of flowers, with which she would make each of
her kind playmates a wreath.

"O, no, dear Proserpina," cried the sea nymphs;
"we dare not go with you upon the dry land.
We are apt to grow faint, unless at every breath
we can snuff' up the salt breeze of the ocean.
And don't you see how careful we are to let the
surf wave break over us every moment or two,
so as to keep ourselves comfortably moist? If
it were not for that, we should soon look like
bunches of uprooted seaweed dried in the sun."

"It is a great pity," said Proserpina. "But
do you wait for me here, and I will run and
gather my apron full of flowers, and be back
again before the surf wave has broken ten times
over you. I long to make you some wreaths
that shall be as lovely as this necklace of many-
colored shells."

"We will wait, then," answered the sea
nymphs. "But, while you are gone, we may as
well lie down on a bank of soft sponge, under
the water. The air to-day is a little too dry for
our comfort. But we will pop up our heads
every few minutes to see if you are coming."

The young Proserpina ran quickly to a spot,

[[216]]

p215 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p216w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p217

v?