How the Whale Got His Throat

Long ago, when the sea was still new, there was a Whale. A very big Whale. A very hungry Whale.

He ate the starfish. He ate the crab. He ate the little dab. He ate all the fish in all the sea.

All the fish, except one.

One tiny clever fish was left, and she hid behind the Whale's ear.

'Whale,' whispered the tiny clever fish, 'have you ever tried eating a person?'

'What is a person?' said the Whale.

'Nubbly,' said the fish. 'And on a raft, in the middle of the sea, is one small sailor. He wears braces. Don't forget the braces.'

So the Whale swam and swam and swam. And there, on a raft, was one small sailor.

GULP. Down went the sailor. Down went the raft. Down went the braces.

But the sailor was a jumpy sort of sailor. He jumped in the Whale's tummy. He thumped. He stamped. He danced.

'Oh dear,' said the Whale. 'You are giving me hiccups. Please stop.'

'Only if you take me home,' said the sailor.

So the Whale swam home. And when he opened his mouth wide, the sailor climbed out, but not before he had tied his raft into a little grate with his braces, and jammed it right in the Whale's throat.

And there it stuck.

From that day on, the Whale could only eat very small fish. Only very small fish would fit through the grate.

That's why whales, to this very day, never eat sailors any more.

Only small fish. Just small fish. And that's the truth.