esence Chamber.

"I'm afraid not," replied Dick.

"Then you must remain silent, for in the King's presence nothing but the
fish-language is allowed to be spoken. I will interpret for you
afterwards."

Pushing aside some curtains of brightly-colored seaweed he led them into
the Presence Chamber.

The King received them very graciously, and held out one fin as they
approached.

"I expect we ought to kneel on one knee, and kiss it, like they do at
presentations," whispered Marjorie.

But Dick wasn't going to do anything of that sort, and just touched it
lightly with one hand, while the others followed suit. The thin fish
then motioned them to sit down on a kind of divan, upon which large
sponges took the place of cushions, and which the children found to be
most comfortable; and the audience began.

The most extraordinary part about it was that not the slightest sound
could be heard. The little thin fish opened and shut his mouth in
little, short, jerky gasps, to which the King replied by slowly opening
and shutting his, rolling his eyes about meanwhile, just as you may have
seen fishes do in an aquarium.

Then the little fish solemnly handed His Majesty the Sage's letter,
which the King put on his gold-rimmed glasses to read.

Having done so, he turned to the children and smiled, at least that's
what they afterwards found out he was doing; but, really and truly, he
made such a curious grimace that poor little Fidge was frightened, and
wanted to run away.

His Majesty then opened and shut his mouth very slowly three or four
times, to which all the other fishes replied by swimming backwards
three strokes, and then forward three strokes. Then the audience was at
an end.

[Illustration: "Some fishes were playing football."]

The little thin fish came and whispered to the children, "It is usual
for mortals, when leaving the presence of the King, to turn three
somersaults backwards. Do you think you can do that?"

"I'm afraid not," replied Dick, anxiously. "At least, I might be able to
manage, but I don't know about Marjorie and Fidge."

"Oh, never mind, then; I'll ask His Majesty to be good enough to excuse
you," said the fish, and, making a low bow to the King, he explained the
situation in a few short gasps.

His Majesty thereupon left the audience chamber, having first graciously
inclined his head towards the children.

As he swam away, two little fishes attached themselves to the tip of His
Majesty's