“I know!” exclaimed Mama dolphin.  “Let's go to Little Cayman!  We can visit Grandma Turtle.”

In an hour or so they were ready to leave.  They set out on the long ride to Little Cayman.

Grandma Turtle invited them in with warm welcomes and big bowls of shellfish stew.

Little dolphin started to gobble his greedily, but Grandma Turtle corrected him immediately.  “No Little dolphin.  Tuck in your chair, sit up straight and THIS is how you hold your knife and fork.”

By the end of the evening Little dolphin knew how to hold his knife and fork.  As a reward, Grandma Turtle gave him two whole Shellings.  Good job Little dolphin!

“Where shall we go next?” asked Papa dolphin.

“I know!” replied Mama dolphin.  “Let's go to Jamaica.  We can visit Cousin Shrimp!”

It only took a couple of minutes to get to Jamaica so they decided to swim.  (Before they had gone in a chariot pulled with sea horses).

Cousin Shrimp lived all by himself on the edge of the big city called Coral Caves.  His house was small and thatched with a drafty warehouse attached to the back.

Cousin Shrimp himself was a tall and aging shrimp.  He wore glasses and the same old bottle green trousers, black belt with a golden buckle, white shirt and dirt brown waistcoat every day.

However he was very strict on manners and, though, loony, could sometimes be a bit fierce.

Today, as they sat down at the table, Cousin Shrimp barked, “Stop slouching!  Sit up straight!  Oh my goodness, take your tail off the table!”

As you guessed, Little dolphin dearly paid for this.  He has learned the hard way NEVER to put your feet (or tail in this case) on the table.

“Where shall we go next?” wondered Papa dolphin.

“I know!” Mama dolphin cried.  “Let's go to the Bahamas!  We can see Uncle Eagle ray!”

Uncle Eagle ray was the opposite of Cousin Shrimp.  He was plump and jolly, with a grey back splattered with tiny white spots.

“Ello, Ello!” he boomed with a hint of French accent.  “And hi, leetle dolphin!”

Little dolphin didn't reply.  His shoulders were hunched as he stared as a little pocket video game his parents had bought him for his birthday.

After awhile, Little dolphin shouted, “Yes, I've reached level ten of 'Pearl Palace'!”

“Little dolphin, your uncle said hello!” said Mama dolphin blushing.

“Hmph” grunted Little dolphin rudely.

“Eet's okay,” Uncle Eagle ray boomed.  “But leetle dolphin,” he added in an earnest whisper, “remember to say hello to people when they say hello to you.  Don't mumble, look them in the eye and smile!”  He gave Little dolphin a thumbs up, beamed and led them inside for hippo mutton and roast crocodile.

One more manner learnt!

The next day, Little dolphin's parents told him they were ready to go home.

When they got home, they sat down to the same dinner as before.  Little dolphin picked up his knife and fork correctly and sat up straight.

“Well done!” said his parents.

Next, Little dolphin started to put his tail on the table but then remembered and put it back down again.

“Awesome!” said his parents.

After that, the Post-fish poked his head through the door.  “Hi,” he said.

“Hello,”  Little dolphin said back.

“Amazing, Little dolphin,” his parents said.  “We're very pleased with you.  You learned so many manners!”

“Hmp,” said Little dolphin with his mouth full.

“Oh no ...”