That afternoon the Sunbonnet Babies begged to visit the lovely park near the shore of the bay. They wanted to run and play games with other children under the tall green trees.

"How would you like to take a look under the deep water and see all the strange creatures that live there?" asked their father.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! But how can we do it?" asked Molly.

"We can do it easily when we get to the park," said her father.

"Let's do it the very first thing. Just think of seeing how all the big and little fish live 'way down in the deep, deep ocean!"

"I am afraid we shall be drowned," said May. "I think I shall not like to go under the deep water any better than I liked to walk on top of the volcano."

"Why, it will be as easy as walking on this path," said their father. "Here we are at the door already. Shall we open it and take a look into the fish world?"

"Oh, dear! I feel as if I were Alice in Wonderland," said May. "Is this the door into the long, dark tunnel? I wonder if we shall fall down, down, down the tunnel just as Alice did. O father! Will the fish talk with us, the same as the rabbit and all the other animals talked with Alice?"

"If you should happen to fall asleep, as Alice did, the fish will probably tell you all their secrets," said her father. "But there is no long, dark tunnel here down which you must fall. We will each pay this man at the door two lire, then he will open the door and let us go in."

In another moment the door closed behind them, and they stood in the strangest place they had ever seen. It looked like the bottom of the great ocean, with ragged rocks and slippery seaweed everywhere, and many kinds of strange fish swimming quietly about them.

And yet, the water did not wet the children, and they could not touch the fish. A strong glass wall held back both the water and the fish.

Molly and May walked along a narrow path close beside the glass wall, and watched the queer fish chase each other about in the water or lie lazily under the shadow of a big rock.

At last Molly said, "Why, the bottom of the ocean looks very much like the top of the earth. There are hills and valleys and rocks and sand and green things growing everywhere."

"See that tiny forest of pink coral. I suppose our coral neck chains grew at the bottom of the ocean in just that way."

"And see those timid little animals peeping from the doors of their pretty shell houses. I wonder if they like always to carry about such heavy houses on their backs."

"Here is a whole family of lazy turtles," called May. "Look at that big fellow! I believe his shell is large enough for me to creep into, if he were not inside of it."

"I advise you not to try it while he is there," said her father. "If he once took a bite of you, he would never let go."

"Oh, my!" exclaimed Molly. "But see those little starfish and that big soft jellyfish. They are not afraid of the turtle. And those eels are playing close about him."

Just then a frightened scream came from May, who had walked ahead of the others.

"Come quickly!" she cried. "Here is a big, big round thing with eight long arms, or legs, I don't know which they are. They keep reaching out as if they were trying to get hold of something. And its two big round eyes are looking straight at me! I'm glad the glass wall is between us. It's the worst looking thing I ever saw in all my life! What is it, father?"

"Well, well!" exclaimed her father. "That is an octopus. A real, live octopus! It is a big one, too. It can easily reach six or seven feet with those long legs."

"Why is it called an octopus, father?" asked Molly. "Why haven't we seen one before, and what does it do with so many legs?"

"It is called an octopus because it has eight feet, and the word octopus means 'eight-footed.' We have never seen one before because it lives at the bottom of the ocean, and we have not visited the bottom of the ocean until to-day. I suppose it uses its feet more in catching food than it does in walking. I have heard that when it winds them around anything it never lets go."

Just then their mother called, "Come with me! I have found the strangest fish you ever heard of. If you touch the fish, it will give you a tiny electric shock. Who wants to try it?"

"Oh, I do!" cried Molly, and in went her hand to stroke the sleepy fish lazily swimming about in a small tank of water. But the hand came out more quickly than it went in.

"Oh! oh!" she cried. "My hand prickles just as if it were asleep. What a strange, strange fish! You touch it, May."

"No!" said May. "I don't want to touch it. I don't want an electric shock. I want to go back to the park and play."

"Very well," said her father. "I believe we have stayed with these deep-sea creatures long enough. We will go out through the secret door, the way we came in."

And so, in a few moments, they were all standing in the bright sunshine looking out over the deep blue water which was the home of so many strange and interesting creatures.

"Have we really been 'way down under that deep water, father?" asked Molly. "Or was it just a fish museum that we were in?"

"That is a good name for it," said her father. "We have been in an aquarium. Many of the fish that are caught alive in the Mediterranean Sea are brought to this aquarium, so people may study and enjoy them."

"I feel as if I had really and truly been to the bottom of the sea," said Molly. "I am glad I am not a fish. I should much rather be a little girl and have a ride in that goat cart. Those Italian children have just had a ride. See, they are each paying the man a penny. O sir! Please may we ride next?"

"And please may I drive the goats?" asked May. "I know how to drive my pony."

In another moment Molly and May were climbing into the small cart. May then shook the reins and away they went, with the man following close behind them.

They passed groups of jolly boys and girls playing marbles, spinning tops, or rolling hoops. They were clean, well-dressed children, not ragged and poor like so many children Molly and May had seen in other parts of the city.

Smiling nurse maids pushed dear little babies about in handsome carriages, or sat on shaded benches watching the little children at their play.

Everyone was interested in the small goat cart with its happy passengers.

Suddenly a little boy who was rolling a hoop began to race with the goats. He ran along beside them, driving his hoop as fast as he could make it go. The goats did not want to be left behind, so they trotted faster and still faster, but the little boy with his rolling hoop kept up with them.

The Sunbonnet Babies began to be a bit frightened, they were riding so very fast. May pulled on the reins and cried, "Whoa! whoa! stop! stop!" The small Italian goats did not understand English, so they ran faster than ever. They were enjoying the race, and so was the man who owned them. But when he saw that his little passengers were afraid, he sprang forward to stop his team. Just at that moment the goats turned sharply about, and over went the cart, Sunbonnet Babies and all.

Everybody was then really frightened, though only for a moment. Molly and May were on their feet in a jiffy. The boys and girls all laughed and talked at the same time, and the man scolded his goats for their naughty trick.

"Please don't scold the goats," said the little boy with the hoop. "You ought to praise them. They knew if you stopped them they would lose the race, so they tried to turn around and go in the other direction. Then the cart tipped over and spoiled the fun."

"It was fun, wasn't it?" exclaimed Molly. "But let's not do it over again. Let's have a tea party now."

"Oh, yes! Let's have a tea party!" cried May. "Here is a lovely place for it in front of this pretty tea house. Who wants some grape juice and some little cakes?"

"Oh, I do!" "And I do!" cried two happy voices in real American English, for the little boy with the hoop was an American, just like the Sunbonnet Babies. And so they had the jolliest tea party under the big trees in the park that three little American children ever had together, which is saying a very great deal.

The Buried City