MUSSELS AND PECTENS 45 



when the tide went down. Of course I did not then 

 understand that there was such a thing as a tide; 

 the onl}^ thing that I did know was that I felt happy, 

 and that I could snap my two shells together and 

 make myself dart off through the water at a great 

 rate. 



"After doing this a little while, I felt tired; so I 

 just stopped swimming, and found that I slowly set- 

 tled down upon some sand which lay at the bottom 

 of the pool. Then I opened my shells and looked 

 out of the little eyes which are in the margin of my 

 mantle. I could not see far, but everything about 

 me looked so fresh and cool that I concluded to go 

 to sleep for a little while and then wake up and swim 

 races with my brothers. 



"I do not know how long I slept, but after a hazy 

 dream about nothing, I was awakened by hearing a 

 rush of water over my head, or over what you, per- 

 haps, would call my head; for to tell the truth, I 

 never had a head and never expect to have one. 

 But a head is not necessary if one has eyes and ears 

 in other parts of his body, as I have. 



"At any rate, I heard a great rushing sound above 

 me, and I started up in considerable alarm and began 

 to snap my shells vigorously. I was so light and 

 agile that my pair of shells served me as well in the 

 water as a pair of wings serve a bird in the air; so 

 away I flew towards the surface of the water, which 

 I soon found was in a state of great commotion. 



"The little cove in which I went to sleep was now 

 all covered, and the waves were whirling and tossing 

 as if they intended to mix the air and water together 



