But nobody ever heard that they starved the Cupids , or let them die of dirt and neglect , as English young ladies do by the poor sea-beasts . So nobody must know where My Lady went . Letting water-babies die is as bad as taking singing birds ' eggs ; for , though there are thousands , ay , millions , of both of them in the world , yet there is not one too many . Now it befell that , on the very shore , and over the very rocks , where Tom was sitting with his friend the lobster , there walked one day the little white lady , Ellie herself , and with her a very wise man indeed -- Professor Ptthmllnsprts . His mother was a Dutchwoman , and therefore he was born at Curacao -LRB- of course you have learnt your geography , and therefore know why -RRB- ; and his father a Pole , and therefore he was brought up at Petropaulowski -LRB- of course you have learnt your modern politics , and therefore know why -RRB- : but for all that he was as thorough an Englishman as ever coveted his neighbour 's goods . And his name , as I said , was Professor Ptthmllnsprts , which is a very ancient and noble Polish name . He was , as I said , a very great naturalist , and chief professor of Necrobioneopalaeonthydrochthonanthropopithekology in the new university which the king of the Cannibal Islands had founded ; and , being a member of the Acclimatisation Society , he had come here to collect all the nasty things which he could find on the coast of England , and turn them loose round the Cannibal Islands , because they had not nasty things enough there to eat what they left . But he was a very worthy kind good-natured little old gentleman ; and very fond of children -LRB- for he was not the least a cannibal himself -RRB- ; and very good to all the world as long as it was good to him . Only one fault he had , which cock-robins have likewise , as you may see if you look out of the nursery window -- that , when any one else found a curious worm , he would hop round them , and peck them , and set up his tail , and bristle up his feathers , just as a cock-robin would ; and declare that he found the worm first ; and that it was his worm ; and , if not , that then it was not a worm at all . He had met Sir John at Scarborough , or Fleetwood , or somewhere or other -LRB- if you do n't care where , nobody else does -RRB- , and had made acquaintance with him , and become very fond of his children . Now , Sir John knew nothing about sea-cockyolybirds , and cared less , provided the fishmonger sent him good fish for dinner ; and My Lady knew as little : but she thought it proper that the children should know something . For in the stupid old times , you must understand , children were taught to know one thing , and to know it well ; but in these enlightened new times they are taught to know a little about everything , and to know it all ill ; which is a great deal pleasanter and easier , and therefore quite right . So Ellie and he were walking on the rocks , and he was showing her about one in ten thousand of all the beautiful and curious things which are to be seen there . But little Ellie was not satisfied with them at all . She liked much better to play with live children , or even with dolls , which she could pretend were alive ; and at last she said honestly , `` I do n't care about all these things , because they ca n't play with me , or talk to me . If there were little children now in the water , as there used to be , and I could see them , I should like that . '' `` Children in the water , you strange little duck ? '' said the professor . `` Yes , '' said Ellie . `` I know there used to be children in the water , and mermaids too , and mermen .
I saw them all in a picture at home , of a beautiful lady sailing in a car drawn by dolphins , and babies flying round her , and one sitting in her lap ; and the mermaids swimming and playing , and the mermen trumpeting on conch-shells ; and it is called ` The Triumph XXXXX Galatea ; ' and there is a burning mountain in the picture behind .
If So about as for in of that though to