IVES TO TELL THE TALE

Aquareine was thoughtful for a time. Then she drew from her finger a
ring, a plain gold band set with a pearl of great value, and gave it
to the little girl.

"If at any period of your life the mermaids can be of service to
you, my dear," she said, "you have but to come to the edge of the
ocean and call 'Aquareine.' If you are wearing the ring at the time,
I shall instantly hear you and come to your assistance."

"Thank you!" cried the child, slipping the ring over her own chubby
finger, which it fitted perfectly. "I shall never forget that I have
good and loyal friends in the ocean, you may be sure."

Away and away they swam, swiftly and in a straight line, keeping in
the middle water where they were not liable to meet many sea people.
They passed a few schools of fishes, where the teachers were
explaining to the young ones how to swim properly, and to conduct
themselves in a dignified manner, but Trot did not care to stop and
watch the exercises.

Although the queen had lost her fairy wand in Zog's domed chamber,
she had still enough magic power to carry them all across the ocean
in wonderfully quick time, and before Trot and Cap'n Bill were aware
of the distance they had come, the mermaids paused while Princess
Clia said:

"Now we must go a little deeper, for here is the Giant's Cave and
the entrance to it is near the bottom of the sea."

"What, already?" cried the girl joyfully, and then through the dark
water they swam, passing through the rocky entrance, and began to
ascend slowly into the azure-blue water of the cave.

"You've been awfully good to us, and I don't know jus' how to thank
you," said Trot earnestly.

"We have enjoyed your visit to us," said beautiful Queen Aquareine,
smiling upon her little friend, "and you may easily repay any
pleasure we have given you by speaking well of the mermaids when you
hear ignorant earth people condemning us."

"I'll do that, of course," exclaimed the child.

"How about changin' us back to our reg'lar shapes?" inquired Cap'n
Bill anxiously.

"That will be very easy," replied Princess Clia with her merry
laugh. "See! Here we are at the surface of the water."

They pushed their heads above the blue water and looked around the
cave. It was silent and deserted. Floating gently near the spot
where they had left it was their own little boat. Cap'n Bill swam to
it, took hold of the side, and then turned an inquiring face toward
the merma