It was a chorus of many small voices and grew louder as they swam on.

Presently a big rock rose suddenly before them from the bottom of the sea, rearing its steep side far up into the water overhead, and this rock was thickly covered with tiny shells that clung fast to its surface.

The chorus they heard appeared to come from these shells, and Merla said to her companions, "These are the singing barnacles.

They are really very amusing, and if you listen carefully, you can hear what they say." So Trot and Cap'n Bill listened, and this is what the barnacles sang: "We went to topsy-turvy land to see a man-o'-war, And we were much attached to it, because we simply were; We found an anchor-ite within the mud upon the lea For the ghost of Jonah's whale he ran away and went to sea.
Oh, it was awful! It was unlawful! We rallied round the flag in sev'ral millions; They couldn't shake us; They had to take us; So the halibut and cod they danced cotillions." "What does it all mean ?" asked Trot.
"I suppose they refer to the way barnacles have of clinging to ships," replied Merla, "but usually the songs mean nothing at all.
The little barnacles haven't many brains, so we usually find their songs quite stupid." "Do they write some comic operas ?" asked the child.
"I think not," answered the mermaid.
"They seem to like the songs themselves," remarked Cap'n Bill.
"Oh yes, they sing all day long.

But it never matters to them whether their songs mean anything or not.