cried Tom , aghast . `` None ; never a crack of one , and that 's the whole of the secret , as better fellows , lad , than you have found to their cost ; and if there had been , they 'd have killed by now every right whale that swims the sea . '' `` What am I to do , then ? '' `` Dive under the floe , to be sure , if you have pluck . '' `` I 've not come so far to turn now , '' said Tom ; `` so here goes for a header . '' `` A lucky voyage to you , lad , '' said the mollys ; `` we knew you were one of the right sort . So good-bye . '' `` Why do n't you come too ? '' asked Tom . But the mollys only wailed sadly , `` We ca n't go yet , we ca n't go yet , '' and flew away over the pack . So Tom dived under the great white gate which never was opened yet , and went on in black darkness , at the bottom of the sea , for seven days and seven nights . And yet he was not a bit frightened . Why should he be ? He was a brave English lad , whose business is to go out and see all the world . And at last he saw the light , and clear clear water overhead ; and up he came a thousand fathoms , among clouds of sea-moths , which fluttered round his head . There were moths with pink heads and wings and opal bodies , that flapped about slowly ; moths with brown wings that flapped about quickly ; yellow shrimps that hopped and skipped most quickly of all ; and jellies of all the colours in the world , that neither hopped nor skipped , but only dawdled and yawned , and would not get out of his way . The dog snapped at them till his jaws were tired ; but Tom hardly minded them at all , he was so eager to get to the top of the water , and see the pool where the good whales go . And a very large pool it was , miles and miles across , though the air was so clear that the ice cliffs on the opposite side looked as if they were close at hand . All round it the ice cliffs rose , in walls and spires and battlements , and caves and bridges , and stories and galleries , in which the ice-fairies live , and drive away the storms and clouds , that Mother Carey 's pool may lie calm from year 's end to year 's end . And the sun acted policeman , and walked round outside every day , peeping just over the top of the ice wall , to see that all went right ; and now and then he played conjuring tricks , or had an exhibition of fireworks , to amuse the ice-fairies .
For he would make himself into four or five suns at once , or paint the sky with rings and crosses and crescents of white fire , and stick himself in the middle of them , and wink at the fairies ; and I daresay they were very much amused ; for anything 's fun XXXXX the country .
at for in on over though till to under up