“Yah!” said the jelly-fish (who was in reality extremely ignorant, and had never gone to dancing-school), “that’s more than I can say for you!”
“I am sorry to hear you say that,” said the Prince, mildly.
“Will you marry me, and be Princess of the Poles?”
“Marry your grandmother!” replied the jelly-fish in a very rude manner; and off it flounced under the water.
The young bear looked sadly after it. “It was very pretty,” he said; “why did it want me to marry my grandmother?”
“It didn’t,” replied the whale. “That was only its way of speaking. An unmannerly minx! Don’t think any more about it,” and they continued their voyage.
A couple of days after this they met the swordfish and his daughter.
“These are some friends of mine,” said the Principal Whale. “We will see if they can aid us in our search.”
The swordfish greeted them kindly, and invited them to come down and make him a visit.
“Thank you,” said the whale. “We have not time to stop now. We are in search of a creature as bright in color as the Rory-Bories. My young friend here, the Prince of the Poles, is anxious to marry such a creature, if he can only find her.”