162 THE STARFISH’S STORY.

—and yet the sea-giantess looked plump, and had a covering
of oily blubber like an india-rubber coat all over her, at least
a foot thick, to keep her warm in the water.

“Swish!” went the rushing stream again through the
whale’s net—all the little creatures stayed behind in her mouth,
caught fast in the whalebone fringe which let nothing but the
water itself pass through; and soon they were sent down the
narrow red lane which was her throat. After the whale had
taken a meal of them and also had a good breath of fresh air
she disappeared into the depths once more. But it was very
easy for her to come up again when she wished to, for her tail
was made so that it did not part the water from side to side
like the tails of real fishes; but it moved up and down; this
helped her to raise her heavy load of flesh.

The starfish was sucked under for a moment by the
whirlpool which the great whale made in sinking, but he soon
came up again none the worse, and thinking how lucky it was
that the whale was not fierce like some fishes are ;—for if a
creature of such a size as that were to be as hungry and grim
as they, there would be hardly anything left alive in the seas—
so it is a good thing that they are so harmless, and contented
with such small morsels.

After this the starfish floated calmly along. The sun was
shining brightly, and all at once he saw coming towards him
what looked like a glittering flock of white birds; their bodies
and wings shining like silver. They skimmed over the waves
and then vanished—seeming to plunge or drop into the water.

This sight puzzled the starfish very much, and he felt
sorry for the poor birds. He had seen a dead sea-gull floating
on the waves once, and it was a dismal, draggled, and wretched-
looking object, instead of being brisk and merry and comfort-
able as a fish always is in the water. He knew that a bird’s