"Ah! indeed, that would be worth doing," said the old man. "But I cannot, for I do not know the way myself. But I will send you to the Old Man of the Earth. Perhaps he can tell you. He is much older than I am." Leaning on his staff, he conducted her along the shore to a steep rock, that looked like a petrified ship turned upside down. The door of it was the rudder of a great vessel, ages ago at the bottom of the sea. Immediately within the door was a stair in the rock, down which the old man went, and Tangle followed. At the bottom the old man had his house, and there he lived. As soon as she entered it, Tangle heard a strange noise, unlike anything she had ever heard before. She soon found that it was the fishes talking. She tried to understand what they said; but their speech was so old-fashioned, and rude, and undefined, that she could not make much of it. "I will go and see about those fishes for my daughter," said the Old Man of the Sea. And moving a slide in the wall of his house, he first looked out, and then tapped upon a thick piece of crystal that filled the round opening. Tangle came up behind him, and peeping through the window into the heart of the great deep green ocean, saw the most curious creatures, some very ugly, all very odd, and with especially queer mouths, swimming about everywhere, above and below, but all coming towards the window in answer to the tap of the Old Man of the Sea. Only a few could get their mouths against the glass; but those who were floating miles away yet turned their heads towards it. The old man looked through the whole flock carefully for some minutes, and then turning to Tangle, said,-- "I am sorry I have not got one ready yet. I want more time than she does. But I will send some as soon as I can." He then shut the slide. Presently a great noise arose in the sea. The old man opened the slide again, and tapped on the glass, whereupon the fishes were all as still as sleep. "They were only talking about you," he said. "And they do speak such nonsense!--To-morrow," he continued, "I must show you the way to the Old Man of the Earth. He lives a long way from here." "Do let me go at once," said Tangle. "No. That is not possible. You must come this way first." He led her to a hole in the wall, which she had not observed before. It was covered with the green leaves and white blossoms of a creeping plant. "Only white-blossoming plants can grow under the sea," said the old man. "In there you will find a bath, in which you must lie till I call you."