"Scritchy did that," cried all the mermen but one. "We didn't do it.
Scritchy did that."

The merman who hadn't spoken, and who was Scritchy, still did not say a
word. He looked at the others with his goggle eyes and then he tumbled
off into the water and swam away as fast as he could and did not come
back any more.

All the other mermen looked after him in silence until he had
disappeared; then one of them said in an awe-struck voice, "It's bad for
you, Sprawley, ain't it? Just think what you've been doing."

"Pooh," said Sprawley, pretending he was not frightened, "what do I
care? I can fix it all right."

"How?" asked all the mermen together.

"Well, listen, and I'll tell you," said Sprawley. "To-morrow Father and
Mother Bear are going hunting, and all of us little cubs are to go with
them. I suppose this strange fairy cub will go with us, and when we stop
to rest I'll get him away from the others and near the edge of the
water. You must come under the ice and break off the piece he is
standing on, and float him far, far away toward the South until he
melts."

"Yes, yes! we'll do it," cried all the mermen jumping about and
shouting. Then they turned to Sprawley. "Come," they cried, "let's have
a game in the water before you go back."

"That I will," said Sprawley, and with that what should he do but strip