At home you're nothing but a pick-up!" said Trot.
"Dear me!" exclaimed the first fish who had spoken.

"Must we stand this insulting language--and from a person to whom we have never been introduced ?" "I don't need no interduction," replied the girl.

"I've eaten you, and you always make me thirsty." Merla laughed merrily at this, and the codfish said, with much dignity, "Come, fellow aristocrats, let us go." "Never mind, we're going ourselves," announced Merla, and followed by her guests the pretty mermaid swam away.
"I've heard tell of codfish aristocracy," said Cap'n Bill, "but I never knowed 'zac'ly what it meant afore." "They jus' made me mad with all their airs," observed Trot, "so I gave 'em a piece of my mind." "You surely did, mate," said the sailor, "but I ain't sure they understand what they're like when they're salted an' hung up in the pantry.

Folks gener'ly gets stuck-up 'cause they don't know theirselves like other folks knows 'em." "We are near Crabville now," declared Merla.

"Shall we visit the crabs and see what they are doing ?" "Yes, let's," replied Trot.