There once lived a king and queen who ruled over a stately city built upon the shores of the sea. The beautiful hills on which the city stood sloped gently down to the water's edge, so that the groves of lemons and olives and the gardens of flowers nearly touched the sandy beach. The King and Queen had but one child,—the Princess Selpan. She was a lovely girl, as fair and stately as the lilies in her father's gardens, and as pure and sweet as the dew on the roses. Beloved by all, envied by none, she was the pride of the entire country. The people loved her as they did their own children, and to be as good and beautiful as the Princess was the wish of every young girl in the kingdom.

Far out in the depths of the ocean lived the Sea King, who controlled the winds and the waters of the world. He was a powerful ruler, and one of many moods. When he did not happen to feel just right, he would seize some great struggling ship and toss it in his giant arms, tormenting and teasing it, and finally breaking it to pieces in his fierce grasp. Then, again, in a happier mood, he would protect some tiny canoe, caressing and petting it, and bearing it safely on his broad bosom to its destination. One of the favorite haunts of the Sea King was a certain blue grotto or. cave on an island near the shores of the city. Here he often spent the day, stretched out in the yellow rays of the sun; or at night he would lie and watch the volcano behind the city belching forth its fire and flame and throwing down rocks and lava.

In spite of his immense duties and responsibilities, the Sea King led a lonely life. Often when lying in the blue grotto the laughter of the Princess Selpan and her gay comrades, as they played on the sunny beach, would be carried to his ears on the breeze; and then he would envy their careless happy life and wish that he too were mortal. Sometimes he would steal up close to the beach in a big wave, and watch the girls at play. He always watched the Princess longest; and on these days he went back to his lonely green palace beneath the water feeling very sad and ill-humored. Even the slow old maiden crab who kept house for him lost her temper at such times, and hinted that it was about time he found a wife to manage his household affairs. On one occasion she lost her temper completely, and was about to give her master notice on the spot; but when she saw him sitting so sadly, with his head in his hands, her conscience troubled her, and she decided to stay a while longer. Perhaps he would yet wed one of the daughters of the sea, the lovely nereids; certainly he was reaching an age where he ought to think seriously of marriage.

Time went on, and the Sea King grew sadder and crosser than ever. He took no interest in his work, and would shut himself up in his palace for days at a time, only floating out now and then to visit the blue grotto. He forgot to give the winds their orders, and they, like naughty children, did not do their duty, but spent their time idly playing about in the ocean caves. While the winds were misbehaving in this way, the days of course became very warm. At last it grew terribly hot, and a great pestilence visited the city. The people died at a frightful rate. No breeze blew in from the ocean to cool the suffocating air. It was said that the Sea King was sulking, and no longer took an interest in anything. He had shut himself up in his palace, refusing to see any one. The King and Queen of the city sent messengers to lay the complaints of the suffering people before the monarch of the deep, but he would not receive them. Fish swam boldly out toward the green walls of the palace, but they got no farther than the coral reefs outside the gates. Lobsters crawled slowly and painfully to the palace, feeling that their age and dignity would surely entitle them to a private audience, only to be met at the entrance by a solemn old porpoise, who reported his master too ill to attend to business. Those were fearful days ! The groans of the sick and dying became louder and louder; but the Sea King was indifferent, and would not leave his palace.

At last one day in despair the King and Queen assembled their subjects on the beach, and with pale faces and gasping breath implored the hard-hearted Sea King to send them a cooling breeze, and thus relieve their great misery. If he would only do this, they declared they would give him all the jewels in their kingdom, or anything else that he might wish. Then his Majesty of the sea rolled out of his palace, and rose to the surface of the ocean on a big white-crested wave, the water-drops on his long beard sparkling like diamonds in the sun. He spoke in a voice of thunder,—

"I want but one jewel in your crown, O King,—the Princess Selpan for my bride!"

At these terrible words the Queen fell to the ground in a faint, the King turned deathly pale, and the people looked at each other in horror. The King's only daughter, the pride of all the kingdom, become the wife of the Sea King! No, they would prefer death to this. In the midst of the excitement the Princess Selpan herself arose among her maidens, tall and stately, but colorless as a Snow Queen.

"My father," she said, "if it will remove the sickness from our dear subjects, let the Sea King's wish be granted. I am willing, and have no fear."

The King and Queen wept, the people begged for mercy, but all to no avail. The Sea King's heart was not to be touched; only the Princess would satisfy him. So at last it was decided that the sacrifice should be made.

On the day appointed for the marriage the Princess dressed herself in garments of white, and bidding her father and mother a sad farewell, went down to the beach to greet her bridegroom. The sea was in a great commotion. Whales spouted up water, making fountains of sparkling color in the sun. Great schools of happy little fish frisked about, a half-holiday having been granted all the public schools of the ocean in honor of the event. Graceful dolphins, in bewildering colors of green and gold, dived down into the depths of the water, and suddenly came up again, a mass of sparkling fire. Clumsy porpoises plunged around just ahead of the bridal procession, making a pathway of white foam. The King himself at last appeared, seated in a great pink sea-shell, drawn by two sea-horses with arching necks. Driving to the edge of the shore where the Princess Selpan stood, the monarch of the sea lifted her to a seat at his side, and placed upon her head a crown of woven seaweed embroidered with rare shells. Then he spoke to the King and Queen, who stood trembling on the shore,—

"Have no fear for your daughter's happiness and safety. I love her with all my heart, and as long as she lives she shall receive all the honor and respect due to the Queen of the Sea."

Saying these words, he motioned to his horses, and the car disappeared beneath the waves. At the same moment a delicious cool breeze sprang up over the water. The plague-stricken city was at last relieved.

The Sea King told the truth when he said that he loved his human wife, and the two lived very happily together. In time they had many children, all of whom were half human and half fish,—that is, they were born with the body of a human being and the tail of a fish in place of legs. At regular intervals of several years the King would allow one of his little daughters to return to that human world from which he had taken his wife. The grief of the mother at parting would be lost in joy at the knowledge that her child would become human and receive a soul. When the mother and sisters had bade the little girl farewell, they would lull her into a deep sleep, and then lay her on the breast of a great broad wave. While sleeping, the fish's tail would disappear, and in its place two little white legs grow out. Then the wave would bear her gently to the shore, where she would soon be found and cared for. When next you hear of some baby girl being rescued from the ocean, you may know that just as likely as not it is the little sister of the mermaids.

The Sea King and his wife watch carefully every coast, choosing the spot where their beloved child shall land. I know of a place on the shore of a great lake where at night the Northern Lights come and go, shifting in great curtains from whitest silver to deepest pink, where if you stand watching by day you will often see queer objects in the sky, or perhaps notice rising from the depths of blue waters the Sea King's city-. His palaces and domes, his castles and spires, his crystal streets and jewelled gates, come slowly but plainly to the surface. Rising in royal splendor is a marvellous city on the water's edge, far away, yet perfectly distinct.

Those who do not know may call it a mirage, but we are wiser. It is the City of the Sea King, and there he lives happily with his human wife and his little mermaid daughters.