It was a charming spot , down under the sea ; for all manner of lovely plants grew there ; splendid fishes sailed to and fro ; wonderful shells lay about ; crimson and yellow prawns , long , gliding green worms , and purple sea-urchins , were there . When I asked the polypes what they were doing , and they answered , ` Building an island , ' I laughed at them ; for the idea that these tiny , soft atoms could make any thing was ridiculous . ` You may roar ; but you 'll see that we are right , if you live long enough , ' said they . ` Our family have built thousands of islands and long reefs , that the sea ca n't get over , strong as it is . ' That amused me immensely ; but I would n't believe it , and laughed more than ever . '' `` It does seem very strange , '' said Freddy , looking at the branch of coral which he had brought out to examine . `` Does n't it ? and is n't it hard to believe ? I used to go , now and then , to see how the little fellows got on , and always found them hard at it . For a long while there was only a little plant without leaves , growing slowly taller and taller ; for they always build upward toward the light . By and by , the small shrub was a tree : flying-fish roosted in its branches ; sea-cows lay under its shadow ; and thousands of jolly little polypes lived and worked in its white chambers . I was glad to see them getting on so well ; but still I did n't believe in the island story , and used to joke them about their ambition . They were very good-natured , and only answered me , ` Wait a little longer , Friend Right . ' I had my own affairs to attend to ; so , for years at a time , I forgot the coral-workers , and spent most of my life up Greenland way , for warm climates do n't agree with my constitution . When I came back , after a long absence , I was astonished to see the tree grown into a large umbrella-shaped thing , rising above the water . Sea-weed had washed up and clung there ; sea-birds had made nests there ; land-birds and the winds had carried seeds there , which had sprung up ; trunks of trees had been cast there by the sea ; lizards , insects , and little animals came with the trees , and were the first inhabitants ; and , behold ! it was an island . '' `` What did you say then ? '' asked Freddy . `` I was angry , and did n't want to own that I was wrong ; so I insisted that it was n't a real island , without people on it .
` Wait a little longer , ' answered the XXXXX ; and went on , building broader and broader foundations .
Freddy Greenland Sea-weed coral-workers first polypes prawns right sea-birds years