;
and he had rhymed out all about the dancing fishes so neatly that it
would be a thousand pities not to give you his verses; so here they are
in English:

The big seals in motion,
Like waves of the ocean,
Or gouty feet prancing,
Came heading the gay fish,
Crabs, lobsters, and cray-fish,
Determined on dancing.

The sweet sounds they followed,
The gasping cod swallow'd--
'Twas wonderful, really;
And turbot and flounder,
'Mid fish that were rounder,
Just caper'd as gaily.

John-dories came tripping;
Dull hake, by their skipping,
To frisk it seem'd given;
Bright mackrel went springing,
Like small rainbows winging
Their flight up to heaven.

The whiting and haddock
Left salt water paddock
This dance to be put in;
Where skate with flat faces
Edged out some old plaices;
But soles kept their footing.

Sprats and herrings in powers
Of silvery showers
All number out-numbered;
And great ling so lengthy
Was there in such plenty
The shore was encumber'd.

The scallop and oyster
Their two shells did roister,
Like castanets flitting;
While limpets moved clearly,
And rocks very nearly
With laughter were splitting.

Never was such a hullabaloo in this world, before or since; 'twas as if
heaven and earth were coming together; and all out of Maurice Connor's
wonderful tune!

In the height of all these doings, what should there be dancing among
the outlandish set of fishes but a beautiful young woman--as beautiful
as the dawn of day! She had a cocked hat upon her head; from under it
her long green hair--just the colour of the sea--fell down behind,
without hindrance to her dancing. Her teeth were like rows of pearls;
her lips for all the world looked like red coral; and she had a shining
gown pale green as the hollow of the wave, with little rows of purple
and red seaweeds settled out upon it; for you never yet saw a lady,
under the water or over the water, who had not a good notion of dressing
herself out.

Up she danced at last to Maurice, who was flinging his feet from under
him as fast as hops--fo