“I expect we ought to kneel on one knee, and kiss it, like they do at presentations,” whispered Marjorie.
But Dick wasn’t going to do anything of that sort, and just touched it lightly with one hand, while the others followed suit. The thin fish then motioned them to sit down on a kind of divan, upon which large sponges took the place of cushions, and which the children found to be most comfortable; and the audience began.
The most extraordinary part about it was that not the slightest sound could be heard. The little thin fish opened and shut his mouth in little, short, jerky gasps, to which the King replied by slowly opening and shutting his, rolling his eyes about meanwhile, just as you may have seen fishes do in an aquarium.
Then the little fish solemnly handed His Majesty the Sage’s letter, which the King put on his gold-rimmed glasses to read.
Having done so, he turned to the children and smiled, at least that’s what they afterwards found out he was doing; but, really and truly, he made such a curious grimace that poor little Fidge was frightened, and wanted to run away.
His Majesty then opened and shut his mouth very slowly three or four times, to which all the other fishes replied by swimming backwards three strokes, and then forward three strokes. Then the audience was at an end.
"Some fishes were playing football."
The little thin fish came and whispered to the children, “It is usual for mortals, when leaving the presence of the King, to turn three somersaults backwards. Do you think you can do that?”