The Islands of Spice-Trees. a4

the sea bloomed the rich islands where the spice-trees grow,
and cruel pirates lurked along the shore to attack foreign ves-
sels. The pirates, in their swift boats, were like the small
sword -fish that dart forth to attack the whale, wounding the

huge creature on all sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Chinese junks came there, too, in search of the swallow
nests, built in the rock caverns, which they sold in their markets
for the famous bird-nest soup. Down at the bottom of the
ocean crawled the sea-cucumber, a slow creature, with a trans-
parent body, and pretty, feathery tentacles, like plumes, waving
about the mouth, to draw in food. Even the cucumber was
not safe from the sharp Chinese eyes. Whirr! a prong was
hurled through the water, striking the poor thing with unerr-
ing aim, and up came the cucumber to the surface, to be