Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-07-01

tains and wide plains covered with dense
growths that looked like forests, and cv-
crywhcrc they could sec millions of fishes
and strange creatures flashing about like
birds, some of them wonderfully bright
and many cOlOrcd.
Our story is all about the wise creatures
of the sea whose wisdom is only guessed
at by men who think they know every
thing. When the ocean suddenly became
so clear, they were naturally very much
frightened, for the like had never happen
cd in the memory of even the oldest sperm
whales, who are said to have the longest
memories because they have the longest
heads. Being very much frightened, they
acted much as men would in u similar
case. Men and animals often jump into
the water when they are scared, and as
the fish were already in the water tho
only thing they could do was to jump into
the air. Flying fish and sqllids rose in
shoals, and the other fish jumped as they
often do when playing. Whales rose in
immense schools, and as they fell back
into the water, blowing with terror, their
slapping sounded like thunder. The seals,
sea lions, otters and other animals that
have lungs and can live on land scram-
bled out on the rocks and the birds that
at first were so busy catching the fish that
jumped into the air and saved them the
trouble of diving flew screaming to the
cliffs where they had their nests. Such a
tumult had never before been heard, and
after the first cries of fright had subsidized
the voices of all the creatures seemed to
unite into one, for all asked the same
question:
'What is the matter?"
"Oh, 1t is the end of the world" Splut-
tered Il little starfish, which is the biggest
coward in the ocean and often falls to
pieces when scared. 1.-The water is all GO
ing to turn to air or something terrible
that will choke us, and we will all die"
'Shut up, you little fool" said Sea
Catch, an old seal that had once done u
turn in a story by kipling and knew
thing or three. l say he knew thing or
three because every creature knows
thing or two, but an animal that has Been
educated by Kipling knows more than
any other II know just what is the mat
ter " said Sea Catch.
"What is the mattcr?" all the birds,
beasts, fishes and creatures cried with one
voice.
zone of those steamships that are all
the time floating over us has dropped a
day into the ocean when crossing the one
hundred and Cghtieth meridian. They
always do that when crossing this ocean. ="
''Then why haven't we noticed any
thing like this beforc?" asked giant
squid, sticking its legs and head out of
the cloud of ink it had squirted around
whcn-it was first frightened.
"Bccausc they never before dropped
over day like this. The day they have
dropped is the brightest and greatest the
world has ever known, being none other
than the Fourth of July, and the steam
ship, being one of the Canadian line, par
ticularly hates this day, and that's why it
was dropped"
"Oh!" and they all tried to look as if
they understood, for Sea Catch had as
sumcd a very superior air, and they didn't
like to appear ignorant.
But what are we going to do about
it?" asked an octopus who had acquired
the manner of speech of the trusts be-
cause they are named after him in politi-
cal platforms.
WELL" said Sea Catch, 81 think the
best thing we can do is to celebrate it.
Glow" asked all the creatures with
one voice again.
"To begin with, we must go around to
see the sights. Then we can have games
and spccchmaking, and in the evening
we will have fireworks"
Now that they understood what was the
matter, all the creatures quieted down, and
although the light annoyed some of them
they began to enjoy themselves as Sea
Catch had advised, and right here it may
be well to explain that, wonderful rs it
may seem, every living thing in the ocean
from the north pole to the south and from
America to Asia knew what Sea Catch
had said. Though the fish had lived in
the ocean all their lives, there were many
things in it that they had never seen, and
many of them went around with their
mouths open seeing the sights just as if
they We're merely men.
The jelly fishes, finding that they ap-
peared well in the light, showed their
brightest colors, and while they went
about seeing the sights many Others fol-
lowed to see them. Every creature show