Happy Days 21 



in the mid-sea there was no peace. From the incessant 

 churning up and befouling of the water there was no 

 escape. Methinks that all the land-driven monsters 

 using the sea as their highway did concentrate there. 

 And when I saw one of them strike the black scarp of 

 Jebel Zukur and fall apart in shards I was gravely 

 content. Why should all the sea be given up to the 

 business or pleasure of those who rule all the land ? 

 thought I, nor did I give one jot of mental effort to 

 the problem of why it was that we, the seed-royal of 

 the sea, were now no longer hunted by men. Like 

 most of my fellows, I was all-content to take the good 

 as it came, never to anticipate evil unless compelled 

 by instinctive prescience, but to live and enjoy the 

 passing day, taking no thought for what might be 

 coming. 



Here in this pleasant sea we remained for many 

 months. Nought of harm, of annoyance came near 

 us so long as we kept to east or west of a well-defined 

 line drawn down the middle of the sea. We lay and 

 luxuriated in the rich sea-pastures within the sheltering 

 reef-barriers, fearing nothing and fattening upon the 

 never-faUing stores of rich food around us. We had 

 but to lie still, open wide our mouths and let them fill. 

 What wonder that we all grew fat and slothful, all, 

 that is, who had attained their full growth. The other 

 youngsters and myself grew amazingly, for not only 

 did we eat all that we felt inclined to, but like all young 

 things, rejoicing in our perfect life and full freedom, 

 we gambolled, we raced, and did all that the abundant 

 vitality within us prompted us to do, and there were 

 none to say us nay. And so the happy days passed, 

 none taking count of them, all too intent upon enjoy- 

 ment of the present to think of the future, until one 

 morning our great chief gave the gathering signal, 



