The squeal of sea gulls wakened Spike as rosy dawn banished the coverlet of night. He lay still, only his eyes moving about, taking in their new surroundings. The others were still fast asleep. Spike rose and stretched as Bobbo stumped in, followed by Firl and Gummy. The dormouse bore twigs and a full sack.

"Spike, it is a good morning I am bidding you. Look, dried Applewood and sweet herbs to burn- it makes my abode fresh in the mornings. Now, you will find a small rockpool outside to wash in, and I will prepare wild oatcakes, small fish, and gorse flower honey to break your fast."

The dragon grinned. "That sounds excellent to me, Bobbo. Thank you."

He was back in a short while, splashing water over his sleeping friends. "Rise and shine! Wakey wakey! Oatcakes, honey, and fish! Last one washed doesn't get any!"

Pinkie sprang up, shaking herself. "Hey, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Apple Bloom sniffed the air, smelling Bobbo's cooking. "By the pattern on Granny Smith's pinny, Bobbo, that smells good!"

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Morning sunlight was beginning to flood the cavern as they sat eating.

Mariel had a surprise to reveal. "You'll never guess what I learned last night while I was talking to Bobbo."

Apple Bloom licked honey from her hooves and juggled with a hot oatcake. "No, marm, yore right. We'll never guess, so hurry up an' tell us."

The mousemaid recited the appropriate lines of the poem.

"Where the sea meets with the shore,

There the final clue is hid;

Rock stands sentinel evermore,

Find it as I did.

The swallow who cannot fly south,

The bird that only flies one way,

Lies deep beneath the monster's mouth,

Keep him with you night and day.

Do you remember that part of the rhyme? Well, last night while you were all snoring, I sat up telling Bobbo of our quest, and guess what?"

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down. "Whatwhatwhat?"

Mariel smiled intriguingly from one to the other. "Bobbo knows where the swallow is!"

"Way to go, Bobbo!" cheered Spike.

"Yore even more cleverer than mah sister Applejack, an' that's a fact!"

"Do you really know, Bobbo? Oh, tell us, please, c'mon, tell us!"

The dormouse stood up, brushing crumbs from his long coat. "Do you come with me and I will show it to you."

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Bobbo hobbled in front, with Firl at his heels. He led them on a southerly tack through the twisting winding canyons, keeping up a surprisingly lively pace, now disappearing into shadowed recesses and materializing into broad sunlight. Sometimes they crunched upon small pebbles, other times pattered across deep sand, occasionally splashing through sun warmed shallow pools. Finally they arrived at their destination. Bobbo leaned against a monumental edifice.

"Well now, friends, here is the very place!"

This rock was much larger than any they had previously encountered. It was almost a small mountain set in the sands, giving the impression of some vast primeval monster squatting upon the shore with its back to the sea. The dormouse led them to the east side of the rock, where a huge overhang projected over a pool that was both wide and deep.

Spike looked about, expecting to see a swallow perched somewhere close.

Bobbo pointed to the pool. "See, right at the bottom, lodged between two rocks."

Gathering around the rim, they peered into the underwater grotto. Through the clear limped water, aided by lancing rays of sunlight, it could be dimly seen. No bigger than the size of a mouse's paw, a swallow fashioned from metal, its outstretched wings partially obscured by the rock which held it captive amid the brightly hued sea anemones and corals on the bed of the pool.

Spike shook his head in amazement. "How did you ever find it, Bobbo?"

"Fishing, young master. I was fishing for shrimp one day, sitting here staring down into the pool, when I saw it glint in the early sunlight."

"And didn't you try to get it out?"

"Ah, well, I did try for nearly half a day with my hook and line, but it was too smooth and firmly lodged in the rocks. So I had to leave the little bird, do you see. Then after I found Firl I brought him along to this place to dive for it. Newts are excellent swimmers."

"Of course they are. Why didn't Firl get it?"

The small newt scampered down from the rock and cringed against Bobbo, eyes wide and throat palpitating madly.

"Ah well, do you see, it is not only the little bird who lives down at the bottom," the dormouse explained. "There is also a great shell creature, one with claws like vises, great eyes on stalks and long whiskers. Poor Firl lost his tail to the beast; it has only lately grown back. I would not let him go down there again, no not ever!"

Bobbo produced a piece of oatcake from his coat. Powdering it, he mixed it to a paste with some water and molded it around a small pebble.

"Watch now and see."

He dropped the coated pebble into the pool close by the edge. They gathered around and marked its progress as it sank rapidly to the bottom of the water. Near the part where the swallow lay, the pebble came to rest. It had no sooner landed than a gigantic blue-black lobster rushed out of a crevice, pounced on the stone and retreated swiftly with the object held tightly in its enormous pincered claws. It all happened so fast that the onlookers were stunned into momentary silence.

Bobbo shrugged. "So you see now, wayfarers. Is it not a dreadful monster?"

Apple Bloom blanched. "It's too horrible to look at, Mr. Bobbo!"

Mariel's jaw was set, firm and resolute. "But I've got to go down there and rescue the swallow!"

"If you go down, then I do too!" There was determination in Spike's eyes.

"Okay, count me in too!" Pinkie said.

Mariel shook her head. "No, Pinkie Pie. You and Apple Bloom stay up here with Bobbo. We'll need you two to lower us down and pull us out quick. Now let me think awhile. I'll have to figure out the best way to do this…"

Apple Bloom mopped her brow and blew out a sigh of relief. "Thank mah stars! Applejack'd have a fit if half a pore sister walked back in on 'er one o' these days. Ah'd hafta run off an' become a searat, or somethin' equally foul! Best we stay up here, Pinkie Pie."

It was noontide before Mariel and Spike came up with a workable solution. They went back to Bobbo's cave, where they gathered together what rope they could find, plus all the cooked shrimp and small fish they could lay hands upon. Back at the pool, Mariel explained her strategy to the others.

"The idea is to throw as much food to the lobster as possible. Let's start right now. Apple Bloom, Pinkie, chuck the shrimp and fish in. I want you to keep your eyes on the lobster. Once it stops coming out to get the food, let me know. Spike, you and I will search about for two rocks. We need something to weight us down and make us sink to the bottom of the pool. While we're down there, you keep watch, with the sword ready. I'll get the swallow, then Apple Bloom and Pinkie can haul us up out of it."

Soon the final preperations had been made. Mariel and Spike sat on the rock lip of the pool with ropes tied about their waists. The mousemaid put aside her Gullwhacker; it would be useless underwater. Spike held on to the sword. Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie were still dropping odd bits of food into the water.

"I think the mean old lobster's had enough," said Pinkie Pie. "He's not botherin' to come out for any more food. The water's teemin' with nice fish an' shrimp, but he seems to have had a tummy full- great glutton!"

The mouse and the dragon picked up their rocks. Bobbo gave final instructions.

"Now then, do you go straight down and get the bird, tug on the ropes and we will haul you up fast. If we see the creature come out we will pull you up, whether you have the swallow or not. I wish you both luck and good fortune. Now take a slow deep breath."

Side by side Mariel and Spike sank into the water, the coldness forcing them to take deep breaths, then the weight of the stones took over. With eyes wide open, the pool closed above their heads and they began their descent, into the silent aquamarine depths of the watery world.