“Pooh!” snorted the Crab. “He would never know. Let us go this very night. I long to see my dear cousin. I can scarcely wait another minute!” (What a wicked story that was!) Wavilocks slipped out of her cradle. “I can hardly wait another minute to have those star jewels!” she cried. “Yes, I will go. Come then, wise Crab, and show me the way.” “I will take you upon my back,” said the Crab. “We shall travel faster so, since you have no feet for climbing.” Wavilocks seated herself upon his broad shell, and away he crawled, the wicked fellow, very stealthily, so as not to be seen by the grown-up sea people, and especially by old Triton. Up and up they went until they came to the surface of the sea, where the big silver moon was shining upon the water, glorious and bright. “Look where the flight of silver stairs comes down to the sea,” said the Crab, pointing with his claw. “We will climb up there, Wavilocks, and pay a visit to my dear cousin. How glad he will be to see us!” And he chuckled wickedly to think how he was going to repay the Big Crab for having turned him out of the sky. Out to the bright spot upon the water where the silver moonbeam staircase touched the sea crept the Crab, with Wavilocks upon his back. And no one saw them go. They reached the foot of the stairs and began to climb,--up and up, step by step, while the little mermaid’s green hair streamed out behind. Her long pearl necklace she used as a bridle, and so she drove her strange steed up the steep way, until they reached the silver gateway of the moon. The door was open, and from the wonderful sky-land beyond the light streamed out, so that Wavilocks was dazzled. But she was even more dazzled when they had passed through the gateway and came out upon the wide sky floor, where burned and flashed, with a thousand rainbow colors, the five-pointed star jewels which she had seen shining from afar. “Oh, the beautiful diamond stars!” cried Wavilocks. “Let us make haste to find your cousin, the Big Crab, that he may give us some for my necklace.” But the Crab winked his eye. “We need not wait for that,” he said. “My cousin loves me so well that I am sure of his generosity to you. Let us pick all we wish first, and then we will go to him. But hist! We must be very quiet about it, or the other sky-people will learn what is being done, and will be jealous.” The two set eagerly to work, gathering up the jewels which lay sprinkled over the velvet sky-carpet like daisies in a meadow. The Crab gathered them star by star with his clumsy claw, as one would pick berries. Wavilocks scooped the five-pointed stars by handfuls, and poured them into the great conch shell which she had brought for the purpose, until it was brimming over with rainbow flashes. “Oh, what a wonderful necklace I shall have,--grander than any one ever saw before!” cried the greedy little mermaid.