IN THE TROPICS
They were now in the tropics. The ocean lay basking in the heat, with
scarcely a ripple upon its placid green face.
It was very beautiful and mysterious. A slight mauve haze hung over the
sky, and the horizon was lost in a golden mist.
It seemed to the children that the whole world had fallen into a
peaceful slumber, and was dreaming a beautiful dream. Nothing moved,
nothing stirred but the heat that danced on the hazy ocean.
Without a visible movement of his mighty wings, the Albatross glided
calmly along, gazing dreamily at his reflection in the water below.
Then, without warning, from the shimmering waves came the words of a
mysterious song!
Very faint, at first--like the dream-voices of fairies--it grew louder,
until they could catch the words clearly--
“Albatross! Albatross!
Where are you flying?
Stay here, we pray you,
We’ll take no denying.
Beautiful bird,
With a wonderful motion,
Tell us what lifts you
With ease o’er the ocean.”
The Albatross heard too, but he was nervous and pretended he didn’t.
“Albatross! Albatross!
May we draw near?
You are so beautiful,
Pearly and dear.
You most magnificent
Bird of the ocean,
May we draw near you
And offer devotion.”
At this the Albatross visibly trembled. Then turned his head and
preened a stray feather into place.
“Albatross! Albatross!
Be not afraid,
Fly not away
From a little sea-maid.
Long have we waited
In vain for this hour,
Now you have entered
The realm of our power.”
At this the Albatross made an effort to fly away. But a golden rainbow
rose from the ocean and encircled him, and he did not know which way to
fly.
As the song ended, all the waters around seemed to ripple with joyous
laughter. And here and there a little foam-crest appeared, and
pearly-white arms robed in a mist of rainbow spray stretched up towards
the Albatross. The ocean beneath them seemed to be alive with shadowy
forms, and merry little faces smiled up through the veil of emerald
water.
It was evident that the head of the foolish bird had been turned by all
this praise, for he hovered, hesitating, just above the little white
arms. Then he sank lower and lower.
Countless silvery voices repeated the enchanting song. And it seemed to
the children that they were being rocked to sleep in a cradle of silver
sound.
Kiddiwee and Coppertop were enraptured. And they gazed wonder-eyed at
the beautiful sea-maidens.
Lower still drifted the Albatross, and there came a dreamy far-away
look into his eyes.
So near the ocean was he now that one of the enchanting sea-maidens
leapt out of the foam towards him, and winding her arms round his neck,
she pressed her lips to his beak.
Instantly a terrible change too place!
The song of the sea-maidens turned to cruel laughter. The golden
tresses of their hair became coarse seaweed. Their eyes glowed with a
pale green light, and their lips grew hard and cruel.
The Albatross fell to the water--dead!
After floating some moments, the bird began to sink, and the terrified
children tried to fly away, but found that their wings had gone!
The sea-maidens swam round and round them, and one, bolder than the
rest, reached out of the water and tried to grasp hold of one of
Coppertop’s plaits, but Tibbs rushed bravely forward and thrust his
sister behind him.
“Look! Look at her face!” screamed Coppertop. “It’s exactly like Mrs.
Grudge!”
“’Es, so it is! With all her teeth--sharp ones!” cried Kiddiwee.
And now a very strange thing happened.
As the poor Albatross lay stretched upon the ocean, slowly sinking,
from the four corners of his body arose four carved posts, and his back
became a large feather mattress!
[Illustration: The Four-Posted Bed at Sea.]
Before Coppertop, Tibbs or Kiddiwee could recover from their
astonishment, the Albatross turned into the old four-posted Bed!
“That’s the second time you’ve saved us!” cried Coppertop, clapping
her hands with joy. “When we get home, I’ll buy you a real golden
counterpane, and you shall live in a crystal case, and never be slept
on unless you wish.”
As for the sea-maidens--they were so annoyed at being cheated of their
prey, that they sank beneath the ocean and were seen no more.