They were all named after the Nereids , the sea-fairies who took care of them , Eunice and Polynoe , Phyllodoce and Psamathe , and all the rest of the pretty darlings who swim round their Queen Amphitrite , and her car of cameo shell . They were dressed in green velvet , and black velvet , and purple velvet ; and were all jointed in rings ; and some of them had three hundred brains apiece , so that they must have been uncommonly shrewd detectives ; and some had eyes in their tails ; and some had eyes in every joint , so that they kept a very sharp look-out ; and when they wanted a baby-snake , they just grew one at the end of their own tails , and when it was able to take care of itself it dropped off ; so that they brought up their families very cheaply . But if any nasty thing came by , out they rushed upon it ; and then out of each of their hundreds of feet there sprang a whole cutler 's shop of Scythes , Javelins , Billhooks , Lances , Pickaxes , Halberts , Forks , Gisarines , Penknives , Poleaxes , Rapiers , Fishhooks , Sabres , Bradawls , Yataghans , Gimblets , Creeses , Corkscrews , Ghoorka swords , Pins , Tucks , Needles , And so forth , which stabbed , shot , poked , pricked , scratched , ripped , pinked , and crimped those naughty beasts so terribly , that they had to run for their lives , or else be chopped into small pieces and be eaten afterwards . And , if that is not all , every word , true , then there is no faith in microscopes , and all is over with the Linnaean Society . And there were the water-babies in thousands , more than Tom , or you either , could count . -- All the little children whom the good fairies take to , because their cruel mothers and fathers will not ; all who are untaught and brought up heathens , and all who come to grief by ill-usage or ignorance or neglect ; all the little children who are overlaid , or given gin when they are young , or are let to drink out of hot kettles , or to fall into the fire ; all the little children in alleys and courts , and tumble-down cottages , who die by fever , and cholera , and measles , and scarlatina , and nasty complaints which no one has any business to have , and which no one will have some day , when folks have common sense ; and all the little children who have been killed by cruel masters and wicked soldiers ; they were all there , except , of course , the babes of Bethlehem who were killed by wicked King Herod ; for they were taken straight to heaven long ago , as everybody knows , and we call them the Holy Innocents . But I wish Tom had given up all his naughty tricks , and left off tormenting dumb animals now that he had plenty of playfellows to amuse him . Instead of that , I am sorry to say , he would meddle with the creatures , all but the water-snakes , for they would stand no nonsense . So he tickled the madrepores , to make them shut up ; and frightened the crabs , to make them hide in the sand and peep out at him with the tips of their eyes ; and put stones into the anemones ' mouths , to make them fancy that their dinner was coming . The other children warned him , and said , `` Take care what you are at . Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid is coming . '' But Tom never heeded them , being quite riotous with high spirits and good luck , till , one Friday morning early , Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid came indeed . A very tremendous lady she was ; and when the children saw her they all stood in a row , very upright indeed , and smoothed down their bathing dresses , and put their hands behind them , just as if they were going to be examined by the inspector . And she had on a black bonnet , and a black shawl , and no crinoline at all ; and a pair of large green spectacles , and a great hooked nose , hooked so much that the bridge of it stood quite up above her eyebrows ; and under her arm she carried a great birch-rod . Indeed , she was so ugly that Tom was tempted to make faces at her : but did not ; for he did not admire the look of the birch-rod under her arm . And she looked at the children one by one , and seemed very much pleased with them , though she never asked them one question about how they were behaving ; and then began giving them all sorts of nice sea-things -- sea-cakes , sea-apples , sea-oranges , sea-bullseyes , sea-toffee ; and to the very best of all she gave sea-ices , made out of sea-cows ' cream , which never melt under water . And , if you do n't quite believe me , then just think -- What is more cheap and plentiful than sea-rock ? Then why should there not be sea-toffee as well ? And every one can find sea-lemons -LRB- ready quartered too -RRB- if they will look for them at low tide ; and sea - grapes too sometimes , hanging in bunches ; and , if you will go to Nice , you will find the fish-market full of sea-fruit , which they call `` frutta di mare : '' though I suppose they call them `` fruits de mer '' now , out of compliment to that most successful , and therefore most immaculate , potentate who is seemingly desirous of inheriting the blessing pronounced on those who remove their neighbours ' land - mark . And , perhaps , that is the very reason why the place is called Nice , because there are so many nice things in the sea there : at least , if it is not , it ought to be .
Now little XXXXX watched all these sweet things given away , till his mouth watered , and his eyes grew as round as an owl 's .
Bethlehem Billhooks Corkscrews Phyllodoce Tom bunches fish-market madrepores mer sea-things