human
Will they hurt us?
gpt
No, indeed, laughed the Princess.
human
Fishes are stupid creatures mostly, and this family is quite harmless.
gpt
How about sharks?
human
Sharks may indeed be dangerous to you, replied Clia;
gpt
Don't get careless, Cap'n,
human
I surely won't, mate, he replied.
gpt
You see, I didn't use to be 'fraid o' sharks, 'cause if they came near I'd stick my wooden leg at 'em. But now, if they happens to fancy these green scales, it's all up with ol' Bill.
human
Never fear, said Merla;
gpt
I'll take care of you on our journey, and in our palaces you will find no sharks at all.
human
Can't they get in?
gpt
No. The palaces of the mermaids are inhabited only by themselves.
human
Is there anything else to be afraid of in the sea?
gpt
One or two things, my dear, answered Princess Clia.
human
Of course, we mermaids have great powers, being fairies; yet among the sea people is one nearly as powerful as we are, and that is the devilfish.
gpt
I know, said Trot;
human
I've seen 'em.
gpt
You have seen the smaller ones, I suppose, which sometimes rise to the surface or go near shore, and are often caught by fishermen, said Clia;
human
Those ones are bad enough, though, declared Cap'n Bill.
gpt
If you know any worse ones I don't want a interduction to 'em.
human
The monster devilfish inhabit caves in the rugged, mountainous regions of the ocean, resumed the Princess,
gpt
I hope we won't,
human
None for me, added Cap'n Bill.
gpt
Devils of any sort ought to be give a wide berth, an' devilfishes is worser ner sea serpents.
human
Oh, do you know the sea serpents?
gpt
Not much I don't, answered the sailor;
human
Did they ever live to tell the tale?
gpt
Sometimes, he replied.
human
They're jes' _or_-ful creatures, mate.
gpt
How easy it is to be mistaken, said Princess Clia, softly.
human
We know the sea serpents very well, and we like them.
gpt
You do!
human
Yes, dear. There are only three of them in all the world, and not only are they harmless, but quite bashful and shy. They are kind-hearted, too, and although not beautiful in appearance, they do many kind deeds and are generally beloved.
gpt
Where do they live?
human
The oldest one, who is king of this ocean, lives quite near us, said Clia.
gpt
His name is Anko.
human
How old is he?
gpt
No one knows. He was here before the ocean came, and he stayed here because he learned to like the water better than the land as a habitation. Perhaps King Anko is ten thousand years old--perhaps twenty thousand. We often lose track of the centuries down here in the sea.
human
That's pretty old, isn't it, said Trot.
gpt
Older than Cap'n Bill, I guess.
human
Summat, chuckled the sailorman;
gpt
Oh yes, he has, responded Merla, with a laugh.
human
And so have his two brothers--Unko and Inko. They each have an ocean of their own, you know; and once every hundred years they come here to visit their brother Anko. So we've seen all three many times.
gpt
Why, how old are mermaids, then?
human
We are like all ladies of uncertain age, rejoined the Princess, with a smile.
gpt
We don't care to tell.
human
Older than Cap'n Bill?
gpt
Yes, dear,
human
But we haven't any gray whiskers, added Merla, merrily,