said Gramma. “You two have a job to do,” and back into the oven they
flew.
Then Gramma
put the pies inside, closed the door, and washed her hands. “Now let’s stuff the
turkey and make the cranberry sauce,” she said, and they did.
Chapter 44
The
Lantern Fish
Tiptoes left
Johnny Top in Gramma’s care. She flew through the morning mist towards the
beach. The mist was thin and rising—it was going to be another fine day. She
found the tide low, but turning, and the seagulls were out in force, flying
along the sea shore and feeding. She slipped into the Treasure Cave and called Obaro. She had questions that only he could answer.
“Obaro!
Obaro!” she called, her clear voice ringing in the cave.
“Here I am, I
am,” said Obaro, appearing. “So much coming and going, coming and going these
days.”
“What happened
to the Sea King’s daughter after she went into hiding?” asked Tiptoes.
“We are full
of questions and questions,” said Obaro, his voice echoing. “I think you know
more than you are telling me, telling me.”
Tiptoes
smiled. “Maybe,” she said, “but I could be wrong.”
Obaro closed
his deep, deep eyes. For a moment he almost faded away, but he was only
thinking and remembering deeply.
“Let me see,
let me see,” he said. “Oh, yes, yes,” and he continued his tale.
“The King of
the Sea was gloomy. For many a season he stayed in the deep waters where
darkness reigns. He missed his daughter, the beautiful sea maiden. He missed
her wonderful sea-green eyes, her golden hair, and her elegant tail bejeweled
with emerald scales. She had gone to the land of men—or so he thought—and would
never come back to the sea again.
One day, as he
sat in the gloom, two fish with lanterns hanging from their heads swam by.
‘I hear the
Sea King’s daughter has been seen in the shallows,’ said one.
‘So I heard
too,’ said the other. ‘I hear she lives by the shores of men. She fears the
deeps where the King sits in gloom.’
‘Why should
she fear her father?’ said the first. ‘He loves her dearly.’
‘And she loves
him dearly too,’ said the second. ‘But her necklace was stolen. She fears he’ll
see her without it.’
Then the fish
turned off their lanterns and went hunting in the dark.
The King of
the Sea rose from the deep. Terrible was his face, terrible were his eyes and
the water churned about him. He called his sons and daughters, the mermen and
maids, and asked: ‘Who stole the pearls from my fair daughter’s neck?’
‘Not I,’ said
they, one by one by one. All but the last three said, ‘Not I.’ These last three
hung their heads and dared not look their father in the eye.
The Sea King
knew then that the lantern fish had spoken true. He bound the guilty ones to
three rocky islands in the Mediterranean Sea, there to sing to men with
beguiling songs of promise and praise until they drive their ships upon the
craggy rocks and are drowned.”
“And what
happened then” asked Tiptoes.
“He searched,”
said Obaro, “the Sea King searched for his lovely daughter, but what happened
is not known to me.”
“I saw him out
at sea,” said Tiptoes. “He is still looking for her.”
“He is, is
he?” said Obaro. “After all these many years he searches for her still. Oh, oh,
this cave has been so busy, so busy! And now the pearls are found too. What is
going on? What is going on?”
Chapter 45
Cillie
and Conn
The turkey was
roasting in the oven, the sun was shining, and everyone was hiking along the
top of the bluff to the trestle over Pudding Creek. June Berry and Veronica
were taking turns to wear the necklace. They skipped ahead holding hands. Tom
had Lucy on a leash. He walked with Uncle Finn and talked about racing cars.
The tide was coming in, and all along the bluff and on the beach families and
couples were out walking for Thanksgiving.
They got about
half way there when Johnny Top didn’t want to go any further. For his little
legs the
flew.
Then Gramma
put the pies inside, closed the door, and washed her hands. “Now let’s stuff the
turkey and make the cranberry sauce,” she said, and they did.
Chapter 44
The
Lantern Fish
Tiptoes left
Johnny Top in Gramma’s care. She flew through the morning mist towards the
beach. The mist was thin and rising—it was going to be another fine day. She
found the tide low, but turning, and the seagulls were out in force, flying
along the sea shore and feeding. She slipped into the Treasure Cave and called Obaro. She had questions that only he could answer.
“Obaro!
Obaro!” she called, her clear voice ringing in the cave.
“Here I am, I
am,” said Obaro, appearing. “So much coming and going, coming and going these
days.”
“What happened
to the Sea King’s daughter after she went into hiding?” asked Tiptoes.
“We are full
of questions and questions,” said Obaro, his voice echoing. “I think you know
more than you are telling me, telling me.”
Tiptoes
smiled. “Maybe,” she said, “but I could be wrong.”
Obaro closed
his deep, deep eyes. For a moment he almost faded away, but he was only
thinking and remembering deeply.
“Let me see,
let me see,” he said. “Oh, yes, yes,” and he continued his tale.
“The King of
the Sea was gloomy. For many a season he stayed in the deep waters where
darkness reigns. He missed his daughter, the beautiful sea maiden. He missed
her wonderful sea-green eyes, her golden hair, and her elegant tail bejeweled
with emerald scales. She had gone to the land of men—or so he thought—and would
never come back to the sea again.
One day, as he
sat in the gloom, two fish with lanterns hanging from their heads swam by.
‘I hear the
Sea King’s daughter has been seen in the shallows,’ said one.
‘So I heard
too,’ said the other. ‘I hear she lives by the shores of men. She fears the
deeps where the King sits in gloom.’
‘Why should
she fear her father?’ said the first. ‘He loves her dearly.’
‘And she loves
him dearly too,’ said the second. ‘But her necklace was stolen. She fears he’ll
see her without it.’
Then the fish
turned off their lanterns and went hunting in the dark.
The King of
the Sea rose from the deep. Terrible was his face, terrible were his eyes and
the water churned about him. He called his sons and daughters, the mermen and
maids, and asked: ‘Who stole the pearls from my fair daughter’s neck?’
‘Not I,’ said
they, one by one by one. All but the last three said, ‘Not I.’ These last three
hung their heads and dared not look their father in the eye.
The Sea King
knew then that the lantern fish had spoken true. He bound the guilty ones to
three rocky islands in the Mediterranean Sea, there to sing to men with
beguiling songs of promise and praise until they drive their ships upon the
craggy rocks and are drowned.”
“And what
happened then” asked Tiptoes.
“He searched,”
said Obaro, “the Sea King searched for his lovely daughter, but what happened
is not known to me.”
“I saw him out
at sea,” said Tiptoes. “He is still looking for her.”
“He is, is
he?” said Obaro. “After all these many years he searches for her still. Oh, oh,
this cave has been so busy, so busy! And now the pearls are found too. What is
going on? What is going on?”
Chapter 45
Cillie
and Conn
The turkey was
roasting in the oven, the sun was shining, and everyone was hiking along the
top of the bluff to the trestle over Pudding Creek. June Berry and Veronica
were taking turns to wear the necklace. They skipped ahead holding hands. Tom
had Lucy on a leash. He walked with Uncle Finn and talked about racing cars.
The tide was coming in, and all along the bluff and on the beach families and
couples were out walking for Thanksgiving.
They got about
half way there when Johnny Top didn’t want to go any further. For his little
legs the
Similar Books
