Halldora the Humpback Whale
A story about a humpback whale calf that is anticipating a big event: seeing her first human. This story supports waiting and being patient and the gift that comes with being present in the moment. The story can support children who are too excited to fall asleep.
Once upon a time, there was a gentle humpback whale calf named Halldora who swam with a small pod or group of humpback whales in the ocean near the northern coast. Halldora was a happy whale calf. She and the other whale calves swam close to their mothers and fathers and listened to their slow long songs. They listened to the stories the songs told of adventures and discoveries of whales long ago. One of Halldora’s favorite songs was about a great humpback whale that swam all the way around the world and met nearly every one of the world’s creatures. The song sings about elephants and camels and monkeys and tigers and then the last part of the song is about when the great humpback whale met a small band of people. Halldora loved the ending most of all because it sang about the special look in a person’s eyes – that it was a look of warmth, a look of kindness, and a look of love.
Halldora loved that song because she could imagine that look – and she wanted to see that look for herself.
Now the life of a humpback whale was different than it was long ago. Back then, her parents would tell her, it was very rare to see a person. Back in the old days, people mostly stayed on land as they did not have boats strong or big enough to reach the deep sea.
But these days, every whale that Halldora knew had seen a person. Her mother and father and the other whales told her of boats that sailed into the deep waters specifically to see whales – that was why they were there. They came to listen to the whales sing and to see the whales swim and jump and splash in the ocean waters. Hallodora heard their stories about how people would crowd along the edge of the boat with special glasses to look out over the ocean – and how they would all clap and shout happily when the whales would jump. Halldora imagined what they would be like – to hear the clapping and the shouting and to see their faces. To see a real person’s face – oh, how she wanted that.
But you must understand that as much as Halldora wanted this – to see a person – to hear their voice and to look into their eyes – she was in no hurry. You see, whales do not hurry. None of them are in a hurry. All whales take their time and all things happen when it is time for them to happen. There is no such thing as impatience with whales – you won’t hear a whale say ‘oh, I can’t wait for this to happen.’ No – whales can certainly be curious or even crave something – but they don’t rush toward it.
Such was the case with Halldora. She wanted to see a person and she was happy to wait until the time when she could. And then, quite unexpectedly – she did.
She was still a very young whale. Too young to sing herself or to jump very high out of the water. She was too young to investigate anything unusual and too young to approach something on her own. So one day, Halldora was doing what she did every day – she was swimming alongside her mother feeding on krill and plankton, and listening to the songs of the older whales. She felt deeply happy as she pulled in the many hundreds of pounds of plankton – slowly filling her belly with both food and song – and then she heard something else. It was soft and very far away – it was a low hum of a sound. Could it be … a horn?
It seemed that the other whales heard the same sound because they all slowed a little bit and turned slightly in the direction of the sound. Then one of them, perhaps her uncle, the leader of the pod, said that he thought – it was one of the boats meant to see whales. It had the same horn, he said. And then he suggested they investigate.
Halldora felt a slow wash of excitement move up her body and all the way to her head. This might be the day, she thought to herself, that I see my first person.
She stayed next to her mother as the pod slowly made room for her uncle to move to the front.. She and the rest of the whales followed. They swam for a ways when she heard another sound – it was a rumbling sound and consistent bubbling hum. She turned her head slightly toward her mother to ask what it was and her mother whispered, “It is the engine of the boat. Soon you will be able to hear the people.”
Halldora got more excited. She could feel the same wash move up through her body to her head – it was really going to happen.
She listened closely as they swam closer and then – far in the distance, she could see her uncle start to swim deeper. She knew what this meant. He was preparing to jump. She wondered if he was close to the boat now – that he would jump for them. She watched the distant, dark form of her uncle then turn back up and start swimming faster – he picked up great speed, and then – woooosh! Out of the water he went – he came up – over – and then there was an enormous splash as he came back into the water. (it seems this is from her perspective – she would see less of the splash and more of his return and the movement of the water) She smiled at this and then heard something new. It was in addition to the sound of the water droplets hitting the surface of the ocean – this was a louder sound – a smacking sound that grew louder and louder and then suddenly faded.
Again she turned toward her mother and her mother whispered, “They are clapping – they liked the jump.”
It was the people – it was them – she heard them – she heard them clap.
They all kept swimming closer until she could see both her uncle swimming back toward the pod. Then her eyes widened to see another form beyond him. It was floating along the surface of the water – it was the boat.
The boat was much smaller than she had imagined – about the size of her own mother. Somehow she thought that boats were all huge – with lots and lots of people on them. But this surprise did not last long – for she could see that the boat was coming closer to them. As it got closer, she heard new sounds – sounds she have never known. Fluttery sounds mixed with lower humming sounds. The result was a kind of percolating music – like the whale song but sped up very fast. She turned her head slightly toward her mother and her mother whispered, “Yes – people – their voices.”
Then her mother said something that at once filled her with amazement and nervousness. “Would you like to jump with me?”
Halldora looked at her mother and then back at the boat. She heard the rumble of the motor mixed with the fluttery song of the voices on board. Then waved one of her front flippers slightly to say – yes.
Her mother had a warm, sparkly look in her eye as she began to swim deeper. Halldora followed. They went side by side down and then turned to start back up. They swam faster and faster and Halldora could feel the water warm around her and the light get brighter and brighter as upwards she swam until ploosh! Out of the water, she went. And in a brief moment – a split second which for Halldora felt like it lasted for a very long time – she could see the people. She could see them lined up along the edge of the boat all looking – at her. She heard voices calling and then one voice in particular. It was a high voice – a sweet voice and it said, “Look mamma – it’s a baby!”
Before Halldora twisted around to prepare for the splash back in the water, she looked at the person who said that. It was a little person – a little girl. She wore a little hat and a thick jacket and her cheeks were rosy in the cool sea air. She was smiling and her eyes had the most beautiful shine to them.
For a moment – the tiniest little moment – Halldora and the little girl looked at each other and they shared a feeling. It was a warm feeling that buzzed throughout their bodies – it was a kind feeling that made their hearts hum with joy – it was the feeling of love.
And then SPLASH. Down Halldora went. She and her mother returned underwater and mixed with the sound of the droplets of water was the very loud and exciting sound of clapping and cheering. Halldora stilled her body so she could hear. She heard so many voices cheering and calling out and then she heard the little voice again – the girl’s voice say,
“Momma – the baby whale looked at me!”
Halldora felt so much at that moment. So much warmth and kindness and love she felt like her little body couldn’t hold it in. Her mother led her back to the pod to join the others, but Halldora was in a daze. She felt like she was in a dream.
A few minutes later when the pod was back together and the boat was headed back to shore, Halldora’s mother whispered, “That was a big moment Halldora – you must be tired.”
Halldora hadn’t thought about it and realized that yes, she was tired. She was very tired. She had been so excited that she didn’t realize what a big moment it was – plus it was always a little tiring to jump. She was still quite young so a jump took a lot of energy.
“I think a little nap will be just the thing,” said her mother softly.
Halldora nodded her head slightly and slowly blinked her eyes. Yes – a nap, she thought to herself, a nap would be good.
Her mother helped her float up to the surface where the waters were warm from the golden sun above. She moved her immense, warm body next to Halldora which warmed her even more – and with the quiet soothing sound of the lapping waves and occasional call of a seagull – little Halldora – the humpback whale calf who had had a very big day, fell gently and peacefully, asleep.