the king fell in love with her at once, and the wedding ceremony was celebrated with great splendor. every living thing in the sea, from the great whales down to the little shrimps, came in shoals to offer their congratulations to the bride and bridegroom and to wish them a long and prosperous life. never had there been such an assemblage or such gay festivities in the fish-world before. the train of bearers who carried the bride's possessions to her new home seemed to reach across the waves from one end of the sea to the other. each fish carried a phosphorescent lantern and was dressed in ceremonial robes, gleaming blue and pink and silver; and the waves as they rose and fell and broke that night seemed to be rolling masses of white and green fire, for the phosphorus shone with double brilliancy in honor of the event.