They were a glassy shell , holding a soft , golden-yellow substance , and that they were so countless that banks were made of them , and that a town here in these United States was founded on them . They were the food of many little sea-animals , who , in turn , fed us big creatures , and were very interesting and wonderful . I saved up this story ; and , when the polypes asked if they had n't done what they intended , I told them I did n't think it so very remarkable , for the tiny diatoms made cities , and were far more astonishing animals than they . I thought that would silence them ; but they just turned round , and informed me that my diatoms were plants , not animals , -- so my story was all humbug . Then I was mad ; and could n't get over the fact that these little rascals had done what we , the kings of the sea , could n't do . I was n't content with being the biggest creature there : I wanted to be the most skilful also . I did n't remember that every thing has its own place and use , and should be happy in doing the work for which it was made . I fretted over the matter a long while , and at last decided to make an island myself . '' `` How could you ? '' asked Freddy . `` I had my plans ; and thought them very wise ones . I was so bent on outdoing the polypes that I did n't much care what happened ; and so I went to work in my clumsy way . I could n't pile up stones , or build millions of cells ; so I just made an island of myself . I swam up into the harbor yonder one night ; covered my back with sea-weed ; and lay still on the top of the water . In the morning the gulls came to see what it was , and pecked away at the weeds , telling me very soon that they knew what I was after , and that I could n't gull them . All the people on shore turned out to see the wonder also ; for a fisherman had carried the tidings , and every one was wild to behold the new island . After staring and chattering a long while , boats came off to examine the mystery . Loads of scientific gentlemen worked away at me with microscopes , hammers , acids , and all sorts of tests , to decide what I was ; and kept up such a fire of long words that I was ` most dead . They could n't make up their minds ; and meanwhile news of the strange thing spread , and every sort of person came to see me . The gulls kept telling them the joke ; but they did n't understand , and I got on capitally .
Every XXXXX I dined and fed and frolicked till dawn ; then put on my sea-weeds , and lay still to be stared at .
States fire gulls hammers humbug morning night polypes sea-animals sea-weed