s not snarling at
somebody, he was sure to be grumbling at everything.

Nevertheless they agreed very well, and were lucky fishers. Both were
strong, active, and of good courage. On winter's night or summer's
morning they would steer out to sea far beyond the boats of their
neighbours, and never came home without some fish to cook and some to
spare. Their mothers were proud of them, each in her own way--for the
saying held good, "Like mother, like son". Dame Civil thought the whole
world didn't hold a better than her son; and her boy was the only
creature at whom Dame Sour didn't scold and frown.

The village was divided in opinion about the young fishermen. Some
thought Civil the better; some said, without Sour he would catch
nothing. So things went on, till one day about the fall of winter, when
mists were gathering darkly on sea and sky, and the air was chill and
frosty, all the boat-men of the hamlet went out to fish, and so did Sour
and Civil.

That day they had not their usual luck. Cast their nets where they
would, not a single fish came in. Their neighbours caught boatfuls, and
went home, Sour said, laughing at them. But when the sea was growing
crimson with the sunset, their nets were empty, and they were tired.
Civil himself did not like to go home without fish--it would hurt the
high opinion formed of them in the village. Besides, the sea was calm
and the evening fair, and, as a last attempt, they steered still farther
out, and cast their nets beside a rock which rose rough and grey above
the water, and was called the Merman's Seat--from an old report that the
fishermen's fathers had seen the mermen, or sea-people, sitting there on
moonlight nights.

Nobody believed that rumour now, but the villagers did not like to fish
there. The water was said to be very deep, and sudden squalls were apt
to trouble it. But Sour and Civil were right glad to see by the moving
of their lines that there was something in their net, and gladder still
when they found it so heavy that all their strength was required to draw
it up.

Scarcely had they landed it on the Merman's Seat, when their joy was
changed to sorrow, for besides a few starved mackerel, the net held
nothing but a huge ugly fish as long as Civil (who was taller than
Sour), with a large snout, a long beard, and a skin covered with
prickles.

"Such a horrid ugly creature!" said Sour, as they shook it out of the
net on the rough rock, and gathered up the macke