“Let bygones be bygones,” said the cat, “and look up ‘whales’ in the dictionary when you reach the island.”
“Oh, yes,” exclaimed Mary Frances. “Oh, I can see—I think I can see some houses! Oh, look, Cat, look! They are pure white!”
“Don’t you know why?” asked the cat.
“I suppose they are painted,” said Mary Frances.
“Painted, me whiskers!” exclaimed the cat. “They are not painted. They are made of coral.”
“What is coral?” asked Mary Frances.
“Come, I will show you,” said the cat, leading the way to the middle of the deck.
He lifted a wooden cover. Underneath was a deep box. The bottom of the box was made of glass.
“Now, you can see the bottom of the sea,” said the cat. “See? See? See the bottom of the sea?”