But while Mary Louise stood still and wondered, there came a low
rippling laugh to her ear.

A little distance down the beach a girl, somewhat older than herself,
rested on the beach. She evidently was tired from swimming, for she
lay half in the water and half on the warm sand, her face resting on
her upturned palms, looking at Mary Louise with a smile, which seemed
to say: "Why don't you come over and comb my hair?"

Indeed, this must have been exactly what she meant, for she held out
a pretty pearl comb until Mary Louise could resist no longer.

Little Mary Louise had never before seen such beautiful long hair.
It spread like a scarf from the girl's shoulders down upon the sand.

Mary Louise had forgotten that there were mermaids, and that mermaids
always had most beautiful hair, and that they always combed it with
pearly combs!

"Have you been swimming?" asked Mary Louise.

"Yes, a long swim," answered the little mermaid, and she gave a sudden
kick in the water with her little feet, or, should I say, with her
small fin-tail, which sent the spray flying.

"Oh, you're a mermaid!" exclaimed Mary Louise, surprised and delighted
at her unexpected discovery. "I saw your finny tail. Do you like
tails better than feet?"