rness to urge them on, kept
getting in the children's way, swimming about in front of them, and
getting mixed up with their arms and legs in a most confusing manner. At
length, however, this extraordinary race came to an end, and the
children arrived at the winning-post in the same order in which they had
started.

"Oh, I've won--I've won!" shouted Fidge, delightedly. "Haven't I, Dick?"

[Illustration: "They were called before the king to receive their
prize."]

"Of course you have," said Dick, who had purposely been holding back to
give the other two a chance.

"Shall I get a prize?" whispered the little boy, anxiously.

"Perhaps," answered Dick; "wait and see."

Their little friend, the thin fish, had gone up to the King, and was
talking very earnestly to him, and presently returning said that His
Majesty had decided to give them all a prize.

"Oh, I wonder what it will be!" said Marjorie, excitedly. "Fancy, having
a prize from a real King!"

"He's only a fish," said Dick.

"Hush, dear, you'll hurt his feelings," whispered Marjorie, warningly.

Just then the thin fish put on his top hat--he was the only one allowed
to wear one in the King's presence--and began a long speech. He spoke so
very softly, though, that no one could hear a word that he said; but, at
regular intervals, all the other fishes clapped their fins, and called
out, "Hear, hear!" most enthusiastically.

"Whatever do you do that for?" inquired Dick, of one of them; "I'm sure
you cannot hear a word of what he is saying."

"Oh, no, we can't," admitted the fish, quite candidly; "but it's the
proper thing to do, you know, it encourages him so."

After the speech the children were called before the King to receive
their prize.

His Majesty did not speak to them, but motioned majestically to a large
branch of pink coral near the throne, and they were thus given to
understand that it was intended for them as a prize.

Of course, they pretended to be highly gratified, though, in reality,
they were greatly disappointed.

"Stupid old thing! it's not a bit of use, even if we could carry it,"
muttered Dick; and Fidge, too, was so cross that he nearly quarreled
outright with a perky little fish who had been standing, hat in hand,
near him, and who now came and sat down so close to him that his sharp
scales scratched the little fellow's bare legs.

A moment afterwards, however, they had all forgotten their ill-humor in
their amusement at what w