“Well!” exclaimed the fish, “if you’re so devoted to him you had better stay with him altogether. I’m getting sick of dragging you along like this.” The poor little boy was horrified and looked imploringly up at the Prince, who called one of his men to see the strange pair. “Lower a boat and fetch me that child,” he said, “and the fish too, if you can.” When the fish heard this, he began to flounder so violently that he twitched his tail free and swam quickly off, leaving his friend gasping in the waves. The Prince threw off his beautiful coat, plunged into the sea and caught the struggling figure, holding it till the boat picked them both up. Soon they stood safe on deck, dripping with salt water, the little boy sobbing with terror and excitement. “Oh,” he cried, “look! look! your lovely clothes are all spoilt.” “Never mind, little man, never mind,” laughed the Ugly Prince, “and don’t cry. You are quite safe with me and I have plenty of other clothes in my cabin.” Then he sent for a great tall sailor, who took the little boy below, where he was undressed and dried, then rolled up in one of the Prince’s cloaks and carried on deck. “Come here,” said the Prince, “and tell me all about yourself.” The child came up shyly and climbed upon his knee. “And how was it,” continued he, “that you came to be swimming about with that great fish? Little boys don’t travel in that sort of way as a rule.” His voice was so soft and he stroked the child’s hair so kindly, that the little fellow began to think he was a much nicer friend to have than the fish, with all its knowledge; so he told him of everything that had happened and especially of the marvellous sights he had seen since he slipped over the side of his father’s smack a day ago. When he had finished there was a long silence and he glanced up at the Prince, for he felt, somehow, that he was looking grave. But the black mask hid everything. In a short time the Ugly Prince set him down and spoke a few words to his helmsman. Then the ship turned slowly round and sailed off in the direction from which the fish had come. As night drew on they still kept steadily forward, and when the stars had come out and the last light departed, the little boy was put to bed in a beautiful cabin all painted sea-green, with a pale green curtain hanging over the door on which was embroidered a silver crescent moon. He was laid in a soft bed with a quilt of the same colour, and soon he was far away in the land of dreams, dreaming that he was again in the sea, sinking into a world of branching sea-weed and silver sand through which swam the little fishes about which he had so often wondered.