[Illustration: 9096]
OW happy the little people were at the seashore! There was so much to
see and so much to do that the long days ran quickly away.
Toots and his friend learned many things. They caught hermit crabs, and
were told how they stole shell houses to live in. They found star fish,
and horse-shoe crabs, and beautiful sea anemones, and sometimes a kind
old sailor would tell them about trawls, lobster traps, nets, and the
queer tricks of the various fish they caught.
Away out on a point of rocks near the water lived some very bright
little boys who often came to play with Toots. One day their parents
were invited to visit a beautiful yacht lying in the harbor. The ladies
and gentlemen were much pleased, and when they returned from their visit
they told the children all about it. Two little boys, Philip and
Harry, who lived in the cottage at the point, heard the story with much
pleasure; so did Toots, who wished he could see it. One morning when
the wind blew hard and the water was covered with white caps, Philip's
mother missed both her little boys. "Perhaps they have gone over to
Toots'," she said. Their sister inquired, but Toots was swinging in the
hammock with another little friend. He had not seen Philip or Harry all
the morning. Then the nurse and all the family began to look, but no
boys could they find.
At last an old sailor said, "There's a little boat a-bob-bing up and
down out there, and I think it has two little chaps in it."
The ladies took a glass, and there indeed were the two little rogues
liable to be drowned at any moment; but two kind sailors went after them
and brought them safe on shore.
"Where were you going?" asked their mamma.
"To visit the Tommodore's pretty water-house."
Both boys were very small and could not speak distinctly.
"But how strange! you were not invited," said their mother.
"Oh, yes, I 'vited 'Ilip and 'Ilip Vited me!"
"What would you have done if you had reached the yacht?"'
"I was going to 'duce 'Ilip to the Tommodore and 'Ilip was going to
'duce me."
"But you must not introduce people anywhere unless you are welcome
yourself and invited. When the Commodore invites my little boys, I will
take them out to his yacht and introduce them myself. Besides, the water
is very rough and you are too young to row a boat so far."
"We could do it;'cause 'Ilip rowed one oar and I rowed the other. We
like it."
Their mother was very glad to get them back again, and the good
Commodore never knew what funny little guests he missed seeing that
summer morning.
[Illustration: 0098]