They came and rubbed their great sides against the buoy , and lay basking in the sun with their backfins out of water ; and winked at Tom : but he never could get them to speak . They had eaten so many herrings that they were quite stupid ; and Tom was glad when a collier brig came by and frightened them all away ; for they did smell most horribly , certainly , and he had to hold his nose tight as long as they were there . And then there came by a beautiful creature , like a ribbon of pure silver with a sharp head and very long teeth ; but it seemed very sick and sad . Sometimes it rolled helpless on its side ; and then it dashed away glittering like white fire ; and then it lay sick again and motionless . `` Where do you come from ? '' asked Tom . `` And why are YOU so sick and sad ? '' `` I come from the warm Carolinas , and the sandbanks fringed with pines ; where the great owl-rays leap and flap , like giant bats , upon the tide . But I wandered north and north , upon the treacherous warm gulf-stream , till I met with the cold icebergs , afloat in the mid ocean . So I got tangled among the icebergs , and chilled with their frozen breath . But the water-babies helped me from among them , and set me free again . And now I am mending every day ; but I am very sick and sad ; and perhaps I shall never get home again to play with the owl-rays any more . '' `` Oh ! '' cried Tom . `` And you have seen water-babies ? Have you seen any near here ? '' `` Yes ; they helped me again last night , or I should have been eaten by a great black porpoise . '' How vexatious ! The water-babies close to him , and yet he could not find one . And then he left the buoy , and used to go along the sands and round the rocks , and come out in the night -- like the forsaken Merman in Mr. Arnold 's beautiful , beautiful poem , which you must learn by heart some day -- and sit upon a point of rock , among the shining sea-weeds , in the low October tides , and cry and call for the water-babies ; but he never heard a voice call in return .
And at last , XXXXX his fretting and crying , he grew quite lean and thin .
So among from like of on that till to with