This is the story the shell told the dolls in the nursery that night:
"A long, long time ago, I lived upon the yellow sand, deep down beneath
the blue, blue waters of the ocean. Pretty silken sea weeds grew around
my home and reached their waving branches up, up towards the top of the
water.
[Illustration: Everyone listens]
"Through the pretty sea weeds, fishes of pretty colors and shapes darted
here and there, playing at their games.
"It was still and quiet 'way down where I lived, for even if the ocean
roared and pounded itself into an angry mass of tumbling waves up above,
this never disturbed the calm waters down where I lived.
"Many times, little fishes or other tiny sea people came and hid within
my pretty house when they were being pursued by larger sea creatures.
And it always made me very happy to give them this protection.
"They would stay inside until I whispered that the larger creature had
gone, then they would leave me and return to their play.
"Pretty little sea horses with slender, curving bodies often went
sailing above me, or would come to rest upon my back. It was nice to lie
and watch the tiny things curl their little tails about the sea weed and
talk together, for the sea horses like one another and are gentle and
kind to each other, sharing their food happily and smoothing their
little ones with their cunning noses.
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