pes. Isn't it
queer? In that corner is a trumpet, splendidly colored inside. That
shape over there must be a fool's cap, one mass of sheeny tints inside.
Here are beautifully rounded little bowls, all scalloped around the top;
ah, see them glisten and change shades as the light strikes them!

See the beetle-bugs, with horns sticking out in every direction. And if
here isn't a perfect shape of a lady's slipper! The lady should wear it
inside out, so all could see its exquisite mother-o'-pearl.

Here are shells exactly like the feathery wing of a bird, and how birdie
would enjoy snuggling his soft head against the exquisite smoothness of
these shells!

Is that a large carrot split lengthwise? It looks like it, but no carrot
split along its length ever brought to light such rainbows as glint
along these. Those shells looking so much like rattles would amuse a lot
of babies if they could play in the mermaid's cave. They would try to
catch the fine colors, and might cry when they changed and changed, and
then appeared to dance away.

Those serpents, some half uncoiled, some out straight, will not bite.
Those flashes are not from dangerous eyes, but are only fine shell
tints.

Here are a lot of squat jars for holding small ornaments. They are
ornaments themselves. Are they not? And what queer combs with three
shining rows of teeth, each tooth a point of color.

Really, I might as well stop. There would be no use in trying to
describe a third of these shapes, and as to coloring, with all I have
said, you can have but a faint idea of the soft, brilliant, ever
changing hues and gleams in the mermaid's cave.

CHAPTER V.

MY GARDENS

Long as I have talked of shells, I must say a word or two more about
shells that are used as stones.

When I was on land a little while, I noticed in front of a few houses,
walks, that I knew at a glance were made from clam-shells. So I knew
that Folks must have machines for pounding up shells. Such a beautiful,
clean, white walk as they make!

Then, before some fine-looking houses were great conch-shells, oblong
and twisted in shape, but pink and smooth inside. Many of them were
placed around lovely fountains, or urns of flowers.

But I want to tell of one very beautiful and costly kind of ornament
that is made from some conch-shells, pronounced "konk."

Romans and Greeks, but especially the Greeks, used to cut "cameos" from
the onyx-stone. And men skilled in cutting fine sto