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SEA SECRETS 
 

vSEfl (SECRETS 
 
 (oroelia- Frances • Bedell 
 
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 Copyright. 1911, by 
 STEWART AND COMPANY. 
 
 Published December, 1911 
 
 Printed In the United States of America 
 
 >CI.A303775 
 

^ 
 
: UU ' U !i .W.fja '' .^>ti.W W M"-;-A.J a> !f:« ' j^ 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 ProJoguc ix 
 
 The Amiable Whale 11 
 
 Miss Jelly-fish. 13 
 
 The Kidnapped Sponges 15 
 
 The Sociable Lobster., 17 
 
 The Sticklebacks* New Home. ... 21 
 
 The Wondering Little Star-fish. . . 23 
 
 The Wee Little Sea-serpent 25 
 
 The Jolly Porpoise . . . ..... 29 
 
 The Imaginative Globe-fish 31 
 
 The tucky Little Oyster . . . , 33 
 
 Miss Gold-fish and Sir Pike . . 37 
 
 The Dancing Crabs. . 39 
 
 The Flat Flounder 43 
 
 Sammy Shark 45 
 
 Mother Sea's Lullaby .......... 47 
 
 vlf 
 
 ?i^^* 
 
 •^ 
 
 
 !§2J::!^3 
 
 
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 ;^j,,i>j'-' | ? »-*yg!i^i j. » M^ . in u i' y. J'- "? ' 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 ,,. „ . ^jhere among the tall sea-grasses 
 ^^^^/: They can whisper, soft and lowi^^ 
 :^;^,j^^P^ ondrous secrets to each other— """ 
 ^^^^^ Which of course we*ll never know. 
 
 Every day the brooks are flowing 
 Toward the playgrounds of the sea 
 
 Where the big and little fishes 
 Swim and float right merrily. 
 
 ut a small Sea-urchin told me 
 Some fevr things that happened there, 
 
 nd I*ve written them all down here 
 With the very greatest care. 
 
 So that vou may have an idea, >..-,.,.. > ^ / ^ ^ 
 
 3a,^.>,,^.^,,,.,,.,, y v^^ 
 ? Of how happy fish can be, 7^^^^^ \-7/'!^i' 
 "When they're swimming all together"" 
 In the playgrounds of the sea. 
 
 ■^^ 
 
 Ix 
 
 Wf^' 
 
 -^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 r 
 
 «;*/*l-,f' 
 
THE AMIABLE WHALE. 
 
 Have you ever heard tell of the amiable 
 
 whale 
 Who was so very black he could never 
 
 turn pale? 
 
 He did nothing but smile from morning 
 
 till night, 
 But he very soon found that to smile 
 
 brings delight; 
 
 For ^ack-lime when he opened his moi 
 
 in a grin 
 Some fish, unsuspecting, was sure to 
 
 swim in ; 
 
 And, as really he was a most amiable 
 
 soul, 
 He preferred not to chew them, but 
 
 swallowed them whole. 
 
 Thus he lived out his life in magnificent 
 style, t"> 
 
 While all that he paid for his food was 
 a smile. 
 
 11 
 
 J. /r^ 'r^T;:^^'^.^ 
 
MISS JELLY-FISH. 
 
 Miss Jelly-fish was floating round quite/ 
 
 '■WM^^' ^^PPJ'y one day, 
 
 > '-'g^^^ ^: ■' When she overheard a sentence that! 
 fiUcd her with dismay. 
 
 "One jelly-fish between perch scales," 
 
 the first big sturgeon said, 
 "I've heard will make a sandwich oni 
 
 iahi ^^^^p^g^^^^ v which kings may well be lec b gaM f iffe ^ 
 
 ! :t, r^^^^^^- "This is great news,'* his friend replied. 
 "I*m fond of dishes new. 
 ^Corae, lei us hunt these dainty sweets so 
 
. ' '-! ■ -.. . .T-^'T T"^ 
 
 THE SOCIABLE LOBSTER. 
 
 MisvS Lobster gave a party, 
 And swell guests by the score, 
 
 Upon the great eventful day, 
 Swam gaily to the door. 
 
 Miss Mussel's gown was deepest brown, 
 While Mrs. Crab wore green ; , 
 
 And nothing coyer than Miss Clam 
 For ages Tiad been seen. 
 
 The gentlemen were fine indeed; — 
 
 A gallant, every one, — 
 Who meekly played his humble part 
 
 And said his prayers when done. 
 
 At supper time e^cb guest ^ould read, 
 
 Upon his i^nii card, 
 A list of things both rare and sweet, 
 
 Which made resistance hard: 
 
O" 
 
 if>h<- 
 
 // 
 
 \<^ 
 
 And many dishes more beside, 
 Whose names I can't repeat. 
 
 Because they were not meant to spell, 
 But only just to eat. 
 
 And when, at last, 'twas time to gOy 
 Each guest rose with a sigh 
 
 Of happiness too great for words— 
 The rest we must pass by. 
 
 But Miss Lobster's hospitality 
 
 Was praised on every side, 
 Till her shell came near to bursting 
 
 From nothing but mere pride. 
 19 
 
 --n 
 
 .c^^ 
 
 ^I^^H^;- 
 
 rid'? ^%s,\ rt.- 
 
 
 
 
^.^:^ 
 
 -rc5«F 
 
 kiJ^ 
 
 
 THE STICKELBACKS' NEW HOME. 
 
 'Twas in the early springtime that 
 
 mother Stickleback 
 Began to talk of moving. Said she, 
 
 *'This home's a rack." 
 
 "We can't see out the windows, ther€ 
 
 isn't any door ; 
 And likely isomeone will be drowned by 
 
 falling through the floor." 
 
 "Dear me," said father Stickleback, 
 
 " 'tis even «is you say. 
 Another one we'll build at once ; I'll 
 
 start it right away." 
 
 So he gathered long sea-grasses; and 
 
 in a day or two, 
 They had a home where everything was 
 
 spicky-spandy new. 
 
 And when the neighbors came to call, 
 they all seemed much impressed 
 
 With the wonders of the Sticklebacks' 
 new water-proof home nest. 
 21 
 
 .(■ 
 
 ^ 
 
THE WONDERING LITTLE 
 STAR-FISH. 
 "As I float among the grasses in the 
 
 deep, deep sea," 
 Said the wondering little Star-fish, "I 
 
 cannot help but be 
 Quite curious to know about my cousins 
 
 in the sky; 
 The mermaids say they only play at 
 
 night — I wonder why? 
 ^t must be very lonely in such fields and 
 
 fields of blue. 
 Do you suppose they lose their way? 
 
 I*m sure that's what Pd do. 
 I never long to go there, it seems so far 
 
 away. 
 But I'm hoping one will fall down here 
 
 and visit me some day. 
 Then I'll show him just how happy a 
 
 little star can be 
 When he's floating through the grasses 
 
 in the deep, deep sea. 
 23 
 
 <^ 
 
 
9., 
 
 X 
 
 1 
 
 THE WEE LITTLE SEA-SERPENT. 
 
 h 
 
 "Oh, Daddy," the wee little Sea-serpent 
 
 cried, 
 In a tone 'twixt a; sob and a sigh, 
 "I*m only four hundred and thirty miles 
 
 long; 
 Were you ever as tiny as I?* 
 Said father Sea-Serpent, first flipping 
 
 his tail 
 A thousand or less miles away, 
 "No doubt at one time I was very like 
 
 you; 
 But I cannot remember the day- 
 I've seen swimming around, these mil- 
 lions of yearS) 
 So much that's peculiar and strange, 
 Tve never had time to look ^iver myself;. 
 But, really, there must be a change, 
 For your mother has mentioned my eyes 
 
 have grown dark — 
 Tho* once they were bright as a flame — 
 And again, when the water's unusually 
 
 wet, 
 My vertebra seems a bit lame. 
 25 
 
 O 
 
 O 
 
 / 
 
 \ 
 
 l^^.4"</ ^^ 
 
 i. 
 
 y ^-." 
 
 u 
 
 ts&imi 
 
 'ii^^cA 
 
 £!r 
 
 l'-^\'4'''''tS^^ 
 
 -J. 
 
 >:sJi5^My 
 
 / 
 
; 
 
 THE JOLLY PORPOISE 
 
 There once was a porpoise named Ppll^', 
 
 Who. loved everything that was jolly; 
 
 ^^^phe mended her faults, •* 
 
 ^^^^^^nd turned somersaults, ^ -^£^ (■ 
 
 'To drive away dread melancholy/ ^^ 
 
 29 
 
 1^ 
 
 ^-■ 
 
 
 V^ 
 
 ?s 
 
 
 ^ 'r 
 
 ^i!t^^<^lij^ 
 
;?^' 
 
 >^' 
 
 . <_-■'*--'' 
 
 "V.-<A3HS|W«»»«<?' 
 
 ?4. 
 
 -si- 
 
 THE LUCKY LITTLE OYSTER. 
 
 There lived a little oyster 
 
 Who cried jfor 'most a year» 
 And during all that awful time 
 
 He never shed a tear. 
 But then, of course, how could he, 
 
 When he hadn't any eyes? 
 For they're the place where teardrops 
 grow, 
 
 So much to our surprise; 
 
 'Twas at this time he felt ,a pain 
 
 Within his shell's right side; 
 "Ah! 'tis appendicitis," 
 
 The family quickly cried. 
 And so old Doptor Saw-fish 
 
 Was called to operate. 
 He came at once, oft murmuring-;;:: 
 
 "I hope 'tis not too late. 
 
 He laid poor little oyster 
 
 On a -bed of mosses green, 
 And gently sawed within his shell 
 
 To find what was unseen. 
 Of course you may imagine ho\^ 
 
 Their minds were in a whirl, 
 When suddenly before them la;;^'' 
 
 A monstrous snow-white gg. 
 
 33 
 
 
)l 
 
 
 MISS GOLD-FISH AND SIR PIKE. 
 
 Miss Gold-fish was swirnming at play, 
 When who should by chance pass that 
 way, ^ 
 
 But a gallant young Pike, 
 
 Long and thin as a spike. 
 And bade her a merry good-day. 
 
 They swam in the waters of blue, 
 So happy they scarce ever knew, 
 
 Until *twas too late, 
 
 That a horrible Skate 
 Was seeking Miss Gold-fish to chew. 
 
 *T\i^as a moment of horror and fright; 
 But gallant Sir Pike was true knight. 
 
 He spiked the Skate fast. 
 
 Till the danger was past. 
 
 And ' Miss Golpl-fish took refuge in 
 
 flight 
 
 87 
 
 •v 
 
THE DANCING CRABS. 
 
 Said fond Father Crab to his children 
 
 one day, 
 "I'm proud of you all ; and yet, I raust 
 
 say* , , ' 
 
 If natural grace we now wistj to en- 
 hance, 
 
 'Tis high time indeed you were learning 
 to dance. 
 
 A teacher I'll find this same aftemoonj^^ 
 
 When we msh to improve we can't 
 too soon^'^'''^ 
 
 ■'.,-' ."jT^T^, r J, i Ti? " 
 
 Out went Father Crab, and lif less than ^^^^ 
 
 ^nhour -.t^^^ 
 
 Returned looking happy as any se»^^^^^ 
 
 flower ; 
 While clos^ at his side swam Miss Lob- 
 
 ster-Green, ^,,^^^^.,^ 
 
 As graceful a swimmer as ever was semf^^ 
 'Twas easy to see, as she swayed left and 
 
 right, 
 That small, awkward crabs must dance 
 
 with their might. 
 39 
 
Yet they all did so well with the hop and 
 the glide, 
 
 That Pa and Ma Crab fairly bubbled 
 with pride. 
 
 But the very next moment brought fear- 
 ful dismay; 
 
 'Tis sad to relate, but it happened this 
 way, 
 
 In the sweetest of accents Miss Lo^sj;er- 
 
 Green said: '^^^^^fe^f^ 
 
 "Now follow me, children, and S^im' " ' 
 straight ahead." 
 
 >>" 
 
 What a break in the line! *Twas sad to 
 
 behold. 
 
 Still, Pa and Ma Crab could not very ^;^l, 
 
 k well scold, //( -C//^ 
 
 fjr'^ For they never had taught, by word or ^Y^ ^- \ 
 
 by sign,^ . , . I V^^W^ 
 
 \ Those crabbies to swim in a straight- \ ; ^^||j| 
 
 yy ahead line. I'^'^.f^'f'"' t^ 
 
 So, of course, as Miss Lobster-Green | j.'i 
 
 soothingly said: * I \\ 
 
 "'Twould be better by far to try !| 
 
 Delsarte instead." / 
 
 u 
 
 
 j^jr-' 
 
 Vii;{ 
 
 
9 ^5^ 
 
 Nod, sea-grasses, jiod and blow, 
 
 Sing, little waves, sing soft and low. 
 
 All sea-children to sleep must go. 
 Nod, sea-grasses, nod and blow. 
 
 Mother Sea's crooning a lullaby. 
 
 The Dreamland tide is flowing nigh. 
 Hush, sea-children, do not cry, 
 . . Mother Seal's px^eupg^a-lHUaby • 
 
 T3m^ , ^d^^^^w^^^^w^i^o^pi^ deep, 
 deep, 
 
 Dream, sea-children, dream and sleep. 
 While Water-Sprites their watches keep, 
 
 Dovra, down, down, in the deep, deep. 
 
m 9 1912 
 
One copy del. to Cat. Div. 
 
 1^H 
 
 1912