Smaly and Redy are taken to see the Fleet: The Prisoner arrives and the Wigs fly in terror: Smaly and Redy at last have speech with the Prisoner. At this moment a crowd of Wigs ran in at the door crying: "The fleet has arrived, the fleet has arrived." "The fleet?" asked Smaly. "I haven't seen any sea." "There isn't any sea, or any water in the river," replied the Mother of the Crow. "Do you imagine," demanded the Young Stork, "that a nation like ours is going to deprive itself of the splendid luxury of a fleet simply because chance has decreed that the ocean should not come as far as its frontiers?" "Besides, a fleet's so ornamental," said the Mother of the Crow. "Oh, you're there, are you?" said the Young Stork. "I have been asked to beg you to assist at the grand inauguration ceremony of the fleet." Smaly and Redy begged the Young Stork to allow them to accompany him. The Stork, who was always charitably employed at the task of extracting fish-bones from the back of the Despoiler, and so was accustomed to doing kindnesses, promised to beg for this favour for them from the Chief Contractor. Then the Stork departed, taking with him the Mother of the Crow, huddled up in her oyster-shell. [Illustration: EXTRACTING FISH-BONES FROM THE BACK OF THE DESPOILER] * * * * * After a quarter of an hour four more Wigs arrived in the kitchen; dangling from a long stick, they bore a large copper cauldron. [Illustration: THEY BORE A LARGE COPPER CAULDRON] "It is permitted that you should assist at the ceremony," they announced to Smaly and Redy. "Get into the pot." Smaly and Redy climbed in, full of joy, and Smaly whispered low to his little wife, "They are still afraid that the sun will melt us, and that we shall cover their beautiful lawn with grease." "Take this umbrella," continued the Wig who was the spokesman, offering them a mushroom. "This will protect you from the hot rays of the sun; and whatever you do don't lean over the edge of the cauldron." Then they set off. * * * * * The fleet was already arranged upon a long platform painted blue. The vessels were made of pink and white marzipan, and all had two masts of cane and little silken flags. A funnel of gilt paper was placed in the middle of each ship. [Illustration: THE ADMIRAL WAS A TRITON] "But there's no smoke coming out of the funnels," objected Smaly. "I know, I know," replied the Chief Contractor impatiently, and turning he ordered: "Admiral, put the smoke in place," and the Admiral at once arranged a charming little puff of smoke made of cotton-wool at the top of each of the forty funnels. * * * * * The Admiral was a Triton, whom the Wigs had made themselves. They had set their heart on possessing this little animal; but since they had no sea from which to catch one, they had done their best to model one from an authentic picture.