And that is the story of the Mayor of Plymouth , which has two advantages -- first , that of being quite true ; and second , that of having -LRB- as folks say all good stories ought to have -RRB- no moral whatsoever : no more , indeed , has any part of this book , because it is a fairy tale , you know . And now happened to Tom a most wonderful thing ; for he had not left the lobster five minutes before he came upon a water-baby . A real live water-baby , sitting on the white sand , very busy about a little point of rock . And when it saw Tom it looked up for a moment , and then cried , `` Why , you are not one of us . You are a new baby ! Oh , how delightful ! '' And it ran to Tom , and Tom ran to it , and they hugged and kissed each other for ever so long , they did not know why . But they did not want any introductions there under the water . At last Tom said , `` Oh , where have you been all this while ? I have been looking for you so long , and I have been so lonely . '' `` We have been here for days and days . There are hundreds of us about the rocks . How was it you did not see us , or hear us when we sing and romp every evening before we go home ? '' Tom looked at the baby again , and then he said : `` Well , this is wonderful ! I have seen things just like you again and again , but I thought you were shells , or sea-creatures . I never took you for water-babies like myself . '' Now , was not that very odd ? So odd , indeed , that you will , no doubt , want to know how it happened , and why Tom could never find a water-baby till after he had got the lobster out of the pot . And , if you will read this story nine times over , and then think for yourself , you will find out why . It is not good for little boys to be told everything , and never to be forced to use their own wits .
They would learn , then , no more than they do at Dr. Dulcimer 's famous suburban establishment for the idler members of the youthful aristocracy , where the masters learn the lessons and the boys hear them -- which saves a great deal of trouble -- XXXXX the time being .
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