Narwhal on a Sunny Night

by Mary Pope Osborne

  “Follow me,” Erikson said.

  Even though he was still limping, Erikson walked faster than Jack and Annie. He bounded across the rocky shore and started up a hill.

  Jack and Annie hurried after him. Soon they could see a cluster of buildings over the crest of the hill.

  There was a long wooden house and smaller thatched huts and several barns. A few people were working in the chilly sunlight. They were all dressed in several layers of clothing.

  Women were hanging clothes to dry. Men were stacking wood.

  A boy was leading cows to a barn. A few girls were feeding hogs and ducks. Chickens and dogs wandered about.

  Suddenly the dogs began to bark. Everyone looked around. A woman cried out and pointed at Jack and Annie.

  Two brown-and-white dogs bolted down the hill, barking ferociously.

  Erikson shouted a command. The dogs stopped barking.

  A tall, burly man strode down the slope.

  “My father,” said Erikson.

  Erikson’s father had long red hair and a wild, bushy beard. He carried an ax.

  “Oh, no,” whispered Jack. The Viking man looked fierce.

  “Wait here,” Erikson ordered Jack and Annie. Leaving them with the dogs, he limped to his father. Jack nervously watched him speak to the wild-looking man.

  “How are you guys doing today?” Annie asked the dogs.

  The dogs barked.

  “Oh, you’re just pretending to be scary,” she said.

  The dogs tilted their heads, then started to pant. Their tails were wagging.

  Annie laughed and held out her hand for the dogs to sniff. Their sniffing quickly turned into licking.

  Erikson and his father walked down to Jack and Annie.

  “This is my father. Erik,” the boy said. “He is the chieftain here.”

  “Oh. Uh…hello…sir,” said Jack.

  “Glad to meet you!” said Annie.

  “Where do you come from?” Erikson’s father asked in a deep voice.

  “Frog Creek, Pennsylvania,” said Jack.

  “In the United States of America,” Annie added.

  “You might not have heard of it,” Jack said quickly.

  “No, I have not. Where is that?” Erik asked gruffly.

  “It’s on the continent of North America,” said Annie.

  Oh, no, thought Jack. He knew the Vikings hadn’t yet heard of the United States or North America. In Erik’s time, the United States wouldn’t be a country for another 700 years!

  But Erik just nodded. “So you are from far away?” he said.

  “Yes,” said Annie.

  “Welcome,” said Erik. He turned to his son. “Leif, let us take your friends to the house.”

  “Thanks!” said Annie. Then she and Jack started up the hill, following the boy and his father.

  Erik called the boy Leif, Jack thought. Leif?…Leif Erikson?…LEIF ERIKSON!

  “Annie,” he whispered. “Erikson’s first name is Leif!”

  “I heard that,” she said. “Erikson must be his last name.”

  “Yes! I’ve read about Leif Erikson and Erik the Red,” said Jack. “They’re famous!”

  “Famous?” said Annie.

  “Uh, yeah!” said Jack. “They’re two of the most famous explorers in the history of the world!”

  “Are you serious?” said Annie.

  “Leif was the first European to step onto the North American continent,” said Jack, “five hundred years before Christopher Columbus.”

  “No way,” breathed Annie.

  “Yes way!” said Jack.

  “Come along!” Erik called from farther up the hill.

  Annie and Jack hurried to catch up with Leif and his father.

  “So…you’re Erik the Red and Leif Erikson?” Annie asked excitedly.

  “Yes,” Erik said.

  Before Annie could say more, Jack changed the subject. “Why did you decide to live here in Greenland?” he said.

  “I wanted a new life,” Erik said. “People call us pirates. But I am a seafarer who searches for safe harbors where I can live with my family. I have found one here at the edge of the world. I named it Greenland.”

  “Why?” asked Annie. “I mean, why’d you call it that?”

  “Because the word is nice, is it not?” said Erik with a wink. “I hoped it would make others want to come live here, too.”

  The small group of people watched as Jack and Annie climbed to the top of the hill with Leif and Erik.

  One of the women in the group stepped forward. She had long blond braids and a kind face.

  “Who are these children, my son?” she said to Leif.

  “My new friends, Jack and Annie,” said Leif. “They come from far away.”

  Leif’s mother smiled. “Welcome, Jack and Annie. Come share our dinner with us,” she said. She led them to the largest house on the hill. It was a long stone house with a steep roof made of grass.

  Leif’s mother ushered Jack and Annie through the door. She took Jack’s and Annie’s hats, gloves, and coats. She put them on a bench near the door. Jack put his wool bag there, too.

  The Viking house was dark and warm inside. Lit only with oil lamps, the windowless house was one long narrow room. In the center was a fire pit. Smoke rose through a hole in the roof. The house smelled of fish and grease and animal fur.

  Erik and Leif sat on low stools near the fire.

  “Sit, warm yourselves,” Erik said. Jack and Annie sat down with them.

  Leif’s mother stirred a black pot over the fire. Then she ladled food into stone bowls and gave them to everyone, along with wooden spoons.

  “Thank you,” said Jack and Annie.

  The food in the bowl looked like a milky gray mush. Jack was afraid to taste it. But when he did, he actually liked it. It tasted like oatmeal.

  “Did you sail here with your family and friends?” Erik asked them as they ate.

  “No, it’s just us,” said Annie. “Jack and me.”

  “But how is that possible?” said Erik. “How did two children find their way here alone?”

  “Uh…well…” Jack didn’t know what to say.

  “We have a map,” said Annie.

  “A map?” said Erik.

  “A map!” said Leif. “May we see it?”

  “Sure,” said Jack. He put down his bowl and grabbed his bag. He took out their map. He unfolded it and held it up for them to see.

  Leif and his parents stared in silent wonder.

  “Our land is south of here,” said Jack, pointing. “It’s a long way south. It’s…well…it’s off the map.”

  “So you used this map to come to Greenland in your ship?” asked Erik.

  “Uh…we came in the tree house,” said Annie.

  “ ‘Tree House’? That is the name of your ship?” asked Erik.

  “Well…sort of,” said Jack. “It’s not much of a ship. But you guys have really great ships. We saw—”

  “Wait. Your ship must be the best in the world,” said Erik. “Two children sailed it alone to Greenland! I would like very much to see a ship such as yours.”

  “Oh.” Jack caught his breath.

  “Let us go see it now!” Erik stood up.

  “Um…can we please wait until morning?” Annie said. “We’re pretty tired.”

  “Erik, let the children rest,” Leif’s mother said. “In the morning, we will all go—the whole village will go—to see their wondrous ship. Come, Jack and Annie.” She picked up an oil lamp.

  They all stood.

  “Good night,” Annie said to Leif and Erik.

  Jack put their map back into his bag. Then he and Annie followed Leif’s mother to a shadowy end of the house.

  “You may sleep here,” she
said. She pointed to two fur-covered benches against the wall.

  “Thank you,” said Annie. She and Jack climbed onto the benches, and Leif’s mother covered them with more soft furs.

  “Rest well,” she said. “Keep the lamp burning so you will not be afraid.” She put the oil lamp on a small table. Then she left them.

  “Jack,” whispered Annie. “We don’t have a ship to show them.”

  “I know,” he said. “We’d better leave soon. After everyone goes to bed, we can sneak away….”

  “Right,” said Annie. “We can borrow Leif’s rowboat.” She yawned.

  “It’ll be dark outside…,” said Jack, trying to keep his eyes open. “How will we find our way?”

  “We can worry about that later,” said Annie.

  “Right…,” said Jack, closing his eyes. “Let’s just rest until Leif and his parents go to bed…. Stay awake…. Don’t go to…”

  Before Jack could say sleep, he dropped off to sleep.

  “Jack,” Annie whispered. “Wake up!”

  Jack rubbed his eyes. “Where is everyone?” he asked.

  “I just checked. They’re asleep at the other end of the house,” said Annie. “We have to go.”

  “Now?” said Jack. “Maybe we should wait till daylight….”

  “No, they might get up before then,” said Annie.

  “You’re right,” said Jack. He threw off the warm fur and sat up.

  “Let’s go,” said Annie. She picked up the burning oil lamp. Jack grabbed his bag.

  As they crept to the door, snoring came from the other end of the long house.

  They stopped at the bench by the door. In the dim light of the lamp, they put on their coats and hats and mittens.

  “We should write a note to Leif,” whispered Jack.

  “Good idea,” said Annie.

  Jack pulled out his notebook and pencil from his bag. “How’s this?” He whispered as he wrote:

  Dear Leif, we had to leave suddenly. We are borrowing your rowboat to go back to the bay. We will leave it where we met you. Many thanks to you and your family.

  “Perfect,” said Annie. “And let’s leave him our map since he liked it so much.”

  “Good idea,” breathed Jack. He tore the note from the notebook and placed it on the bench with their map.

  Jack and Annie pulled on their gloves. Then Annie opened the door, and they slipped out of the house.

  It was freezing outside. But to Jack’s surprise, it was sunny!

  “What time is it?” he said. “I thought it was night.”

  “Me too,” said Annie. “But no one’s around—not even the dogs. Hurry!”

  Jack and Annie took off down the hill. In the cold, windy sunlight, they hurried to the shore.

  Small waves were splashing against the moored Viking ships. Leif’s rowboat was tied to the pier near them.

  Jack and Annie stepped onto the pier, and Jack untied the rope. Just as he and Annie were about to climb aboard, someone yelled, “Stop!”

  “Oh, no!” said Annie.

  Leif was limping down the hill toward them. He held their note and map in his hand.

  “I heard you leave!” he called. “Then I read your message. I must take you to your ship. It is not easy to row in windy waters.”

  “But your knee still hurts. I can tell,” said Annie.

  Leif shrugged. “That is not important,” he said. “We should go quickly so I can return before morning.”

  “Morning? I thought it was morning now,” said Jack.

  “It is close to midnight,” Leif said. “You have come in the time of the midnight sun.”

  “I get it,” Annie said to Jack. “On a day that seems endless, with no dark of night.”

  “Right,” said Jack. Now he remembered the Midnight Sun! In the far north, the summer sun can still be seen at midnight.

  “Here, you forgot this,” said Leif. He thrust the map and note into Jack’s hands. “You will need your map to sail your ship home.”

  “No, we won’t,” said Jack. “We know the way. You need it more.” He handed the map back to Leif.

  “Oh!” Leif stared at the map as if it were made of gold. “I cannot believe you would give this to me,” he said in a hushed voice. “Thank you very much.”

  “No problem,” said Annie.

  Leif smiled. “Let us go!” he said.

  Jack put the note into his coat pocket. Then he and Annie climbed aboard.

  Leif sat across from them. He began rowing through the choppy water.

  “Tell me about your land,” he said. “What is it like?”

  “It has everything,” said Annie. “Mountains and valleys and oceans and rivers.”

  “And lakes and forests and grassy plains,” said Jack, “and farms, small towns, and huge towns called cities.”

  With the wind at their backs, Leif rowed swiftly. The water was bathed in a gold mist.

  Soon Leif rowed the boat from Erik’s Inlet into the bay.

  “You can drop us off there,” said Jack. He pointed to the shore where they had saved the narwhal.

  “But where is your ship?” asked Leif.

  “Uh…I’m really sorry, but we promised the person who owns it that we would not show it to anyone,” Annie said.

  “I understand,” said Leif, nodding. “We must always honor our promises.”

  “You should hurry home before your mom and dad wake up,” said Annie. “They’ll be worried if they find you missing.”

  “Yes,” said Leif, smiling. “They will think I have sailed away with you. They know I am eager to travel to faraway places.”

  Leif rowed to the shore, and Jack and Annie hopped out of the boat.

  “Good-bye,” the Viking boy said. “I thank you again for your map. I promise I will make good use of it.”

  “And I promise you will have great success!” said Jack.

  “Do you think so?” said Leif.

  “Absolutely!” said Annie.

  Leif raised his arms above his head and clenched his fists. “Yay!” he said.

  Jack and Annie laughed.

  Leif waved good-bye. Using his oars, he pushed his boat offshore.

  “I hope your knee feels better soon!” called Annie.

  “I have already forgotten about it!” Leif called back. Then he rowed away through the soft light of the Arctic night.

  “Leif’s really tough and brave,” said Annie. “He’ll make a good explorer.”

  “Yeah, a great one,” said Jack. He took a deep breath. “I guess we can go now.”

  Jack and Annie walked around the bend in the shore.

  Annie gasped. “Jack! Look!” she said.

  “What?” said Jack.

  “There—in the water—at the edge of the ice,” said Annie.

  “A narwhal!” whispered Jack.

  “Yes!” said Annie. “Our narwhal!”

  “Hi! You’re back!” said Annie.

  The narwhal was about ten feet away. He was swimming near a sheet of ice that jutted out from the shore. His ivory tusk was pointed at them.

  “Is something wrong with him?” said Jack. “Why is he here?”

  “He wants to tell us something,” said Annie.

  “How do you know?” said Jack.

  “I just know,” said Annie. “I’m going out to him. I’ll crawl on the ice.”

  “No, don’t!” said Jack. “It could crack.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s really thick,” said Annie. “It’s probably been here for thousands of years.”

  Annie stepped out onto the packed ice. Then she got on her hands and knees and began crawling toward the narwhal.

  “Careful!” said Jack.

  “I got it,” said Annie, reaching the edge of the
ice.

  The narwhal raised his head above the water.

  “Hi, you! What’s up?” said Annie, grinning. “Why did you come back?”

  The narwhal made noises that sounded like a door creaking. Then he tapped Annie’s head with his unicorn horn.

  Annie laughed. “Thank you!” she said.

  The narwhal then turned and swam away. He soon disappeared under the water.

  Annie crawled back toward Jack. She stepped off the ice sheet onto the shore.

  “That was so cool,” she said.

  “What happened?” said Jack.

  “Simple,” said Annie. “He came back to thank us.”

  “You’re kidding,” said Jack.

  “Nope,” said Annie. “That’s basically what he said: Thanks. And then I said thanks back.”

  “That’s all?” said Jack.

  “That’s enough,” said Annie.

  Jack took a deep breath. “Okay! Now we can leave!”

  He and Annie quickly walked over the slope. The tree house was still sitting on the pebbly shore. It was lit by the orange and red light of the Midnight Sun. Jack and Annie slipped through the window.

  Annie grabbed the Pennsylvania book that always took them home. She pointed to a photo of the Frog Creek woods. “I wish we could go there!”

  Nothing happened. The wind did not start to blow.

  “I wish we could go there!” Annie said again.

  The wind still did not start to blow.

  “Why aren’t we leaving?” said Jack.

  “Let’s look at our rhyme,” said Annie, “at the last verse.”

  Jack pulled the rhyme out of his bag. He read aloud:

  Explore different worlds.

  Show friends where to go.

  “Okay! We did that!” said Annie. “We showed our friends where to go—we gave Leif our map! And we showed the narwhal how to escape from the shallow water!”

  “Yeah, we did all that,” said Jack. “And I wasn’t even thinking about the rhyme!”

  “Read the rest,” said Annie.

  Jack read the last two lines:

  Unite all these worlds