There is a bit in the house there , -- that rough , white , stony stuff on the table in the parlor . It 's full of little holes , you know . Well , those holes are the front doors of hundreds of little polypes , or coral worms , who build the great branches of coral , and live there . They are of various shapes and colors , -- some like stars ; some fine as a thread , and blue or yellow ; others like snails and tiny lobsters . Some people say the real coral-makers are shaped like little oblong bags of jelly , closed at one end , the other open , with six or eight little feelers , like a star , all around it . The other creatures are boarders or visitors : these are the real workers , and , when they sit in their cells and put out their feelers , they make all manner of lovely colors under the water , -- crimson , green , orange , and violet . But if they are taken up or touched , the coral people go in doors , and the beautiful hues disappear . They say there are many coral reefs and islands built by these industrious people , in the South Seas ; but I ca n't go there to see , and I am contented with those I find in the northern latitudes . I knew such a community of coral builders , and used to watch them long ago , when they began to work . It was a charming spot , down under the sea ; for all manner of lovely plants grew there ; splendid fishes sailed to and fro ; wonderful shells lay about ; crimson and yellow prawns , long , gliding green worms , and purple sea-urchins , were there . When I asked the polypes what they were doing , and they answered , ` Building an island , ' I laughed at them ; for the idea that these tiny , soft atoms could make any thing was ridiculous . ` You may roar ; but you 'll see that we are right , if you live long enough , ' said they . ` Our family have built thousands of islands and long reefs , that the sea ca n't get over , strong as it is . ' That amused me immensely ; but I would n't believe it , and laughed more than ever . '' `` It does seem very strange , '' said Freddy , looking at the branch of coral which he had brought out to examine . `` Does n't it ? and is n't it hard to believe ? I used to go , now and then , to see how the little fellows got on , and always found them hard at it . For a long while there was only a little plant without leaves , growing slowly taller and taller ; for they always build upward toward the light . By and by , the small shrub was a tree : flying-fish roosted in its branches ; sea-cows lay under its shadow ; and thousands of jolly little polypes lived and worked in its white chambers .
I was glad to XXXXX them getting on so well ; but still I did n't believe in the island story , and used to joke them about their ambition .
asked build disappear doing examine go laughed roosted see shaped