me to the Stannerd Oil Company?"

"Yes," said Trot positively.

"Oh, what a disgrace! What a cruel, direful, dreadful disgrace!"
moaned the Octopus, drooping his head in shame, and Trot could see
great tears falling down his cheeks.

"This comes of having a bad name," said the Queen gently, for she
was moved by the monster's grief.

"It is unjust! It is cruel and unjust!" sobbed the creature
mournfully. "Just because we have several long arms and take
whatever we can reach, they accuse us of being like--like--oh, I
cannot say it! It is too shameful, too humiliating."

"Come, let's go," said Trot again. So they left the poor octopus
weeping and wiping his watery eyes with his handkerchief and swam on
their way. "I'm not a bit sorry for him," remarked the child, "for
his legs remind me of serpents."

"So they do me," agreed Cap'n Bill.

"But the octopi are not very bad," said the Princess, "and we get
along with them much better than we do with their cousins, the sea
devils."

"Oh. Are the sea devils their cousins?" asked Trot.

"Yes, and they are the only creatures of the ocean which we greatly