em. "I wonder
what it was that caused such a tremendous crash?"

"Perhaps the Whale Ice Trust is after a big ice supply," replied the
mermaid with a laugh. "The ocean depths are no longer a quiet place
since this dreadful hot weather set in. Just the other day I heard the
King of the Mermen say that they were about to send a note of protest
to Neptune for violating the laws of Merland!"

"I don't know much about it," said Mary Louise, "except that it's very
inconvenient to have one's voyage disturbed in such a way. What are we
going to do now?"

"How would you like to visit the Court of the Mer King?" asked the
mermaid.

"Oh, lovely!" cried Mary Louise. "I've never met any kinds, although
I've read about them in fairy stories."

"Come along then," said the mermaid. "Follow me straight down, for I
think we are not very far from the Coral Palace, where King Seaphus
holds court."

Placing the palms of her hands together diving fashion, she gave her
pretty tail a kick-off, and away she went, head downward, through the
water.

Mary Louise followed her example, somewhat surprised at the ease with
which she executed this difficult maneuver.

In a short time they found themselves on the bottom of the ocean. In
the distance could be seen the dim outline of a magnificent castle of
pink and white coral. Leading up to it was a wide highway, flanked on
either side with beautiful sea-grass, and dotted here and there, like
milestones, stood columns of beautiful coral. Banks of exquisite
mother-of-pearl rose at intervals along the way; water plants of
various hues grew in wild profusion.

"Why, it's very much like the earth," exclaimed Mary Louise, "only one
doesn't walk, and its not dusty, and--and it's not hot and sunny!"

"No, indeed!" said the mermaid. "But sometimes we have a pest of water
gnats that are worse than mosquitoes, and we have to put up netting on
our bedroom windows to keep them out."

As she finished speaking they approached the door of the castle, on
which she knocked with a flap of her finny tail. It was immediately
opened by a merman dressed in the uniform of a court page. "What can I
do for you, Your Highness?" he asked, bowing low.

"Why, are you a princess?" asked Mary Louise in surprise, turning
quickly to the mermaid and forgetting for the moment that they were on
the steps of a real merman's castle.

The little mermaid only laughed in reply, and taking Mary Louise by the
hand led