which is in the end of the tail, and the +Pectoral fins, which are at the sides and take the place of feet in +animals. + +These fins all help to make the fish the splendid swimmers that they +are, and are large and strong, or small and weak, according to which +part of the water the fish inhabits. If he prefers the surface of the +ocean, or a large body of water, his fins must be large enough, and +strong enough to battle against fierce waves, and strong tides, while +the fish who lives far below where the water is more calm finds his +weaker fins ample for his needs. The long, oval body which most fishes +possess is another great help in gliding rapidly through the water. + +Like others of his kind Sammy had a very strong spine in which was an +air-bladder. By pressing the air out of this he could swim easily at a +great depth, and by inflating it to let the air in, like a balloon, he +could 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 sense +of smell was also good, and he breathed through the gills on each side +of his throat. When taken out of the water the fish really dies of +suffocation, for the water that enters its throat and flows out +through the gills is the air that keeps it alive. + +Sammy's maiden aunt, an old fish who lived in the same stream with +him, used to tell strange tales of fish that can live several days out +of water by reason of the different formation of their gills. + +One of these is a tropical fish called the Anabas. It has very strong +Pectoral fins which it uses like feet when on land, and it will even +climb trees to catch the insects which it eats. + +Another fish of this sort is the Frog-Fish, a hideous creature which +is caught near Asia. It can crawl about a room, if shut up in one, and +looks exactly like an ugly frog. + +But the most wonderful of all is a South American fish called the +Hassar. It usually lives in pools of water inland, and if the pool +where it is happens to dry up, it will travel a whole night over land +in search of a new home. It is an experienced traveler, and is said to +supply itself with water for its journey. If the Hassar finds all the +pools and streams dried up, it will bury itself in the sand, and fall +into a kind of stupor until the rainy season comes around and brings +it back to life. + +"Aunt Sheen," so called from the beauty of her skin, used to tell +Sammy another story about this famous fish. It seems that the Hassar +builds a nest just like a bird, only hers is under water along the +reeds 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 this +ball the mother can pass in and out, and she watches over her nest +with the most tender care, until the young ones leave it. + +Fishermen catch the Hassar by holding a basket in front of the nest +and beating it with sticks. When the poor mother comes out to defend +her family, she falls into the basket and is captured. + +"And serves her right, too," Aunt Sheen always concluded. "Building a +nest 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 fish +called Sticklebacks, and a few other inferior kinds. Why couldn't she +leave her spawn in a quiet place somewhere near the shore, and then +let them hatch out and look after themselves? That's the way I was +brought up." + +Now, this speech may sound very unkind and even heartless, but leaving +the young to look after themselves is the customary thing among +fishes. And when you consider that one mother fish often has many +hundreds of children, it is not to be wondered at that she finds it +impossible to take care of such a very large family. + +The deep sea fishes come to the shore in the breeding season, deposit +their eggs, or spawn, in some convenient spot, sometimes in the +seaweed, or in vegetable matter, sometimes in the sand, on rocks, or +in little, secluded pools, and then they bother themselves no more +about their offspring. + +The salmon, and some other kinds of sea fish go up the rivers and +streams inland to deposit their young. Salmon are very strong, and +they can make tremendous leaps and shoot up rapids with great +swiftness. Indeed, the salmon is one of the most rapid swimmers in the +fish family, and it is said that one salmon could make a tour of the +world in a few weeks. + +Sammy was very proud of his family, as well he might be, for his +maiden aunt was always telling stories of their relations and +connections. + +Aunt Sheen was a big fish, the oldest and largest, not only in her own +pool, but in all the salmon stream. In her youth she had been a great +traveler and seen many wonderful sights, and was regarded with awe and +admiration by the younger fish. But she had grown fat and lazy with +age, and was now content to spend the remainder of her days in this +quiet stream which hid itself among the northern pines a good many +miles from the sea. + +It was a pleasant place, with deep, still pools here and there in the +shade, nice, slippery mossy rocks to hide under, and sunlit shallows +where the water rippled over the white pebbles, or leaped musically +down a tiny waterfall. + +Such merry times as Sammy and his companions had chasing each other up +and down the stream, leaping the waterfall, jumping over the rocks, +and playing hide-and-seek in the shallows. Then there was always the +excitement of watching for the flies and different insects that +hovered near, and which made delicious meals when caught. The young +salmon used to boast of the flies they had captured, just as boys and +men do of their luck in fishing. + +But our hero soon grew tired of this quiet life. It seemed very stupid +and humdrum when compared with Aunt Sheen's marvelous tales of the +great ocean, and the strange sights and thrilling adventures that +there awaited the voyager. He was larger than his brothers and +sisters, his sea-going instinct was strong within him, he longed for +the wonders of the great, unknown world, and grew tired of Aunt +Sheen's repeated warnings. + +This old fish always professed to be entirely uninterested in the +doings 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, and +gave them a great deal of what Sammy considered tiresome advice. + +"There is safety in numbers," was her favorite saying. "When you want +to go on a journey wait until your companions are ready, and go in a +school. Dreadful things always happen to young fish if they start out +by themselves, they get eaten by sharks, or caught by those awful +two-legged monsters on land, and the devil-fish is always on the +lookout for them." + +"But," Sammy would protest, "you have always said that some of the +most terrible experiences you ever had came when you were with a lot +of others. That time you were nearly speared going up the rapids you +were 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 weight +of so many made the hole, and so I escaped. + +"The only time when I came near getting caught was once when I was +alone and got a hook in my gills. My! it was terrible! I ought to have +known better, but I was very hungry that morning, and when I saw that +beautiful fly hanging over the water--" + +But Sammy had heard this story many times before, and was tired of the +conversation. + +"I don't want to wait any longer for these lazy brothers and sisters +of mine to get ready," he said crossly. "Besides, if I did go in a +school, _I_ might get speared, or caught so that the rest could +get away, and that would not suit me a bit. I'd rather risk the +flies." + +"You are an impertinent young fish," said Aunt Sheen, and she retired +under her favorite rock in a rage. + +That night when everything was very still, and all the world seemed +asleep, alone and unobserved Sammy swam quietly down stream and +started alone on his wanderings. + +It was a lovely moonlight night, and only the faint sighing of the +wind in the pine-trees broke the silence. + +On and on swam Sammy following the stream as it twisted and turned now +in the shadow, now in the moonlight. Now it flowed along straight and +smooth with scarcely a ripple, its banks sweet with dew-soaked wild +flowers, and now it dashed against a huge rock which partly blocked +its path, or glided swiftly over shallow rapids. + +All night long Sammy kept on his way, and all the time he felt that he +was gradually going down, down, down, as the stream crept towards the +sea. + +The next morning he found himself in a strange country. The little +stream down which he had been traveling had become a river. There were +houses here and there on the shores, cultivated fields and +pasture-lands, and in some places cattle browsed on the banks, or +stood knee-deep in the water. + +The strange sights and sounds filled Sammy with awe, and something +like fear. He kept carefully in deep water and occasionally hid under +a rock when he saw a big, strange fish approaching, for he knew that +large fish often ate smaller ones. + +Once in a while he stopped to ask a question of some brother salmon as +to the right way to go, but the answer was always, "Follow the river +and 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 in +the shade of the bank, after which, feeling much refreshed, he started +again on his journey. + +For a day or so he traveled on, stopping only for a little rest and +food, and getting more and more eager and excited all the time as he +neared his destination. + +Once the journey came near having an untimely ending for, unheeding +Aunt Sheen's caution as to strange flies, he leaped eagerly at a +particularly beautiful one poised over his head. Fortunately for our +hero a strong puff of wind blew the fly aside at that moment, but not +before the cruel hook which was concealed in it had grazed his tender +mouth. + +A good deal scared by his adventure, and feeling much less +self-confident, Sammy swam away, resolved to avoid all suspicious +insects in the future. He had several other narrow escapes at this +stage of his journey, but they are not important enough to mention +here. + +But always as he journeyed on the river grew wider and wider, deeper +and deeper. Strange dark shapes passed over his head, strange fish +swam past him, the banks seemed very far away, and the currents were +strong and hard to swim against. + +For quite a while there had been a new and delightfully salt taste and +smell 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 tide +swept 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 THE +HERMIT-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 gone +quite a distance before he realized that the occasion for hurry was +now over, and then he rose gracefully to the surface and looked about +him. Overhead stretched the blue sky speckled with fleecy, white +clouds, and off in the distance a long line of white sand showed the +shore line, against which the incoming tide sent its undulating +billows. 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 in +the 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 scales +sparkling in the sun, then fell back with a gentle splash. This +recalled Sammy to himself, and diving hastily below, he swam slowly +about 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 from +hidden rocks. A graceful jelly-fish floated past, expanding and +contracting its umbrella-shaped body, and waving about its long arms +or tentacles. Queer fish of all shapes and sizes swam about, the +larger ones eying the stranger curiously, the smaller keeping at a +respectful distance. + +But Sammy had a very friendly feeling towards them all, and was just +about to speak to a near-by fish, whose appearance seemed to indicate +that he might belong to the Salmon family, when suddenly there was a +general hurrying out of the way on all sides. Many of the fish dived +quickly below to hide in some convenient spot, and the more rapid +swimmers took to their fins with great haste. + +Turning quickly to see the cause of the commotion, Sammy discovered a +large, and very hungry-looking shark just behind him. The creature had +a hideous mouth, with several rows of sharp teeth, and while not +dangerous to man, this Dog-Fish, or Blue Shark, has a great liking for +young and tender fish. + +This fact our hero instantly divined, and sped away as fast as his +fins could carry him, Mr. Shark in hot pursuit. Sammy had the +advantage of being some distance from his enemy when discovered, but +sharks are extremely swift swimmers, and for a time it seemed as if +poor Sammy's fate was sealed. No matter how hard he swam the monster +slowly gained on him. No race with his playfellows in the stream at +home was ever so exciting as this. All the famous swimming qualities +of his family were put to the test now, as he darted like an arrow +through the water, the cruel shark close behind. + +But presently Sammy began to tire. In another moment all would have +been over, had he not spied far below him, partly hidden by seaweed, a +ledge of large rocks. His instinct told him that under one of those he +might find a hiding place. Down he darted, as quick as a flash, and in +another instant just as the shark turned on his side and opened his +huge jaws, Sammy lay safe, but quivering, in a friendly hollow under +the sheltering rocks. + +Mr. Shark, disappointed at losing his dinner, swam around and around +the ledge vainly trying to find some way of squeezing his big body in +among the crevices of the rocks, but at length abandoned the attempt +as hopeless, and departed in a very bad humor to look for another +victim. + +It was some time before Sammy recovered enough from his fright to look +about him, but presently his ever-present curiosity overcame other +feelings, 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 mud +deposited by the constant washing of the tide. From the walls and +ceiling hung curious weeds, and a few brightly colored shells lay in +little holes and crevices formed in the rock. + +While thus employed in viewing his surroundings Sammy discovered a +crab partly hidden in the mud on the floor of the cave. It was a very +strange-looking creature, for while the fore part of it had legs and +claws like an ordinary crab, the rear part was concealed in the shell +of a large sea-snail. + +[Illustration: HERMIT CRAB.] + +As Sammy gazed the crab slowly crept out from the mud, still keeping a +watchful 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 very +favorable this morning; it brought me in some fine fat snails for +breakfast. By the way, have you had breakfast?" And as he spoke he +again retreated into the mud. + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" replied Sammy, politely, "I had a good meal some +time ago before the shark got after me." And, forthwith, he gave a +thrilling account of his adventure, adding something to it after the +manner of storytellers, and throwing in a description of his past life +and present ambition. To all of which the Crab listened with most +flattering interest. + +"Remarkable," he murmured. "You have no idea how delightful it is for +a poor Hermit like me to hear something of the outside world. I lead +such a retired life that it is a real pleasure to entertain a stranger +in my humble abode. This little cave is mine by the right of +possession, and in it I live, far from the whirl of society, and being +secluded in my habits, and somewhat bashful, I always retire into the +mud when strangers appear. Occasionally when crabs, (little ones), +sea-snails, and small shell-fish wander in in search of apartments I +consent to have a short conference with them, but it is a rare thing +for 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 your +back?" + +"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 my +liking to conceal my tail, which is long and soft, with two or three +hooks on it, in the empty shell of some sea animal, snail, or the +like. Unlike the ordinary crabs, our branch of the family all possess +these tails. Our only hope of prolonging our existence is to protect +this weak tail, so as soon as we are born we crawl into some empty +shell, and holding on with the hooks, are thus fairly well protected +from attacks in the rear. We can carry the shell about with us, and in +time, 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 was +just the right size for my needs, and, there being no other way out of +the difficulty, I was compelled to eat him up in order to get +possession 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. In +fact he had a suspicion that he was a bloodthirsty old hypocrite, and +that those unwary strangers who had come to look for apartments in the +past, had never returned alive. This was an uncomfortable thought, so +he kept a sharp eye on the Hermit, while he listened to the long +description the other gave him of the habits and customs of his +family. + +Our hero was soon to learn that bragging about one's ancestors and +connections was not a weakness confined alone to Aunt Sheen, for many +other fish possessed it, and this seems strange when they openly +declared that they sometimes devoured their younger and weaker +relations. + +The Hermit-Crab belonged to a large family called the Crustaceans. All +kinds of crabs, lobsters, as well as shrimps, barnacles, sea-acorns, +etc., are members of this family, though all belong to different +branches of it. The lobster is first cousin to the crab, though +somewhat larger, yet the two resemble each other very closely. The +crab has four pairs of legs, as well as a large pair of claws. He is a +rapid swimmer, though his sidewise motion gives him a very awkward +appearance. And, although a great eater, it hardly seems likely that +Mr. Crab ever suffers from indigestion, since nature has given him +eight jaws, and a large stomach furnished with teeth. He has also a +heart, and liver. + +The crab, in common with the lobster, possesses one very convenient +peculiarity. He can cast off a claw if it is hurt in any way, and he +sometimes throws one or two away if he is frightened by thunder, for +he is a great coward in a thunder-storm. But, no matter in what way +the claw is lost, Mr. Crab can grow another one, although it will not +be 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 he +attacks his prey and tears it to pieces. + +His bill of fare is composed of some kinds of fish and lower water +animals; and it is said that some crabs feed on sharks and whales. In +return fishes, sea-stars, sea-urchins and some shell-fish eat the +young crustaceans, and even attack the larger ones. + +In the sand of the seashore the mother crab, or lobster, lays her +eggs, and there she leaves them to be hatched by the sun. Several +thousand eggs are laid at a time, but as many of the water animals +feed on the eggs and young, of course all the members of this large +family do not come to mature crabhood. + +Lobsters like best to live along rocky shores, where the water is +clear and deep, and there they are caught in small wicker baskets, or +nets. + +As for the crab, he loves to hide in the mud, and he can live longer +than the lobster when taken out of the water, by reason of the +different formation of his gills. + +The Hermit-Crab seemed particularly proud of some of his relations who +live on land, and told Sammy marvelous tales of their strange habits. +Some of these land-crabs will suffocate if dipped in the water. They +live 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 the +sand. When once they have started on their march to the sea nothing +can turn them aside from the path in which they are traveling. + +Another cousin of the Hermit lives in the East and West Indies. It is +called the "Calling Crab," because it has a very large claw which it +holds above its head when running, and this gives it the appearance of +beckoning to some one. This Calling Crab makes its home in holes, or +burrows on land. + +[Illustration: CALLING CRAB.] + +Still another land relation is the East India Cocoa-Nut Crab, which +lives upon the cocoanuts that fall from the trees. With its large, +heavy claws it tears the husk from the cocoanut, and makes a hole in +the nut, and takes out the meat. These crabs also make their homes in +deep burrows, which they line with the husks and fibres from the +cocoanuts. 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 large +size. + +Crabs, and all crustaceans multiply enormously, and are of all sizes +from very tiny ones to one respectable Japan crab which covers +twenty-five feet of ground. In the tropics they grow very large, and +are of many different varieties. + +Some crabs live in fresh water rivers and streams, some of the lower +forms 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 their +shells every year. Besides indulging in this habit himself, the +Hermit-Crab had once witnessed the toilet of a large lobster, and he +gave Sammy a graphic description of the operation. + +It seems that some days before it was time for him to get his new +suit, Mr. Lobster retired to a quiet place, gave up all society, and +fasted rigorously. Of course this severe treatment soon caused him to +lose flesh; he became thinner and thinner and the shell grew looser +and looser. After awhile he grew restless. Evidently his peace of mind +and body was much disturbed, for he rolled about, scratched himself, +and crawled here and there as if distracted. Soon after this his shell +split clear up the back, and then such a wriggling, and tugging and +squirming as there was until finally the whole outside shell of the +lobster, legs, claws, and everything else was forced through the +narrow slit in his back! + +When the old shell was gotten off it looked exactly like the living +lobster; and as for Mr. Lobster himself, lo! he was clothed in a bran +new suit of clothes. But although undoubtedly proud of his fine +apparel, he was too cautious to show it off as yet. He knew full well +that his new shell was very soft and tender, and that his enemies +liked him best in this condition, and that, alas! even his own family +would not hesitate, if they discovered him, to have a feast at his +expense. So, knowing his danger, and being pretty well tired after his +struggle with his toilet, Mr. Lobster prudently retired from the gaze +of the outside world, until his new shell hardened. + +But, when that was accomplished and he sallied forth, courageous and +very hungry, you may be sure that an unhappy fate awaited the weak and +tender member of fishland that fell in his path! + +Surely the life of a fish must be far from monotonous, since he has +always the excitement of hunting his own meals, and keeping out of the +way of others of his kind who are hunting for him! Still, nervous +prostration is quite unknown in that big water-world, and so it is to +be 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 very +good principle to go on. So, children, off to bed with you, and +another 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 of +distrust concerning his host. To be sure the Hermit had declared that +he never preyed upon fish as large as Sammy, since they invariably +disagreed with him, and he was very polite and affable to his guest. +But there was a certain suggestiveness about some of his remarks that +was unpleasant, and his furtive, watchful gaze made Sammy nervous. The +wicked old Hermit's mouth was really watering for this innocent, +fresh-water fish, and he was only awaiting a favorable opportunity to +seize him with his cruel claws. Fortunately for Sammy his instinct +told him that the crab was a dangerous companion. So he soon found an +excuse to leave the cave on an exploring expedition, greatly to the +Hermit's regret. + +Sammy's experience with the shark was still fresh in his mind, and for +a time he kept close to the ledge ready for a dash to safety should +danger again threaten. + +It was a most interesting place to explore, this ledge. There were big +rocks and little rocks, flat rocks, rocks hidden by mud and sand, and +sharp, jutting rocks full of peril to ships at low tide. + +In one or two places near the ledge the ocean was so very deep that +Sammy never ventured to explore its depths, while from another point +he could clearly see the sand at the bottom of the sea, and loved to +descend and swim lazily about examining the shell-fish, sea-snails and +other curious creatures that made their home there. + +The long ledge had many inhabitants and Sammy was soon on very good +terms with a couple of jolly sea-urchins, whose round, prickly bodies +were half hidden in the little holes which they had bored in the rock. +The sea-urchins made him acquainted with some relations of theirs, a +family of star-fish living on a flat shelf of rock near by. The +star-fishes proved very agreeable companions, being both polite and +pretty. They had lovely orange colored backs, out of which protruded +their five arms, or rays, giving them the star-like appearance from +which 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 crawl +about, or even turn himself over if he wishes to, and if he is +disturbed or frightened these little feelers shrink up and conceal +themselves in tiny holes in the rays. + +Some star-fishes have the power of breaking off their rays, and, like +the crab and lobster, can grow new ones to take their place. They have +many beautiful relations in the star-fish family, one of the loveliest +being the Brittle-star, so called because it will break in pieces when +touched. Another relative is the Sun-star, which has twelve or fifteen +rays, and often grows to a very large size. Its color is sometimes +purple, sometimes red, with white rays tipped with red; truly a +gorgeous 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 out +of their shells when opportunity offers. + +One of this particular Star-Fish family, Meteor by name, proved very +friendly indeed to Sammy, and through him our hero learned of a fine +Oyster Colony which had established itself on a mud bank not very far +distant. + +[Illustration: STAR-FISH. Meteor proved very friendly indeed.] + +Now Sammy was naturally of an inquisitive disposition, and an Oyster +Colony being something new he was anxious to visit it. Meteor was also +eager to pay a call, not so much from curiosity, as in the hope of +extracting a fat bivalve from his shell for dinner. + +So one fine day off the two started, Sammy swimming slowly to keep up +with his companion, and presently they came in sight of the Colony. It +was a large mud bank literally covered with oysters. Some were half +hidden, others piled one upon another, and still others in little +groups apart. Such a quantity as there were, and such queer-looking, +dirty things, with their rough shells hinged at the back! Every mouth +was wide open, eagerly sucking in the tiny water animals and plants on +which the oyster feeds. + +They paid but small attention to Sammy, but as soon as Meteor came in +sight, shell after shell quickly closed, and the whole Colony +immediately became to all appearances, a deaf, dumb and blind asylum. +Not a sign betrayed that they were living creatures, and the disgust +of the two adventurers may well be imagined. In vain did Sammy ask +questions, and put forth his best conversational powers; in vain did +the 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 slowly +away. "I should have had sense enough to creep along in a less +conspicuous manner. You see so many different kinds of sea-folks, +crabs, sea-snails, etc., as well as our own family feed on the oysters +that it makes them very timid, and they close their shells at the +least sign of danger. And, of course, once the shells are shut the +sharpest and most experienced claw is of no use. It is much easier to +hunt oysters before the shell hardens, though it is not considered as +much sport." + +"Are oysters' shells ever soft?" inquired Sammy in great surprise. + +"Oh, yes, indeed!" said Meteor, in a very superior tone. "Why I +supposed that every fish in the sea knew that, but I forget, you are +from the fresh water. + +"The young oysters are hatched in the shell of the mother in the form +of eggs. She keeps them for awhile, but presently sets them free, and +although they are very tiny, they have eyes to see with, and can swim +about. The oysters have large families, and I knew of one Lady Oyster +who had two million young ones, but of course, only a few lived to +grow up, since they are greatly prized as food by all fish, and +delicious meals they make too, as I can tell you from experience. + +"But about the young oysters: Well they are driven about by the +currents and tides, and finally attach themselves to some object, like +a rock, or hide in the sand and mud, and there they take up +housekeeping for life, for, once their shell hardens, they cannot +move. + +"They are stupid creatures as compared with superior fish, like you +and me for instance; but of course, since they have no head proper, +they cannot be expected to use their brains. An Oyster has a large +heart, however, as well as eyes, mouth, lips and liver, and he +breathes through little tiny things like leaflets on each side of his +body. I have heard that the oysters in the Indian Ocean contain very +beautiful and costly pearls, as well as those in the Pacific, and +other 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 of +the 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 creatures +will devour or make use of in some way, almost anything that comes out +of the water. How glad I am that I live in the sea, instead of on +shore! + +"However, as I was saying, the oysters have lots of enemies, and they +make few friends outside of their own family, and no wonder when you +consider how very stuck-up they are." + +"They are certainly very unsociable," agreed Sammy. "Still it has been +nice to learn as much about them as you have been able to tell me, and +I am greatly obliged to you." + +"Don't mention it," returned the Star-Fish, affably. "I make it my +business to know the manner of life and habits of the creatures I live +upon, and a good deal about those I have to avoid, and it will give me +great pleasure to give you any information in my power. And above all +things beware of that old hypocrite the Hermit-Crab, and all his +family." + +This friendly advice proved of great benefit to Sammy during his stay +at the ledge, and indeed, all through his life in the ocean. As he +acquired a greater knowledge of the ways of the sea he lost much of +his timidity, though none of that caution that is the safeguard of +every wise fish. + +Each day as he took longer trips about the ledge, he made new +discoveries and new acquaintances, and though these were all +interesting, yet he longed to leave the ledge entirely and journey to +Coral-Land. Of this wonderful, faraway country he had heard marvelous +tales from Aunt Sheen, although she herself had never seen it. Ever +since his smallest fishhood Sammy had longed to see with his own eyes +the glories of this delightful place, where the coral grew, +sea-flowers bloomed, and hundreds of lovely fish swam about in the +calm, blue water. But it was a long distance, and he knew that many +dangers awaited the inexperienced traveler. So, although he never +abandoned his intention of visiting the spot which he had come so far +to see, he wisely decided to wait until some fish more versed in the +ways of the sea than himself, should be going in his direction. + +To this end, guided by the advice of Meteor, he accosted several fish +who might prove desirable companions, but for a time with no success. +The Herring was unwilling to leave the school which he was going to +join; the Cod was bound for Newfoundland with his family, and feared +that 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 of +herring had gone on ahead, he anticipated a good meal, and was anxious +to be off. + +"This is my busy day," he said impatiently in answer to Sammy's +question. "No, I am not going to Coral-Land, it's too far south for me +at this reason. But if you will wait here awhile you may see a cousin +of mine who might act as guide. He is a Pilot-Fish and is out of a job +at present. You will know him by the three dark blue bands about his +body. Now, I really must say good-day," and away he swam in a +tremendous hurry. + +For some time longer Sammy lingered near examining the different fish +that 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 swam +leisurely nearer Sammy saw that the stranger was indeed marked with +three dark blue bands. Surely this must be the Pilot, and as such he +addressed him. + +"Yes, that is my name," replied the Pilot, who had a very shrewd +fish-of-the-sea expression; "and so Cousin Mack. told you I was out of +a job, did he? Well so I am, but I was intending to take a rest before +going to work again. However, I would be willing to take charge of you +this trip as a special favor. + +"Oh, yes! I've been to Coral-Land a great many times, and know all the +regular inhabitants as well as the ordinary visitors. But as this is +your first trip, and as it is always more trouble to pilot an +inexperienced 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 I +think I should have to ask a little more, say three-quarters. Is that +satisfactory?" + +"Perfectly," replied Sammy, delighted to make any arrangement, +although he had a suspicion that the sly Pilot was taking advantage of +his greenness. + +"Very well then," said the Pilot, "I will take you to Coral-Land on +those terms, and will guarantee to protect you as far as possible, +from all danger. I am well known as an excellent guide, the White +Shark will testify as to my ability in that line. But don't get +frightened," he added, as Sammy began to shiver at the mention of the +Shark's name. "I forgot that you are not on as good terms with the +sharks as I am. However I am not on speaking acquaintance with them at +present, and since I know their habits, will promise to keep you well +out of their way. + +"And now suppose we look about for a bite for supper, talking always +makes me very hungry, then to-morrow I will meet you at the ledge, and +we 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 balcony +with grandma, and eagerly awaited the continuation of the ocean story. + +"I don't believe he did," said his sister positively. "I just know +that old Pilot was a hypocrite like the Hermit-Crab and ate up poor +Sammy the first chance he got." + +"Time will show," said the old lady as she snipped her silk with her +silver scissors. "It is a very bad plan to read the last chapter of a +book first." + +As for the Pilot, he had his weaknesses and faults like all people and +all fish, and what they were we will find out as we go along. + + * * * * * + +Bright and early the next morning Sammy bade farewell to his friends +at the ledge, and in company with his guide started forth on his long +journey to Coral-Land. All the Star-Fishes and Sea-Urchins assembled +to see him off, and wish him a safe and prosperous voyage. Even the +Hermit peered cautiously out from his cave, and waved an adieu with +one claw. But his crafty eyes had a wistful expression as though he +said to himself, "My what a fool I was to let that fellow escape!" + +"Speaking of sharks," remarked the Pilot, as he and his companion +glided easily through the water, "many unjust things have been said +about me because I am sometimes seen with the White Shark. They say a +fish is always known by the company he keeps, but I think it is very +unfair to judge me in that way, particularly as I never stayed with +the shark because I liked him. I knew him for a heartless and +ferocious monster who would attack anything that came in his way, and +I was a good deal afraid of him. I only went with him as a matter of +convenience to myself. But it was commonly supposed that I accompanied +him as a guide in order to show him the best feeding places, and tell +him what dangers to avoid, and that was how I got my name of the +Pilot-Fish. But the real reason was that I got better food when in +company 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 always +thrown overboard from vessels; and as the White Shark only cared for +the big pieces, all the tender little morsels fell to my lot. I lived +well in those days, but I had to give up the job after awhile, the +nervous 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 a +man's leg with one stroke of his tail. His temper was awful, and he +would stop at nothing when angry. He had enormous jaws, with six rows +of flat teeth, and to see him turn on his side, and open those jaws +was enough to give you cold chills for a week. + +"The good food that we got from our ship usually kept the White Shark +in a fairly good humor, but, knowing him as I did, I was well aware +that if the food should happen to run short, he would not hesitate to +make a meal off of me; and although I am an excellent swimmer, and +stood a good chance of being able to escape (else I should have never +been there at all), still there was always a possibility of something +unpleasant happening, and it got to be rather wearing. + +"So, one day when we were following a particularly promising vessel, I +made 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 the +opportunity to escape. Since then I have carefully avoided the society +of all sharks, but what I have learned about them and their ways has +been of great benefit to me, and will be a help to us now, since they +prefer 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 as +possible. + +"We will need to keep a sharp lookout for the Blue Shark, whom you +have already had the pleasure of meeting, and we may catch a glimpse +of the Hammer-headed Shark, a terribly fierce monster with a head +shaped like a hammer. + +[Illustration: HAMMERHEADED SHARK A Terribly Fierce Monster is the +Hammerheaded Shark] + +"But the enemy that I dread most of all is the Sword-Fish, so named +from the long sword-shaped snout on his upper jaw. This sword is very +strong, and so sharp that it will easily pierce a boat. The White +Shark is bad enough, but the Sword-Fish is even worse. His aim is +unerring, and his disposition so fierce that he will attack anything +that comes in his path, large or small. I saw one once that measured +twenty feet, but that was from a safe distance, for I make it a rule +to give them all a wide berth. + +[Illustration: SWORD-FISH The Enemy the Pilot-Fish Dreaded Most of +All] + +"Then there is the Saw-Fish, whose long snout has teeth on both sides +like a saw, and his company is not desirable either. + +"Fortunately for us the Sea-Wolf prefers the northern ocean, and +fortunate it is for the northern fish that he is a slow swimmer, else +the next census would show a decided decrease in the fish family. The +Sea-Wolf has a tremendous appetite, and his huge jaws, armed each with +six rows of teeth, can easily crush the toughest shell-fish, of which +food 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 the +Sword-Fish." + +With these, and many other stories of the fish world the Pilot +beguiled the tedium of the journey. He told about the famous +Sucking-Fish, or Remora, which has a wonderful flat apparatus on its +head by which it sticks to any object, fish, rock, or ship to which it +attaches itself, and once fixed it is impossible to make it loose its +hold. The natives in Africa use this fish to catch turtles with. They +tie 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 will +lift a turtle weighing many pounds. + +[Illustration: REMORA The Remora Has a Wonderful Flat Apparatus on its +Head] + +Another of the Pilot's favorite yarns was about the Torpedo-Fish which +makes its home in the Mediterranean Sea, and which possesses powerful +electric batteries with which it paralyzes its prey. + +[Illustration: TORPEDO-FISH One of the Pilot-Fish's Favorite Yarns Was +About the Torpedo-Fish] + +Altogether the Pilot was a most interesting companion, his knowledge +of the sea was both useful and entertaining, and the sharp outlook +that he kept more than once saved them from unsuspected danger. To +this watchfulness Sammy owed his escape from the Sea-Devil. This +treacherous creature makes its home in the mud, which it stirs up in +order the better to conceal itself. While thus hidden, it waves about +in the cloudy water two long, slender feelers, which to an unwary fish +look like some tempting article of food. Feeling decidedly hungry +Sammy was darting towards this apparently delicious meal, when the +Pilot interfered and explained the nature of the bait which was meant +to 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 lengthy +journey, for, in spite of his other most admirable qualities, the +Pilot-Fish was very greedy. Few indeed were the morsels that fell to +poor Sammy's share when his guide had finished his meals, and the +young salmon had occasion more than once to wish that he had driven a +sharper bargain. But, although he was growing thin, he comforted +himself with the reflection that they were quickly nearing the +promised land, where the Pilot assured him delicious food of all kinds +abounded. + +For now the water was growing warmer, more and more brilliant were the +fish and ocean plants, and strange and beautiful rocks, like fairy +castles rose up from the bed of the ocean. + +One morning they saw a strange sight. Away off in the distance the +surface of the water was dark with some large moving substance. + +"It is a school of Flying-Fish," said the Pilot. "Wait here and you +will see them leap." + +As he spoke the vast body sprang into the air, and the sun gleamed +brightly on beautiful blue bodies, and silver wings, as the fishes +sailed off in different directions. It was a wonderful sight, but +lasted only for a moment, then splash, splash, one after another fell +back into the water, while the sea-gulls circling near seemed to utter +a scream of derision. Again and again, by hundreds at a time, the +beautiful fish leaped and sailed, only to fall back as before. + +[Illustration: FLYING-FISH One of the School of Flying-Fish Which +Sammy Met] + +"They cannot really fly, you know," explained the Pilot, "for they are +not able to raise themselves in the air after their first leap, and +can only sail for a few feet on a level. And those things that look +like wings are simply very large Pectoral fins, which can support them +for awhile in the air. And a very silly practice the whole thing is +too. Those fish would be a great deal better off if they only kept to +their own element, and stayed pretty well under water. As it is they +are in constant danger, for the sea-gulls are always watching for them +above, and the Bonito beneath. And that reminds me that it would be +safer for us to dive below, for the Bonito is always to be met +following the Flying-Fish, and he is not particular, (being always +hungry) as to what kind of fish he dines on. His usual plan is to +follow the Flying-Fish, keeping near the surface, and when the fish he +has 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 our +destination, and after a few more miles our journey will be over." + +This was a cheering thought, and the two companions swam gaily along +in the best of spirits. Sammy would have liked to stop occasionally to +examine some particularly interesting object, but his guide hurried +him on. "For," said he, "this is by far the most dangerous part of our +voyage. The most vicious of our enemies lurk outside of Coral-Land +waiting for a chance to grab the tourist, but, once inside that long +reef that you see some distance ahead, and we are safe. I have a +special entrance known to myself alone, and no very large fish, or +shark can get through it. I only hope that we can reach it without +being seen." + +But it was a vain hope. No sooner were the words uttered, than some +instinct caused the Pilot to glance hastily behind him, and there, +well in the rear to be sure, but moving towards them with +uncomfortable swiftness, were two large, dark moving bodies. + +"Sharks!" cried Sammy in terror. + +"Sword-Fish!" said the more experienced Pilot. "Follow me and swim for +your life!" + +Away he darted, heading in a straight line for the high reef, away +darted Sammy after him, and on came the murderous Sword-Fish. Faster +and faster swam the pursued, and faster and faster the pursuers. On +they came, nearer, nearer and still nearer, their huge shapes and +cruel swords suggesting a fearful death. + +Sammy's strength was almost gone, his fins were growing weaker, and he +swam more and more slowly, while the mouth of the monster nearest him +watered in eager anticipation. + +But the dauntless Pilot still kept on his course, and showed no sign +of weakening. Straight at the large reef, now very near, he dashed, +and then, just as destruction seemed certain, he swerved to the right +and disappeared from view in a mass of weeds that grew out from the +rock. With one last desperate effort Sammy followed, the weeds closed +behind him, and passing quickly through a small hole in the reef, he +lay, 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 attempt +to pierce, or batter down the rock. Then they swam wildly about +looking for an entrance large enough for them to pass through, but +none was to be found, for the high, circular reef shut in the lagoon +where the two refugees lay, like a wall. + +At length, tired out with their exertions, the two Sword-Fish gave up +the chase, and being in a very ill-temper, and having no one else to +vent it on, they began to quarrel with each other. + +"It's all your fault anyway," snarled Slasher, the biggest and +crossest fish. "How often have I told you to take my advice in these +matters! We should have kept further under water, as I suggested in +the first place, then we would not have been seen so soon. I've no +patience with your stupidity!" + +"Stupid yourself!" snapped his brother Jabber. "You know as well as I +do that it is much the best plan to keep on a straight line with the +prey 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 brothers +fiercely attacked each other, and right there and then they fought a +terrible duel, which only ended with the death of both combatants, for +each died pierced through the body with his brother's sword. + +"So perished the two dreaded sentinels of Coral-Land, and Sammy was at +his 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 a +beautiful place it is!" + +He and his companion had soon recovered from the fright caused by +their recent unpleasant experience, and now, filled with a comforting +sense of tranquillity, they swam leisurely along in the placid water. +The dangers and privations of the journey were over, they had made an +excellent meal on some delicious tidbits found among the weeds, and +nothing now remained but to enjoy to the full the delights of their +new 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-reefs +which 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, was +only one of many coral-lands, for coral-islands, and coral-reefs are +found everywhere in tropical seas. Sometimes these coral-reefs are +found near the shores of large islands, or continents, and then they +are called Shore-Reefs. There are also Barrier-Reefs, usually +enclosing 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, like +a small circle within a larger circle, and in the centre of the second +little lake so formed, was a tiny coral-island, dotted here and there +with 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. Far +above and below towered the magnificent rocks, forming so complete a +barricade that sharks and very large fish found it difficult to gain +an entrance to the Lagoon, and could never penetrate to the inner +lake, where the inhabitants of Coral-Land sometimes took refuge. + +As for the smaller fish, the reefs were punctured with innumerable +little passages and caverns through which they could easily gain +access to the outside ocean, if they wished, but most of them +preferred the quiet and security of the Lagoon. Many had been born +there and knew no other life, and many, like the Sun-Fish had grown so +fat with good living that it would have been almost impossible for +them to squeeze through the largest opening. + +In fact the Lagoon was like a large aquarium of curious and beautiful +fish. Floating lazily along was a round, prickly Globe-Fish, and close +behind him drifted a cross looking Porcupine-Fish, an odd, countrified +sort of creature, with his gaping mouth, the sharp spines on his ugly +body raised in preparation for a possible attack from the strangers. +Away off among the distant rocks some dazzling Gold-Fish chased each +other merrily hither and thither; a brilliant blue fish darted out +from a near-by thicket, and a company of scarlet fish swam past, +making a beautiful picture, with the clear, blue waters of the Lagoon +as a setting. + +[Illustration: GLOBE FISH A Curious Inhabitant of Coral-Land] + +[Illustration: PORCUPINE FISH Another Curious Inhabitant of +Coral-Land] + +Far down below myriads of gorgeous shells lay scattered about on the +white sand like gay figures in a carpet, every color showing plainly +through the wonderfully transparent water. Here a tree of coral rose +up from the depths, its branches covered with lovely star-shaped +flowers; farther below a bed of shrubbery sprang from hidden rocks, +and close at hand a colony of beautiful Sea-Anemones lifted their +proud heads, and swayed gracefully in the water. Some of these flowers +were shaped like chrysanthemums with rows of fringed petals, some were +shorter and stouter, like dahlias, and all formed a mass of brilliant +color, pink, purple, orange, blood-red, and sea-blue, striped with +pink. + +Never had Sammy seen such a sight as this bed of Anemones, and, struck +with admiration, he stopped to examine them more closely. But the +experienced Pilot warned him to be careful. + +"They look very fine," said he, "but they are not to be trusted." You +know, of course, that the Sea-Anemones, like almost all flowers and +plants which grow in the ocean, are living animals, polyps, we call +them. The Anemones are polyps, and the coral big and little, living +and 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, or +colonies 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 possess +powerful weapons in the shape of tiny lassos, which are concealed in +lasso-cells. These lasso-cells, which are very small, are carefully +hidden in the walls of those petal-like tentacles, or feelers of the +Anemone. Still other lasso-cells are hidden in the mouth of the +Anemone, and inside its stomach. In the cells the long, slender, +thread-like lassos lie coiled up ready for use. The lassos escape from +the cells by turning themselves inside out with lightning-like +swiftness, and woe to the crab, or small water animal that comes in +contact with this lovely flower! It is immediately pierced by the +lassos, and poisoned by the deadly fluid hidden in the cells. Even big +fish have been known to die in great agony when touched by the +Sea-Anemone. + +"The Anemone frequently swallows a whole crab (if it is a good size +itself) and is particularly fond of gulping down its food in this +manner, 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 eyes +like a necklace around the body. The mouth is a small opening in the +centre of the disk, or head of the Anemone, and this leads into the +stomach below. + +"Sometimes the Anemone uses the tentacles around the disk to help feed +itself, and it also uses the mouth, lips and disk for the same +purpose. When the Anemone is at rest it expands its disk and draws in +the sea water, and when it is disturbed it contracts, and throws out +the 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, the +flat head, or disk, being at the top, with rows of tentacles, like +petals, fringing the edge. The bottom of the Anemone is also flat, and +with this flat base it holds fast to the rocks to which it attaches +itself. The Sea-Anemones are able to move about from rock to rock, and +in that they differ from their first cousins, the Coral Polyps, for +they are always stationary. + +"The Anemone has several curious ways of reproducing itself. Sometimes +one animal will divide itself and become two individuals, and +sometimes pieces from the bottom of the Anemone will become separate +Anemones. Another strange way is by throwing out the young through the +mouth, and it doesn't seem to make much difference whether they come +out in the shape of eggs, or whether they are fully formed, as is +frequently the case. + +"Still another process of reproduction is by budding. A small lump +appears on the parent Anemone; this keeps on growing and growing until +it soon has a mouth, disk and tentacles like the mother; after which +it separates, and starts out in life for itself. Whole colonies of +Anemones are formed in this way. + +"But come," said the Pilot. "Here we have spent all this time talking +about the Anemones, and the coral is far more interesting and +beautiful. Suppose we take a look at this large tree," he went on in +his most school-master manner. "See how lovely it is with its trunk +and branches covered with little star-shaped flowers! Those flowers +are 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 much +the same way as do the Anemones, but the Coral Polyp does not separate +from the parent when it gets its growth; it stays fastened to the +mother, and soon imitates her example by producing a bud which becomes +a coral flower. And so it goes on until there is a whole colony of +animals, 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, and +so they are, for almost the only difference between them is that the +Anemones have no coral in their make-up. Then too, the Coral Polyps +cannot move about like the Anemones, and they are somewhat different +in appearance, being more like lovely daisies, or stars, than +chrysanthemums. + +"The coral is made from the lime of which the water of the ocean +contains a large quantity, and is hidden in the sides and lower part +of the polyp, there being none in the stomach and disk. When the polyp +dies the fleshy part decays, and the coral, which is the skeleton of +the polyp, is left. It is very hard, being composed of carbonate of +lime, and will last for ages. The inside of this tree that we are +looking at is all dead coral, or corallum, while the flowers that are +on 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 live +in families, or colonies. There are coral reefs and coral trees, domes +and balls of coral, graceful vases, and all sorts and kinds of +different plants and odd growths. + +"You know that living coral cannot exist above the surface of the +ocean, for exposure to the sun and air kills the polyps; yet it is +always growing upward and outward, the living animals making their +homes upon the tombs of their ancestors, so to speak, until they in +their 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 his +great-grandfather before him, could not tell when they were begun; and +so hard and enduring that the storms of centuries have never been able +to destroy them. But strong as they are, the mighty ocean, (both +friend and foe to the coral), is still stronger, and in time the +constant washing and beating of the tides wear away portions of the +hard rock, changes the formation of the reefs, and helps in a large +measure in the making of the lovely coral islands. But still the coral +goes on growing, the living polyps protecting the dead coral below and +beneath, and then dying to make way for the next generation. And so +the coral holds its own in spite of the fury of the sea, and the many +little boring water animals that strive to penetrate the dead coral, +and crumble the rock into ruins. But the coral has its friends, as +well as enemies, and the most useful of the first are various weeds +and plants which grow on the reefs, and beside protecting the upper +parts from exposure, help in their formation by leaving a kind of +coral behind them when they die. + +[Illustration: A SCENE IN CORAL-LAND, SHOWING STAR-SHAPED FLOWERS OF +CORAL, AND OCTOPUS] + +"If you will look about you," went on the Pilot, "you will see what +beautiful colors some of the coral has. See that big piece over there +like a large red toadstool, and this curious vase all covered on the +outside with tiny polyps like purple stars! You will find it in many +lovely colors, and still more fantastic shapes. I have heard that some +varieties of pink and red coral are very highly valued for jewelry by +the two-legged land race." + +In this manner the learned Pilot discoursed to his pupil, being only +too glad to have an excuse for showing off his superior knowledge; and +Sammy drank it all in, having in mind the time when he should return +to his far-away home and brag of his adventures to the simple +fresh-water fish. + +Beside acting as guide, and explaining to his companion the mysteries +of Coral-Land, the Pilot kindly introduced Sammy to some of his +acquaintances and friends. One of these was a very large odd-looking +Sun-Fish, a curious creature, all head and no body. This fish, being +very haughty in his manners, and exclusive in his tastes, was +considered very aristocratic: and having spent the greater part of his +life in the Lagoon, was acknowledged as the great social leader of +Coral-Land. + +The Sun-Fish presented Sammy to the Trunk-Fish, (so named from his +curious shape), and the Trunk-Fish in turn introduced him to the +Globe-Fish and the Porcupine-Fish, and they made him acquainted with +the family of scarlet fish, and some handsome gold-fish. Two of the +gold-fish, called respectively Gay and Gilt, were particularly +friendly to Sammy, who soon found them much more entertaining than the +worthy, but somewhat prosy Pilot. + +So, as the days went on, our hero spent more and more of his time in +the company of his new friends, while the Pilot was content, now that +his duty was done, to gossip with the Sun-Fish, or betake himself to +some particularly good feeding ground of which he knew. Coral-Land +abounded in quantities of good things such as fishes love, and Sammy +soon grew fat, for Gay and Gilt were much less greedy than the Pilot, +and always shared their meals evenly with their friend. It did not +take him long to learn what to enjoy and what to avoid, both in the +way of food and acquaintances, and he found it a most useful form of +knowledge. + +Thus he learned to beware of the graceful jelly-fishes who were +constantly to be met floating about, their long tentacles streaming +behind, and their umbrella-shaped disks expanding and contracting as +they swam, for he knew that the Jelly-Fish was a cousin of the +Sea-Anemone, and that its tentacles could sting most unpleasantly. So +he admired them from a distance, and very beautiful they were, +especially at night, when their gleaming phosphorescent bodies lighted +up the darkness of the sleeping Lagoon. + +Sammy learned that the affectionate embrace of the many-armed Octopus +was not to be desired; and that a thicket of seaweed is a good +hiding-place from a chance enemy, and is apt to contain many delicious +tidbits in the way of fish food. He knew the manners and habits of the +many brilliant-hued fish who live in Coral-Land; and he knew that the +floor of the Lagoon had as many curious and beautiful inhabitants as +its waters. There the Star-Fish sprawled on the sand, the Sea-Cucumber +crawled along, expanding and contracting its worm-like body; there the +Sea-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 the +sand and rocks. + +All these shells had, of course, their living inhabitants, for a shell +is always the home of some water animal, and when the owner dies the +shell is left as a monument, and very beautiful monuments most of them +are. + +The Sea-Snail, the Cockle, the Razor-shell and many others have each a +good-sized foot which helps them in crawling along, or in boring holes +for themselves in the rocks. + +[Illustration: a. SEA SNAIL b. NAUTILUS c. COCKLE, SHOWING FOOT +d. RAZOR SHELL] + +Sammy had taken some pains to become acquainted with the Nautilus and +his family, whose beautiful little boats he had often seen sailing +gaily along on the surface of the Lagoon, especially after a storm +when the water was calm. + +The Nautilus has a beautiful spiral mother-of-pearl shell, and when on +a voyage it uses part of its body as a sail, and the long tentacles +about its mouth help it in swimming. It spends a good deal of its time +on the bottom of the ocean near the coral reefs, and can creep along +very quickly, supporting itself with its head and tentacles. The head +is flat and muscular and acts as a defense to the opening of the +shell, and the Nautilus also possesses very strong jaws which it makes +good use of in crushing crabs and other shell-fish on which it feeds. + +Sammy found it rather difficult at first to come to a friendly +understanding with the Nautilus, for the gallant little mariner was +somewhat shy of strangers, and would frequently show his distrust by +suddenly drawing in his tentacles, upsetting his shell, and dropping +to the bottom of the Lagoon, thus effectually cutting short any +conversation. But this was only his way of protecting himself; after a +time he grew bolder, and being a true sailor spun many a wonderful +yarn about his voyages. + +To the Nautilus Sammy was indebted for a most important piece of +information. It happened in this wise. He had now spent several weeks +in Coral-Land. He knew the Lagoon thoroughly from end to end, the best +feeding and hiding-places, the delightful caverns and caves in the +reefs, and was on friendly terms with almost all its inhabitants. But +a fish is a restless creature, and, strange to say, Sammy was daily +growing more and more weary of this peaceful Lagoon. It was all very +wonderful to be sure, the beautiful coral in its lovely colors and +fantastic shapes, the gay flowers and plants, the strange shells, and +the brilliant, sparkling fish; but then the warm water _was_ +certainly enervating, and the mountain stream that he called home had +many charms, now that he was no longer there. + +The Pilot-Fish had long since departed for other scenes, and Sammy +wished 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 beating +a retreat. Not caring to confide his weakness to his two friends, who +would not understand it, he kept his secret to himself, longing more +and more for that quiet mountain stream so very far away. + +One fine day as Sammy was swimming sadly along, and alone, near the +outer reef of the Lagoon, his friend, the Nautilus approached him in +great excitement. + +"I've seen such a strange sight," he exclaimed eagerly, sailing close +up to the salmon in his haste. "This morning I thought I would have a +little adventure, for it's very tiresome spending so much time in the +Lagoon, so I found my way, through a passage known only to myself, out +to the ocean, and such fun as I had sailing up and down! To be sure I +had to keep a pretty sharp outlook, for it is a dangerous place out +there. However, nothing of any consequence happened, and I was +beginning to feel a little disappointed, when suddenly, only a short +distance away, I saw a school of large, pink fish, very much like you +in appearance, and all swimming north. Never before in all my +experience have I known a school of fish of that kind in our +neighborhood! 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 his +shell 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, it +would take too much time, and they would be sure to protest against +his going, and then the school would be out of sight. One swift glance +about him, and away he dashed; another moment and he was at the reef, +a passageway out was found, and darting through the breakers, he rose +to the surface and looked forth once more on the broad ocean. Behind +him lay all the wonders and beauties of Coral-Land, and there, far +away towards the north, a mass of moving fish darkened the surface of +the water. Could he reach them before they disappeared, or before some +hideous 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 on +countless scales; nearer still, one final effort, and the school of +salmon opened to receive him, and then swept on northward and +homeward. + + * * * * * + +There was a pause. Grandma dropped her work, and leaning idly back in +her rocking-chair, gazed dreamily out over the ocean, sparkling in its +sunset glory. + +"Is that all?" inquired Eleanor. "Didn't Sammy really get home?" + +"That is all," said grandma. "What became of our hero after he joined +the school of salmon I never knew. In all likelihood he never left his +companions. But whether he guided them to the pleasant waters of that +mountain stream, or whether they took him with them to some lake or +inland river, I cannot tell." + +As for Gay and Gilt, they long mourned the mysterious disappearance of +their playfellow, and often now when the sun shines brightly on the +blue waters of the Lagoon, when the Nautilus sails forth on his +voyage, and the sea-flowers sway and nod in their deep beds, the two +gold-fish swim sadly about amid the depths of Coral-Land and tell +stories to the passing stranger of the merry young salmon who came +from the north, so long ago. + +THE END. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of How Sammy Went to Coral-Land +by Emily Paret Atwater + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW SAMMY WENT TO CORAL-LAND *** + +This file should be named corln10.txt or corln10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, corln11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, corln10a.txt + +Produced by Brendan Lane, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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