And they pretended that hanging a bit of coral somewhere about them
would keep off a look from "the evil eye," and that making children wear
a piece of it would charm away sickness and act as a medicine. Now did
you ever!

Chinese Folks and Hindoos have made most exquisite and wonderful
carvings of the coral of the Mediterranean, and there is such a thing as
black coral, also known as brain coral, but it is too brittle to be
worked upon.

Ah, who would not be a Dolphin, merry and free, whisking through deep,
still water, coasting over coral sands, and diving and sporting through
coral groves!

Nor is this the only rare and curious place through which I rove,
chasing my comrades, wandering about in search of caverns below, and
sweet music above, while forever making war on my enemy, the
flying-fish.

You see, these fish can cut through the water, reach the surface, then
really fly with finny wings across short spaces right in the air. They
think themselves smart, and are great braggarts.

One morning a flying-fish was bent on worrying me, swishing its flapping
fins directly before my face, then darting upward, sending the spray
cross-wise into my eyes. I made a snap or two at the vexing creature,
but as I missed him he became bolder, and stopped a race I was having
with one of my mates.

Suddenly I made a great leap after the flier, but up he went, up, up,