THE KING OF THE FISHES.
"Um--ah--that is to say--er--notwithstanding, nevertheless, likewise
also, and as is herein aforesaid," began the Ki-Wi, in an important
voice.
"Hold on!" cried Dick. "We can't understand all that, you know. Why
don't you say what you have to say in English?"
"It is English," declared the Ki-Wi, in an aggrieved voice, "and very
good English too."
"Of course it is," chimed in the Sage.
"Well we don't understand it, anyhow," maintained Dick. "It doesn't seem
to mean anything at all."
"Perhaps, Dick, dear," said Marjorie, "Mr. Sage will explain it to us.
Let's see--it began----"
"'Notwithstanding, nevertheless, likewise, and as is herein aforesaid,'"
repeated the Ki-Wi.
"Well, I'll explain it, if you wish with pleasure," said the Sage,
"though I can't see in the least why it should be necessary. It seems to
me to perfectly simple. To begin with--'Notwithstanding' describes our
position just now--Not-with-standing, or _not standing with_ the Ki-Wi.
He is standing, while we are sitting down, you see; then 'nevertheless'
means of course the same as _always-the-greater_, which exactly
describes me. You see, my great learning and cleverness always makes me
greater than the people I am speaking to, and consequently
_never-the-less_. The next word is also descriptive of myself.
'Likewise,' or _like a wise man_, which, I am sure, you will all agree
that I am; and 'herein' means that my brains are all _in here_," said
the Sage, tapping his head. "While 'aforesaid'--the last word--means
that I have a strong head, or a _force-head_, do you see?"
"Is the rest of the paper all about yourself, too, Sir?" asked Marjorie.
"Yes," was the complacent reply. "Go on, Ki-Wi."
"I'm afraid we can't stop," interrupted Dick.
"You see, we have got to hunt up that wretched Dodo, and perhaps we had
better be going now."
"Yes, we must be going now," chimed in Fidge, jumping up eagerly, for
all this rigmarole had been very uninteresting to him.
"Oh, I'm sorry you can't stay," said the Sage, in a disappointed voice.
"I could have told you such a lot more about myself. You do think I'm
clever though, don't you?" he asked, anxiously.
"Oh, immensely!" said the children, politely.
"Thanks!" said the Sage. "Will you take a few onions with you as a
memento of your visit?"
"No thank you," said Marjorie, hurriedly.
"They would remind you of me," suggested the Sage, wistfully; "Sage and
onions you know."
"No, thanks," said Dick, "I'm sure we shall remember you without."
"Now that's _very_ kind of you," said the Sage, "and I'll do the best I
can to help you in your search for the Dodo. Let's see, where did he say
he was going to?"
"The Equator," said Dick; "but I'm sure we can't go all that way after
him, and get back in a week."
"You could if you went by sea," said the Sage.
"What do you mean?" asked Dick.
"Why, I could give you an introduction to the King of the Fishes, you
know, and he _might_ lend you his dolphins; they travel at a rare pace,
and would get you there in no time."
"Oh, yes," cried Marjorie, "of course we _can_ go under the sea, don't
you know, the paper says so. Wouldn't it be jolly, even if we didn't
find the Dodo?"
"Don't want to be drownded, and get all deaded," objected Fidge.
"You wouldn't be, dear," said Marjorie. "Brother Dick wouldn't take us
anywhere where we should come to any harm."
"How should we get there, I wonder?" asked Dick, thoughtfully.
"I'll show you--come along," said the Sage, getting up and leading the
way.
The children followed, and the little gnomes, now all reduced to their
proper size, came trooping along after them.
Presently they reached the edge of the cliff, and the sea, sparkling in
the sunlight, lay at their feet some distance below.
The Sage, hastily scribbling a note with a piece of pencil, thrust it
into Dick's hand, and crying, "This is the quickest way!" deliberately
pushed the children, one after the other, over the cliff.
Before they had time to realize what had happened, or to become in the
least alarmed, they found themselves slowly and comfortably sinking
through the air; while a shriek of laughter from the gnomes caused them
to look up to the edge of the cliffs, where they beheld all the little
fellows leaning over and waving their pocket-handkerchiefs, while the
Sage and the Ki-Wi stood in their midst.
"Oh!" cried Marjorie, as they descended, "isn't it fortunate we have the
power to float in the air; it would have been an awful plunge otherwise,
wouldn't it?"
"Yes," agreed Dick, reaching out his hand to Fidge, who looked just a
little wee bit frightened. "I wonder what it will be like on the sea."
He had not to speculate long, however, for almost at that moment their
feet touched the water, and they sank down, down, down through the clear
green depths.
"Oh, look!" cried Fidge, excitedly. "Fishes! Fishes!" and he started off
swimming after them quite naturally.
"One's got a hat on," he called out. "Look! look! there's another; oh,
let's catch them!"
"If you don't behave yourself you'll be locked up," said a severe voice,
and, turning around, the children beheld a very stern-looking fish,
wearing a helmet, and carrying a truncheon.
"Now then, move on; don't obstruct the traffic!" he cried, angrily; and
the children swimming off as hastily as they could, mentally put him
down as a kind of sea policeman.
"You certainly mustn't try and catch any of the fishes, Fidge, or you
will be getting us all into trouble," said Dick. And Fidge, overawed by
the policeman fish, became quiet subdued, and contented himself with a
quiet "Look! look!" when they passed anything particularly strange or
interesting.
[Illustration: "The chair was floating just in front of them."]
They had very nearly reached the bottom of the sea, when they noticed a
singular-looking object floating some distance in front of them.
"It looks like a chair!" declared Marjorie. "Why, I believe," she
continued, as they drew nearer, "that it's the very one the Dodo was
floating upon when we saw him last."
"So it is!" cried Dick; "and look, there's a note on it--perhaps it's
for us."
They swam towards it as quickly as they could, and had just reached the
chair, as a curious-looking fish--with a very long nose, and wearing
shoes on the end of his long tail, and a tall hat--swam past.
He looked at them inquisitively, and then stood a little way at the back
of them, waiting till they should be disengaged.
"To all to whom it may concern," read Dick, after he had picked up the
note from off the chair. "I suppose that means us as much as any one."
"Of course it does," agreed Marjorie. "It concerns us very much to find
out where the Dodo is."
Dick hesitated no longer, but opened the note eagerly. His face fell,
however, when he beheld the contents.
"_Mind your own business!_" he read, slowly. "What a sell! I believe the
Dodo did write it, though, and intended it as a hint that we were not
to try find and him. I'm half inclined to give it up."
"But Dick, dear, remember," said Marjorie, "we shall be--er--you
know--what the Ambassador said--if we don't find him."
"Oh, ah," said Dick, "I'd forgotten that. Come on, then; let's see what
can be done."
"Can I be of any assistance?" said the thin fish, coming forward with a
polite bow. "Have you lost anything?"
"Oh, thanks," said Dick. "We're looking for a Dodo. Do you happen to
have seen one about here?"
"A Dodo," said the fish, reflectively. "I don't think I have the
pleasure of the gentleman's acquaintance. What kind of a fish is he?"
"Oh, he isn't a fish at all," explained Dick; "he is a kind of bird, you
know."
"Ah! birds we don't encourage below the surface, as a rule," said the
fish, smiling indulgently. "You are scarcely likely to meet with him
here. Perhaps His Majesty the King of the Fishes would advise you."
"Oh, I have a letter of introduction to His Majesty," said Dick. "I'm
afraid it's rather wet," he said, apologetically, drawing it from his
pocket.
"It would be unacceptable to His Majesty were it not so," said the fish.
"Well, now, I _was_ going to a football match, it being a half-holiday;
but under the circumstances, I will put it off, and escort you to the
Palace. This way, please."
Sinking down to the sand at the bottom of the sea, the fish led the way
through a beautiful forest of waving seaweed, of all the colors of the
rainbow. Exquisite shells were strewn about, and brightly-colored
anemones clung to the rocks on every side, while all kinds of
oddly-shaped fishes swam about, peering at the children curiously as
they passed.
Presently they came in sight of a kind of Palace, formed of
quaintly-shaped pieces of coral, which, the fish explained, was where
the King lived.
"Just stay here a moment, please," said he; and the children waited
outside while he went into the Palace.
[Illustration: "'Bring them forward,' said the king of the fishes."]
Fidge pulled aside a piece of seaweed, and they all peeped through a
hole in the coral, and saw a large fish wearing a crown, and with a
curious chain about his neck, to which was attached an enormous
fish-hook, seated on a throne.
Officers of State stood round about, and the little thin fish that had
been so polite to them was bowing and scraping in quite a courtly
fashion.
He was evidently telling His Majesty all about them, for, after hearing
what he had to say, the King of the Fishes nodded; and the thin fish
came out, and informed them that they were to be admitted into the
Presence.