" said the stickleback, who builds a nest for itself
and understands the art of weaving.

"It's a gravel-sifter," said a red-eye, who lived below the lime-quarry.

It may have been a gravel-sifter. But there were a great many fallals
and odds and ends which were not in the least like the sifter which they
use for riddling sand. There were little manichords which resembled toes
in white woollen stockings, and when they moved it was just as if a foot
with two hundred skeleton toes were walking; and it walked and walked
and yet never left the spot.

It was a strange thing. But the game was up, for the skeleton no longer
touched the strings; it played on the water as if it were knocking at a
door with its fingers, asking whether it might come in.

The game was up. A school of sticklebacks came and swam right through
the box, and when they trailed their spikes over the strings, the
strings sounded again; but they played in a new way, for now they were
tuned to another pitch.

***

On a rosy summer evening soon afterwards two children, a boy and a girl,
were sitting on the landing-bridge. They were not thinking of anything
in particular, unless it was a tiny piece of mischief, when all at once
they heard soft music from the bottom of the sea, which startled them.

"Do you hear it?"

"Yes, what is it? It sounds like scales."

"No, it's the song of the gnats."

"No, it's a mermaid!"

"There are no mermaids. The schoolmaster said so."

"The schoolmaster doesn't know."

"Oh! do listen!"

They listened for a long time, and then they went away, home.

Presently two newly arrived summer guests sat down on the bridge; he
looked into her eyes, which reflected the golden sunset and the green
shores. Then they heard the sounds of music; it sounded as if somebody
were playing on musical glasses, but in a strange new key, only heard in
the dreams of those who dream of giving a new message to the world. But
they never thought of looking for any outside source, they believed that
it was the song which their own hearts were singing.

Next a couple of annual visitors came sauntering along; they knew the
trick and took a delight in saying in a loud voice:

"It is the submerged piano of the master of the mine."

But whenever there were only new arrivals present, who did not know
anything about it, they were puzzled and enjoyed the music, until some
of the older ones came and enlightened them. And then they enjoyed it no
l