afterward another ship harpooned him very easily, finding two
spears still in him, and a wound in his head. I forgot to mention, that
the Sperms have fine ivory teeth, and make ambergris,--a sort of stuff
that smells very nice, and costs a great deal. I give you these little
facts about my family, as you seem interested, and it's always well to
improve the minds of young people."

"You are very kind; but will you be good enough to tell about yourself?"
said Freddy again; for the bone seemed to avoid that part of the story,
as if he didn't want to tell it.

"Well, if I must, I must; but I'm sorry to confess what a fool I've
been. You know what coral is, don't you?"

"No," said Freddy, wondering why it asked.

"Then I must tell you, I suppose. There is a bit in the house
there,--that rough, white, stony stuff on the table in the parlor. It's
full of little holes, you know. Well, those holes are the front doors of
hundreds of little polypes, or coral worms, who build the great branches
of coral, and live there. They are of various shapes and colors,--some
like stars; some fine as a thread, and blue or yellow; others like
snails and tiny lobsters. Some people say the real coral-makers are
shaped like little oblong bags of jelly, closed at one end, the other
open, with six or eight little feelers, like a star, all around it. The
other creatures are boarders or visitors: these are the real workers,
and, when they sit in their cells and put out their feelers, they make
all manner of lovely colors under the water,--crimson, green, orange,
and violet. But if they are taken up or touched, the coral people go in
doors, and the beautiful hues disappear. They say there are many coral
reefs and islands built by these industrious people, in the South Seas;
but I can't go there to see, and I am contented with those I find in the
northern latitudes. I knew such a community of coral builders, and used
to watch them long ago, when they began to work. It was a charming
spot, down under the sea; for all manner of lovely plants grew there;
splendid fishes sailed to and fro; wonderful shells lay about; crimson
and yellow prawns, long, gliding green worms, and purple sea-urchins,
were there. When I asked the polypes what they were doing, and they
answered, 'Building an island,' I laughed at them; for the idea that
these tiny, soft atoms could make any thing was ridiculous. 'You may
roar; but you'll see that we are right, if you live long en