Moobaloo makes Friends with a Whale

One day there was a mermaid named Moobaloo. Now, a mermaid is a lot like a person, except they have the tail of a fish. This particular mermaid was named Moobaloo and she had a friend. He friend was a little fish, named Horace.

Moobaloo and Horace were swimming along having a long talk. They were discussing what might be at the very, very deepest part of the sea (which neither of them could visit). They had heard all sorts of things - that huge creatures with eight tentacles might be down there, or glowing creatures that made their own light. But neither Moobaloo nor Horace knew for sure.

As they swam along they were so engrossed in their talk that they didn't really look around very much.

Now, there is a kind of fish in the sea called a shark. And there is a kind of shark called a "Hammer Head" shark. This is because their head look a bit like the head of a hammer. And every year many, many hammer head sharks all get together in a certain place in the ocean. They see each other, and as they pass they say "Hammer" and the other shark has to say "Head."

Moobaloo and Horace didn't notice they were entering one of these gatherings, until Horace heard "Hammer." He looked around and saw many, many hammer head sharks around them. Another shark answered the first. "Head".

Horace said to Moobaloo, "We have made a mistake. Sharks like to eat little fish like me, and they might even eat a mermaid like you. We have to hide."

Just then a shark passed by them and said, "Hammer" and another responded "Head."

Horace ducked into some coral. He found a tiny little hole and he hid in it. But none of the holes in the coral were the right size for Moobaloo. Horace said, "Moobaloo, you must leave me and go hide. I will find you later."

So Moobaloo swam away, and she hoped none of the sharks noticed her. But as she passed one it said, "hammer" and when she said "head" in her high pitched, mermaid voice the shark noticed her. Moobaloo swam away, and the shark swam slowly behind.

She swam above where all the sharks were. "Hammer"... "Head"... "Hammer"... "Head"... she heard them all saying.

Then Moobaloo saw a whale. It was big. It was huge. It was almost as big as a house.

Moobaloo swam up to it and said, "Please Mr. whale, can you help me with this shark?" but the whale only spoke whale language, and he didn't understand. So Moobaloo swam up to his eye and waved at him. He winked back in a friendly way, but still didn't know what Moobaloo wanted.

So Moobaloo began to yawn. She stretched, like this, and she yawned, like this, and the whale could see her the whole time. Pretty soon, all he yawns caught on with the whale, and he opened his big huge mouth to yawn as well.

Quick as a wink Moobaloo swam into his mouth.

The whale was so big, and Moobaloo was so small, they the whale did not even know she was in his mouth. The shark thought Moobaloo had disappeared, and he got bored and swam away.

Back in the coral hiding place, Horace waited and waited. "Hammer..." "Head..." "Hammer..." "Head..." and soon the voices got more and more quiet. The sharks had moved on to another spot. Horace peeked his head out and looked around. The sharks were gone. So he swam out and began to look for Moobaloo.

He asked a starfish, "Have you seen a mermaid?" and the star fish pointed one spiny arm. Then he asked an angel fish,"Have you seen a mermaid?" and the angel fish said, "Yes. I saw a mermaid swim toward that whale, with a hammer head not far behind."

Now Horace was worried for his friend. He swam up to the whale. Horace spoke many of the languages of the sea, even whale, and he asked the whale, "Have you seen a mermaid?" The whale said, "I saw her, but I don't know where she IS." and just as he said "is", his mouth made a shape just like mine: "is" "is" and Moobaloo swam out!

She said, "Horace it is good to see you again!" and Horace said "I am glad you are OK Moobaloo!"

Moobaloo said, "Horace, please thank the whale for letting me hide in his mouth from the shark." so Horace translated her words into whale language, and the whale replied "She is welcome any time." because he was glad to be helpful and save a precious life.

"Any time she needs help," the whale said, "she can just make this symbol to me and I will open my mouth for her."

And that is how Moobaloo and the whale became friends.

The End
(c) 2007 Ken Demarest