It was covered with scattered rocks of all sizes, which appeared to have broken off from big shelving rocks they observed nearby.

The place they entered seemed like one of the rocky canyons you often see upon the earth.
"Here live the fiddler crabs," said Merla, "but we must have taken them by surprise, it is so quiet." Even as she spoke, there was a stirring and scrambling among the rocks, and soon scores of light-green crabs were gathered before the visitors.

The crabs bore fiddles of all sorts and shapes in their claws, and one big fellow carried a leader's baton.

The latter crab climbed upon a flat rock and in an excited voice called out, "Ready, now--ready, good fiddlers.

We'll play Number 19, Hail to the Mermaids.