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The Coral Palace
by
“You are welcome, ‘Mermaid Mary,’ to our Kingdom of the Sea,” he replied. “I hope you will enjoy your stay with us.” So saying, he gallantly lifted his gold crown as little Mary Louise made another curtsey.
“Let us dress for dinner,” said the mermaid.
They swam quickly upstairs between two balustrades of lovely coral to her bedroom.
It was just like fairy-land; at least, it seemed so to little Mary Louise, as she looked about the pretty room. In one corner stood a beautiful bed of mother-of-pearl, hung with varied colored sea grass for curtains. Sea moss made it as soft as down. In fact, it seemed almost softer to Mary Louise, who by this time was very sleepy. She rested her tired little body upon the cushions and in a few short seconds was sound asleep. The princess mermaid looked at her with loving eyes, while she sang very low and sweetly:
“Sleep, little sister, for when you awake,
We’ll have a fine dinner of fishes and cake!”
I think the mermaid took somewhat after her royal father for she often spoke in rhyme, which she composed as she talked, while his great delight, as has been mentioned before, was to coin a new word for his dictionary.
Leaving Mary Louise to her slumbers, the princess mermaid sat herself down before her mirror and combed her hair. Presently, she went over to her wardrobe and took out a beautiful shimmery pink shawl. What it was made of I cannot tell, except that it shivered and quivered with little colors like a rainbow. Perhaps it was made of changeable sea-silk.
At any rate, Mary Louise, who at that moment opened her eyes, thought it was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen.
“Is it really for me? Is it really?” she asked with a cry of delight, as the mermaid came toward her.
“Of course it is, my dear,” replied the mermaid princess, “and as soon as you have put it on, and combed your hair–you needn’t wash your hands and face, you know–the banquet will be ready.”
Mary Louise clapped her hands and hopped, or, rather, flopped about, so happy was she to receive such a gift in the depths of the sea.
When she was dressed in the lovely shawl, and a beautiful mother-of-pearl comb fastened in her hair, the princess mermaid declared she looked “too sweet for anything!” Then they floated down, arm in arm, to the great dining hall.