“Yes, I will, without a doubt,
If you will not tip me out.”
Then the purple fish took the string of the cart in his mouth and swam
away. The cart bobbed up and down on the waves, and behaved quite like
a boat, and Elsie clapped her hands, and laughed and sang. The fish
swam on and on, till at length he came to a little island, all covered
with purple hyacinths and yellow violets. Here he stopped and bade
Elsie get out, saying,—
“Now, if you will marry me,
Here we’ll live and happy be.”
But Elsie did not like this at all, though the island was very
beautiful. She shook her head resolutely, and replied,—
“If you please, I do not wish
For to marry any fish!”
Then the purple fish was angry, and his yellow tail quivered with
vexation. He said, sternly,—
“If you will not be my wife,
You shall stay here all your life!”
And off he swam, taking the green cart with him. Poor Elsie was very
unhappy, for she could not bear to think of spending her whole life on
the island, and yet she did not want to marry a fish, even if her Mamma
were willing, which she was quite sure she would not be. But, as she
was sitting there, making a wreath of the yellow violets, two sea-gulls
came flying by. They stopped when they saw Elsie, and one of them said,—
“Here, upon this purple island,
What do I see but a human chisland!”
“There isn’t any such word as ‘chisland!’” said Elsie. “It is ‘child,’
don’t you know?”
“I am not very familiar with English,” replied the sea-gull. “The other
word rhymes better; but I am not prejudiced. What are you doing here,
child?”
“Nothing!” replied Elsie. “If you please, did you ever marry a fish?”