ordinary feet do, one before the other; they can only cling like little
suckers pulling him slowly along from place to place.

"Neither am I like the everyday common fish. My mouth is in the center
of my body, and I have a little scarlet-colored sieve through which
I strain the sea-water. I couldn't think of swallowing sea-water
with everything that might be floating in it."

"Holy mackerel!" exclaimed the King, under his breath, "I'd better
settle with this individual as quickly as possible. He'll drive me
crazy if I don't, and maybe, cause me no end of trouble."

"Your Royal Highness," began the Polar Bear, "I was hit by a large
piece of ice in the chest."

"In the ice-chest or in the ice-box?" inquired the King, his humor
getting the better of his anger, for he could never let go by an
opportunity to make a pun.

"Your Royal Highness," interrupted the Star Fish, "I wish to state
that I took this little trip for my health. My doctor told me I must
go South. So I boarded the Iceberg Express at Cape Cod, intending
to spend the summer in the mountains."

"In the mountains!" roared King Seaphus. "You don't go to the seashore
for the mountains! You should have gone inland to the White Mountains
or the Catskills--those are well-known summer resorts."

"May it please your Royal Highness," said the Star Fish, stroking his
beautiful purple coat with on eof his five little finger, "I was bound