A Whale of a Tale
Page 3
“We’ll help you look for it,” Shelly said immediately.
“No,” Kiki said, wiping her tears. “You go have fun. You may never get this chance again.”
“I’ll help you,” Orman told Kiki.
Kiki couldn’t help smiling at the cute whale. Once again, she held on to his tail. He swam toward the bottom of the ocean. Every couple of yards, he would stop so Kiki could look behind the red-and-yellow coral reefs, on the spiny purple sea urchins, and around the sea cucumbers.
“Orman, do you think we’ll ever find it?” Kiki asked him. “It’s special because my mermom gave it to me.”
And just then, on top of a barrel sponge, Kiki spotted her shell purse!
“Stop, Orman! I see it!” Kiki said. She swam to the barrel sponge, picked up her purse, and took out the starfish.
“This is my lucky charm, Orman,” she said, showing him the five-pointed star. She knew she would never have found it without his help. “And you’re my lucky friend. Now let’s go for that ride!”
Flying
CAREFULLY, KIKI GOT ON Orman’s back and grabbed a knob on his head.
“Don’t worry, Kiki,” Orman said. “I won’t go too fast.”
Up they swam, back to Shelly, Echo, and Mortimer. Kiki’s friends couldn’t believe their eyes!
“Kiki, you look awesome!” Shelly cheered. “Are you ready? Hold on tight.”
“Ready!” Kiki answered. “Thanks for waiting for me.” She was still a little nervous, but she knew Orman and her friends would look out for her.
Mortimer spoke to Orman, and Orman slapped his tail. Suddenly water zoomed past the girls’ faces and they were propelled toward the surface much faster than any merperson could ever swim.
“Aaaaah!” screamed Kiki, her eyes shut tight.
“Mrs. Karp!” Rocky yelled. “Look at Kiki, Shelly, and Echo!”
A huge gasp came from the rest of their class. “Girls!” Mrs. Karp called.
Kiki heard Rocky and Mrs. Karp, but she couldn’t let go. She held on as Orman cleared the water and they soared into the air.
“Wow!” Shelly said from Mortimer’s back. “This is amazing. Kiki, open your eyes. You don’t want to miss this.”
Kiki opened one eye as the wind blew her long dark hair. Mortimer and Orman had breached together. “It’s beautiful,” Kiki breathed.
As far as she could see, blue water stretched all around. Up above, bright sky matched the sparkling sea.
“We’re swimming in the air!” Echo screamed. And they were. For just a minute. And then they started falling.
“Don’t let go!” Shelly yelled.
Kiki squeezed Orman’s knob hard. The water felt like a rock when they hit it, and it was all Kiki could do to stay on Orman’s back. But she did. And right beside her, she could see that Shelly and Echo had stayed on Mortimer.
When they were safely back under the water, Echo giggled. “We did it!”
Kiki couldn’t believe it. Thanks to Orman and her merfriends, she had done something she’d never thought she could do. She hugged Orman. “Thank you, my lucky pal. I hope I get to see you again.”
Orman winked at Kiki, and Kiki knew she had a friend for life.
Trouble Time?
YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!” Rocky told the girls after their whale rides.
“Yeah,” added Pearl. “No more ocean trips for you. Ha!”
Mrs. Karp blew the conch shell, signaling that it was time to leave. All the merstudents gathered around her. Kiki gulped when Mrs. Karp glared at her.
“All right, class,” Mrs. Karp said. “Let’s descend.”
Nobody said a word as they swam downward together. It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, and Echo jumped when a small basketweave cusk-eel slithered by her.
“Let’s assemble in the classroom,” Mrs. Karp told the class. “We have a few more minutes left before the end of the school day.”
The merstudents groaned. “I thought she would let us go home early,” Shelly whispered.
“Nope,” Rocky said, swimming by the three mergirls. “She wants to yell at you first.”
Kiki glanced at Mrs. Karp, who had a serious look on her face. Kiki was afraid Rocky was right.
“What do you think Mrs. Karp will do to us?” Echo whispered as the class floated down the hallway.
Kiki shrugged. Her parents wouldn’t mind that she’d ridden Orman, but they would be upset if she got in trouble at school. They always told her to do her best in her studies, but that even if she couldn’t get good grades, she could behave herself. It had been a huge honor for her to win a Trident Academy scholarship. She was the first one in her family to attend the prestigious school. It would be terrible if she was sent home in disgrace. Kiki held her breath as Mrs. Karp addressed the class.
“You may take a few minutes to write about the humpback whales,” she said. All the merkids bent over their pieces of seaweed to begin their essays. Everyone except Rocky.
“What about Kiki, Shelly, and Echo?” Rocky asked. “Aren’t they going to get sent to the headmaster for riding those whales?”
Mrs. Karp stared at Rocky and then at the girls. Kiki felt sick to her stomach again. “There is one regrettable part about today’s ocean trip,” Mrs. Karp said.
Kiki waited anxiously as Mrs. Karp paused.
“I am terribly disappointed that I did not get to ride the whales,” Mrs. Karp told them. “I have always wanted to breach with a humpback.”
Kiki looked at her teacher in surprise. “You mean we aren’t in trouble?” she asked.
Mrs. Karp shook her head. “Not this time.” Then she smiled and continued, “But if the humpbacks ever come back, I expect a ride.”
“Of course,” Kiki quickly told her teacher. “Orman, my new whale friend, would be delighted.” Kiki’s lucky starfish charm sat on top of her desk. With the charm, and with the help of Shelly, Echo, and Orman, she had faced her biggest fear. Kiki smiled and wrote her essay. She couldn’t wait for her next big adventure at Trident Academy.
Class Reports
MY ESSAY ON HUMPBACK WHALES
By Shelly Siren
Today I did something I have only dreamed about. I got to breach on top of a humpback whale. It was amazing. The whale, whose name is Mortimer, was so big he made me feel like a tiny speck of the littlest krill.
MY ESSAY ON HUMPBACK WHALES
By Echo Reef
I learned that humpback whales sing very loud songs. I think their songs are kind of sad, like they are missing a loved one. Humpback whales have the longest songs of any sea creature. They are also very friendly to mermaids. I was sorry we didn’t get to see a human, but I will never forget riding a whale.
MY ESSAY ON HUMPBACK WHALES
By Rocky Ridge
At first, I thought the humpback whales were really ugly. After all, they have bumps all over their faces. But when I saw one jump out of the water, I thought it was really pretty.
MY ESSAY ON HUMPBACK WHALES
By Pearl Swamp
Humpback whales are the biggest, grossest, most disgusting creatures in the ocean. They are noisy and stinky. I hope I never have to see another one ever again. I don’t think it’s fair that some people in our class didn’t get in trouble for doing something they shouldn’t have done. And it wasn’t right that they didn’t share with us. If one person got to ride on a whale, then everyone should get to ride on a whale. It’s only fair.
MY ESSAY ON HUMPBACK WHALES
By Kiki Coral
I was terrified of being around the biggest creatures in the ocean. I thought because they were big, they would be mean. But they were very nice and understanding.
I enjoyed looking around when we breached. I could see the blue of the ocean going on forever. All around us, the sky matched the blue. I felt like a seabird soaring high above the world.
Mrs. Karp, I hope Mortimer and his nephew, Orman, come back for a visit. It would be fun to ride on a whale with you
! I would still be a little scared, but not terrified.
REFRAIN:
Let the water roar
Deep down we’re swimming along
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 1:
Shelly flips her tail
Racing, diving, chasing a whale
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 2:
Pearl likes to shine
Oh my Neptune, she looks so fine
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 3:
Shining Echo flips her tail
Backward and forward without fail
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
VERSE 4:
Amazing Kiki
Far from home and floating so free
Twirling, swirling, singing the mermaid song.
Author’s Note
OCEANS ARE FANTASTIC PLACES filled with incredible creatures, like humpback whales. Check out the fangtooth or the hairy angler if you want to see something really creepy! Maybe there are other living things we haven’t found yet that are even more amazing—like mermaids! Read on for some facts about the ocean animals mentioned in this book. Hope I didn’t miss any! Tell me about your favorite sea creature by writing me on the Kids Talk to Debbie section of www.debbiedadey.com. Is your favorite a baby whale, like Orman?
My nephew Damon Gibson actually swam with humpbacks and told me it was one of the coolest experiences of his life. If you don’t know how to swim, I hope you’ll learn. After all, you may get to swim with whales one day!
Take care,
Debbie Dadey
Glossary
BARREL SPONGE: This huge sponge is large enough for a person to hide inside!
BASKETWEAVE CUSK-EEL: This eel has been found at depths of 26,000 feet, the greatest depth for any fish.
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN: These dolphins vary in color from pale blue to slate gray. They “talk” using whistles, clicks, and squeaks.
CONCH: The conch shell has been collected because of its beauty, and the conch itself has been eaten for food. Conchs are now at risk for extinction.
FANGTOOTH: This deep-water fish has a large head and massive teeth.
GRAY HERON: This gray-backed bird will wait patiently for a long time and then stab quickly with its bill to catch a fish.
GREAT WHITE SHARK: Great whites have been known to attack humans, but we are not their natural prey. Scientists believe that the attacking shark mistakes the human for a seal or a turtle. It is important to stay out of the ocean during early-morning and early-evening hours, when sharks are more likely to feed.
HAIRY ANGLER: Only a few of these weird-looking fish have ever been seen. The hairy angler has a huge mouth, little eyes, and long, thin fin rays, making it look like a bald man with a few wild hairs.
HUMPBACK WHALE: Humpback whales grow to be between forty and fifty feet long. How big is that? Many kids’ bedrooms are around ten feet long. That would mean one whale could be five times as long as your bedroom!
JEWEL ANEMONE: These colorful creatures make a fabulously colorful display on underwater cliffs and can be any color, although pink and yellow are common.
KILLER WHALE: Killer whales are not whales at all. They are the largest member of the dolphin family. Despite their name, killer whales are not known for attacking people—or mermaids—in the wild.
KRILL: Antarctic krill are very important in the southern ocean food chain.
OCTOPUS: The small blue-ringed octopus makes enough toxic spit to kill a human! It has little bright blue circles all over its body.
PINK CORAL: Corals are some of the brightest reef creatures. They can be pink, red, orange, yellow, or white.
POLKA-DOT BATFISH: The batfish is an oddly shaped fish that uses its fins to walk over the ocean floor.
PURPLE SEA URCHIN: This small urchin loves to eat kelp. In fact, urchins have destroyed parts of giant kelp forests.
SEA CUCUMBER: This wormlike creature eats mud and sand!
SHRIMP: There are many types of shrimp in the ocean. The peacock mantis shrimp is brightly colored and lives in warm water near reefs.
STARFISH: The vivid colors of starfish scare off some predators.
TUBE SPONGE: This pinkish sponge looks like fingers reaching up from the sea floor.
FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT . . .
Danger in the Deep Blue Sea
Late-Breaking News!
OH MY NEPTUNE!” PEARL Swamp shrieked as she swam into the huge front hallway of Trident Academy. “Did you see the newspaper this morning?”
Wanda Slug, Pearl’s good friend, shook her head. “No, I didn’t,” she said. “I had to finish my homework before school.” The two mergirls floated out of the way of some fourth-grade merboys who zoomed past them.
Trident Academy was a prestigious school in Trident City. Third-grade through tenth-grade merkids came from all over the ocean to study in the enormous clamshell. The front hall alone was big enough for a humpback whale to take a nap in.
Pearl’s blond hair and long strand of pearls swirled in the water as everyone rushed around her to get to their classrooms. “My dad made me read the front page,” she told Wanda. “You’ll never believe it! There have been shark sightings in Trident City!”
“What?” Wanda gasped. “Are you kidding? That’s terrible.” Sharks were the number one danger to the merpeople community.
Pearl’s green eyes widened. “I’m serious. I couldn’t even swim here by myself. My father hired a Shark Patrol guard to escort me to and from school.”
Wanda shuddered. “I’m glad I live in the Trident Academy dorm. I wouldn’t want to be swimming home with a shark on my tail.” Both girls looked at their mertails and wiggled them gently. Neither girl noticed that the front hall was almost empty of merstudents.
Pearl slapped her gold tail on the shell floor and folded her arms across her chest. “This is ridiculous. What’s wrong with this place? Can’t they keep scary sharks from chasing people? Something should be done.”
“Yeah, but what can we do?” Wanda said. “We’re just third graders.”
Pearl twisted her necklace in her fingers. “I hate being scared, and I hate having a Shark Guard. My dad might not even let me go to Tail Flippers practice if things get worse!”
“No!” Wanda gasped. Tail Flippers was the school’s dance and gymnastics team.
Pearl sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to do something. I refuse to let sharks ruin my life.”
“Uh-oh,” Wanda said, finally noticing the empty hall. “We’d better get to class, or Mrs. Karp will ruin our lives!”
Debbie Dadey is the author and coauthor of one hundred and fifty children’s books, including the series The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. A former teacher and librarian, Debbie now lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her wonderful husband and children. They live about two hours from the ocean and love to go there to look for mermaids. If you see any, let her know at www.debbiedadey.com.
Also by
Debbie Dadey
MERMAID TALES, BOOK 1:
TROUBLE AT TRIDENT ACADEMY
MERMAID TALES, BOOK 2:
BATTLE OF THE BEST FRIENDS
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALADDIN
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin paperback edition August 2012
Text copyright © 2012 by Debbie Dadey
Illustrations copyright © 2012 by Tatevik Avakyan
All rights reserved, including the righ
t of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Karin Paprocki
The text of this book was set in Belucian Book.
Library of Congress Control Number 2012936946
ISBN 978-1-4424-5318-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4424-2984-0 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4424-2985-7 (eBook)