“They put poor Humpty Dumpty, in his new shape, on the City Wall, and shut the pretty little Princess up in a high tower. And then they took my little boy Mudge, and made him a prisoner too, just to punish me for having helped the young Prince. And last of all”—the Sea Kobold choked—“they put a glass lid over my sea, and screwed it down tight. And now I can never, never go up to the surface any more. And there are no more waves, and no more boats, and no more mermaids singing in the moonlight to the sailors, and—no—more—” The Sea Kobold dissolved into tears. “Oh, cheer up!” said Dick, absent-mindedly. He was too much interested in the Sea Kobold’s story to pay much attention to his grief. “Do you happen to know just where the Princess is now?” he asked. The Sea Kobold shook his head. “No,” he answered. “I know that she is in the highest tower in the Red City.” “The _highest tower_; that’s something to know, anyway,” said Dick, thoughtfully. He was glad to know that in the Red City he would have one person ready to help him if it were possible. “And now,” he added, “would you—_would_ you be so kind, please, as to tell me how to get to the Red City?” “I’m sure _I_ don’t know any way,” said the Sea Kobold, mournfully. “Since that glass cover was screwed on—By the bye, how did you get here?” he asked suddenly. “I fell, and my knife broke a hole in the glass,” explained Dick. He showed the offending blade, and then shut and dropped it into his pocket. “Well, go back through it, then,” said the Sea Kobold. “While we are on the subject, I may tell you that I am glad you have made a hole. I can go up now and then to look out, though, of course, I shall never dare to stay very long, for fear the Wicked King or Grump might see me and plan some fresh trouble for me. Now good-bye; I can’t be bothered with you any more.” And he closed his fishy eyes and appeared to sleep. Since there seemed nothing more to be gained by staying where he was, Dick turned his back on the Sea Kobold and his cave, and walked off among the rocks and the big ocean-trees that were scattered along the bottom of the sea. He felt rather discouraged and lonely, for he could not imagine how he should ever get up again to the hole he had made in the glass. It occurred to him that he might climb one of the queer, tall, lanky sea-trees; but when he stopped to look, he could see that the top did not nearly reach to the surface. What was going to happen to him next? he wondered. He soon found out. [Illustration] X _A Fish Tea-Party_ [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER X _A Fish Tea-Party_