Why Are Our Friends

By Tony Stewart And Illustrated by

ISBN:

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Stradbroke has been Bessie’s home for many years now.  It was a place to live and a life style that Bessie would never swap as long as she had any say in it.  Bessie’ main job is to collect the tourists when they arrive and deliver them back to the ferry when it is time for them to return to the mainland; to take tourists to the beach - or sometimes right around the entire island

   Bessie loves the island and she loves her job.   And why wouldn’t she feel so good about working here.   There are always so many special things for her to do, so many special things to see.   This beautiful island is not only world famous as a tourist destination for swimming and surfing and walking , it is also one of the best places in Australia to see the passing whales as they migrate to and from the northern waters each year … and the tourists arrived in hordes every year during the migration season to see them.    And don’t they have a whale of a time when they come.   Ho!    Ho!   Ho!   (Dad joke).

   Some would come for the day – some for a longer stay, but whichever, it was always Bessie that took them to wherever they wanted to go … and, of course, Bessie was at her busiest during the whale migration season when Bessie would sometimes take certain ‘special’ tourists to a couple of ‘secret ‘vantage points known only to Bessie and her driver and ‘Buster’ who had lived on the island, like forever.   The ‘secret’ vantage points had to be kept secret because they would become overcrowded if too many people knew about them, and these vantage points also held secret things from the past lives of the community’s oldest inhabitants.   Buster was worried that these special artefacts and memories would get damaged if too many people visited the sites, so those that did receive the privilege of visiting these sites were sworn to secrecy.

    Like the tourists, Bessie too loved seeing the humpback whales as they played and sang their way alongside the island on their migration to and from the northern waters each year.   She never grew tired of the games they played as they interfaced with the humans – breaching and circling close to boats, kayaks and swimmers - without doing any harm to them whatsoever.   In fact, it was her favourite time of the year, and she only wished it would go on all year long.

   Bessie had once heard a story of why the whales always made an effort to communicate with the humans as they swam; why they would breach whenever there was a crowd on the beach - or a boat nearby.   

   Bessie had no idea whether the story was true or not, but she liked to think it was.   It was such a nice story, she had always thought, and once again the story began playing in her mind.

 

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   The story Bessie had heard many years earlier had been told to her by a man who himself was so old that Bessie had often felt he may very well have been there when the story took place.   But Bessie didn’t care, she still smiled as her thoughts took her back to the tale that he had told her on that wonderful summer's day,

   It had all begun, the old man had said, in a time when the world was a much younger place: when across the world warriors ruled the lands, and animals were only hunted and slaughtered to provide food and clothing for the local human population.

   And it was during this period of time that a young whale calf by the name of Nardook became separated from his mother on his first return journey to Antartica, when he had momentarily become distracted by a bloom of jellyfish which were a whale’s favourite sweet tasting food. 

   He hadn’t gone far, but he had gone the wrong way and soon became lost.   Not a good thing for a child in the best of circumstances, it must have felt even worse for the youngster because he didn’t have a clue which way was home and which way was not … and home was a long, long way away.   If he made the wrong decision … then they may never have found each other.   He could be searching for his mother - and his home for years … if he lasted that long.                   

   When he breached to look for his mother on the surface he was surprised to see land in the form of what turned out to be an island.    A long stretch of white sand separating the dark green foliage beyond it, and the white frothy waves that gently crashed down upon it … Nardook was mesmerised by the island’s beauty, but suddenly to add more fear to his young mind, Nardook sensed Orcas somewhere close by.   Orcas, if you didn’t know it already, are whale’s greatest enemy, and younger whales were in more danger than the adults because they were easier to catch.   And they tasted better

   Nardook became more than a little frightened, and although he was too young to really understand what Orcas did to young whales, he had something in his genes that warned him of danger when it made contact with him.   A deep rooted warning system that all whales inherited at the exact moment of their birth: something that set the nerves on end and screamed out the word ‘BEWARE’ whenever danger was close by, and Nardook was no exception to the rule.  

   Nardook knew instinctively, right this very minute, his life was in grave danger!

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    As he looked around the ocean in a desperate search for his mother whom he hoped would surface looking for him, Nardook took more notice of the long white shoreline for the first time, and he could see a point where the water seemed to flow into the shore and stay there.   What Nardook had found was an inlet leading to an estuary located just beyond the shoreline.   He felt certain the inlet would be deep enough to enter - and the estuary should give him protection until the killer whales moved on.    He felt he could hide in there and still look out for his mother and decided to take the risk.   He felt he had no choice.   Although he could sense the Orcas, he had no idea where they were … and he was in no hurry to actually locate them.

   Nardook swam as fast as he could towards the shore, continuously moving his eyes in all directions looking for the dorsal fins of his enemy.   Eventually he reached the beginning of the inlet and he hoped with all his heart that the water was deep enough to accommodate him.   Cautiously, Nardook moved through the narrow inlet, but he was relieved to find both the channel, and the estuary itself, were deep enough for him to feel safe. 

   Nardook swam upstream as far as he felt he could safely before he took a chance and managed a complete turn of his body within the estuary so he could check he hadn’t been followed by the Orcas, which, fortunately, he hadn’t.  Then to his surprise he sensed small fish.  Nardook dived down and ate heartily.  Boy did he eat.   He was a typical teenager with a teenager’s appetite.

   When he finished his meal he rested for a short while and unexpectedly fell asleep.  So deep asleep did he fall, he even had a dream about Orcas and they were chasing him, but in this dream he was not afraid.  He challenged the killer sharks and as a result the Orcas were sent packing with their tails between their fins.

   “Well,” he thought when he awoke, proud of his actions … until he realised it had only been a dream.

   ‘It’s time to see me mum,” He cried, and with that he breached.  Up! Up! UP he went, but it was no use.    

   Not only could he not see his mother – he couldn’t even see the Ocean!   Something was not right!  

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This surprised Nardook; it was certainly not what he had been expecting.  

   He breached again and again and again, but no matter how many times he tried, he still couldn’t see the ocean because he couldn’t get up high enough.  This, of course, meant he couldn’t see his mother even if she was there, and, Nardook sadly realised, she wouldn’t be able to see him either. 

   Nardook could not understand why the water seemed lower now than it had been when he had first entered the estuary, but, never-the-less he kept breaching and breaching and breaching until he was exhausted. 

   For well over an hour he dived deep, before rising high out of the water, but never once did he come anywhere near reaching the height he needed to reach.  In fact he felt that the water was getting lower with every breach he took. 

   Now what Nardook did not know at the time was the fact that the tide was going out, not coming in, and definitely not sitting at the one permanent level that he had thought it did.   Before this day Nardook had only known the deep waters of the open ocean and had not known, or understood, the effects tides had on inland waterways.   He had thought the water would have been just as deep any time he swam in or out through the inlet to or from the ocean. 

   Now, it is easy to look back on something in retrospect, and point out circumstances, but if Nardook had known how tides worked in advance of going into the estuary - then he would never have felt trapped.   He would have known that he could have left at any time and caught up with his mother.   That is if the Orcas weren’t still hanging around.   That could have a rather unhappy ending … as this one may very well have.

   However, fate is a funny thing.   If Nardook had known how tides worked, this story would never have been told, because the facts you are about to be hear would never have taken place.

   So Nardook, not knowing about tides, immediately resumed his breaching, but as he did so his instincts warned him that something was watching his every move.  Not something in the water.   Not Orcas.  Not a whale, but something on the land.  

   Cautiously, with every dive he now took, he repositioned himself in such a manner that his upward journey would allow him to look firstly for his mother, then take in the shoreline to see what was spying on him just before the splash his massive body made when it crashed back into the water blurred the entire land mass from his vision.  His eyes swept the hills, the sand dunes and the foreshore itself, north to south, south to north, but he saw not a thing. 

   It was nearing dark when Nardook finally rested … and within a minute he fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dawn broke as Nardook opened his eyes and faced the new day with some trepidation … his mind still heavy with the nightmares that had dominated his dreams throughout the entire night.

   He had been fortunate that the dreams had not woken him, but they certainly had frightened him.   The dreams had started sweetly enough, with him and his mother beginning their journey home.   They, and their herd, had been joined by large pod of dolphins that had played such fun looking games: games where they had raced each other, jumping and diving as they swam, and all with such grace.   It had been a large pod of nearly fifty adults and young ones and Nardook had known instinctively that they were all members of very small groups of three or four, but they played and acted like one huge family - one great big, happy family.

   And that was exactly how Nardook had felt about the dozens and dozens of Humpback whales that were accompanying him and his mother on their southern trek - one, great, big, happy family.

   Indeed, various youngsters joined and played together much to the amusement of their parents.   Skylarking and Dolphin Breaching, which is when a dolphin jumps up onto a whale’s head, and then the whale gently raises itself upwards and the dolphin slides itself down its massive back like a slippery slide ride.   It had been a lovely dream until the Orcas had arrived, and that is when the nightmares began.

   Nardook forced the nightmare out of his mind, and, as he did, the events of the previous day took over the thoughts in his mind.  And as they rolled through his mind he sighed, dived deep, ate some fish for breakfast, burped once, twice and then thrice … then once again for good luck.  Then he farted.   Just once, mind you, but it was a big one.   Bubbles flowed in all directions, and the smell made him turn his nose up in discomfort, but he knew he would survive.  He looked around the estuary to feel certain that he was alone - that the Orcas hadn’t arrived in the night.  They hadn’t, and in a confident mood Nardook was ready to try all over again.    

   Nardook took a deep breath before recommencing his breaching.  But after two hours of unsuccessful attempts - Nothing had changed since the previous day.   Nobody knew where he was.    Nobody could rescue him … he was still TRAPPED in the estuary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Throughout that day and into the next, Nardook continued to breach, always with the sense of being watched.   And always to no avail … the water was always too shallow for him to get up high enough to see the ocean … too shallow to see his mother …and nothing was ever revealed to him to justify the constant warnings his senses transmitted to him about something watching him.  No mater how hard he tried to see just who or what was watching him – he never saw a thing.   

   ‘Just my imagination, I suppose,’ he thought, but his instincts never stopped telling him different - never once.

   And every night the nightmares came.    Despite his courage, Nardook was still, after all, a very young child.   The dark, lonely nights; the constant nightmares, were all beginning to take their toll.   His future was beginning to look very bleak and scary.   He needed a hug and assurances that only a parent or an adult could provide … and neither appeared to be on the horizon.

 

On the fourth morning Nardook became listless.   He did not try to breach.   He sensed his food supply had arrived overnight, but he was not interested in eating.   He just felt sad.   He could feel the current beginning to move beneath him, threatening to carry him further along the estuary as it had threatened to do each day since he had arrived, usually occurring not long after he had stopped breaching.   Of course, the ‘current’ was actually the ‘tide’ coming in, and, of course, Nardook did not know about tides yet, but up until now it had been easy for him to prevent himself from being washed upstream, in fact he did so without even thinking about it.   But today he didn’t care.   ‘Let it take me,’ he thought, ‘I am going to be stuck in this estuary forever anyway.  I may as well see some new things.   It won’t matter if I get stuck somewhere should it become even shallower wherever it takes me.’  

   But as he slowly drifted along towards the unknown Nardook noticed the changing landscape that lined the foreshore: a soft green carpet of grass that covered the area beyond the sandy foreshore that separated the land from the water.   

   He found the changed scene pleasant enough, but not exciting -  until the sudden appearance of some strange looking animals: tall, funny shaped grey and red things, with little heads and extremely large feet, either lazing on the grass at the side of the estuary, or jumping for miles with each bound.   Some even had the head of a much smaller version of themselves sticking out of their tummies.   Boing!   Boing!   Boing!   Nardook could swear he could actually hear the strange animals as they bounced along the sand and as he watched and listened, Nardook smiled for the first time that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nardook was fascinated by the antics of the strange animals as they hopped, skipped and jumped all over the grass and beach, and he began laughing so hard that his head threatened to fall off.   (I wonder if it would have gone Boing!   Boing!   Boing!, when it hit the water if it did fall off?    No, I guess it would just have sunk and made a Blub!   Blub!   Blub!  noise).

    Anyway, Nardook thought they were hilarious to watch, and felt like he was the only one in the world to witness this beautiful display of agility and athleticism.

  ‘A private display put on for my pleasure and my pleasure alone’, Nardook thought to himself, when suddenly, to his further surprise, somebody else joined in the laughter; loud, uproarious laughter began erupting everywhere.  

    It came from above him – from behind him – from beside him.  In fact, it seemed to come from all around him, except from below him, of course, but certainly everywhere else.   Nardook was completely baffled by this turn of events because he could see nobody but the animals that were amusing him … and they were certainly not laughing.    He looked down to his right, then to his left, then swept his eyes slowly back again, but still saw nothing.

   Then something made him take a look high in the huge trees that grew on the green grass and not only did he find the answer to his question, he also found another surprise.

   Birds!   Big black and white birds with extremely large beaks!   Beaks big enough to do damage to a snake should an owner want it want to, and Nardook found out many years later that they do want to.   In fact kookaburras actually eat snakes on some occasions and use those long, strong beaks to kill the snake.   Dozens and dozens of them perched on the branches, birds with beaks, that is, not just beaks, and all making Bessie’s day the most wonderful ever with their joyous laughter.  

  Then Nardook realised, on the lower branches, there were dozens of small, furry creatures, some with smaller versions of themselves sitting on their backs, and they were all eating small green leaves using their hands in the same way his mother had described the way humans would eat a sandwich or a chicken leg.   Nardook thought they looked cute as they chewed slowly on the green leaves, the youngsters hanging on gently to their backs, showing no signs of fear of falling. 

   ‘A total trust,’ Nardook thought, ‘it’s lovely, really, really lovely.’   And it made Nardook think about his own mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Nardook could not stop laughing at what he could see, and his mood changed from depair to joy!  

   The bounding creatures, the cuddly doll like creatures, and the laughing birds with the huge beaks, all had conspired to lift his mood from sorrow to happiness; from self pity to a new found confidence.  He was happy once again and he made an instant decision to try and have another attempt at escaping from the estuary and rejoin his mother on their homeward journey.

   He could do it!  he exclaimed inside his excited mind,

   He WOULD do it!  He screamed out loudly, startling the entire flock of kookaburras who nearly fell of their perches; frighting the young koalas so much they let go of their mother’s back for a second, and then nearly ripped the fur off their mum’s back as they quickly tried to regain their grip as they tried desperatly to save themselves from falling to the ground, which, fortunatly enough, they managed to do.   Though most of the mum’s almost fell out of the trees themselves as their babies sharp claws dug deep into their backs.

   And the kangaroos froze, some in the middle of a jump, which was a hard thing to do when you think about it.   Of course, freezing in mid air is a physical impossiblity, so they all, rather unceremoniously, crashed back to earth.   The kangaroos were not very impressed with Nardook’s loud voice, but they were polite and said nothing.   But, boy … if you could read their thoughts … .

   Nardook, however, knew nothing about these events; all he was worried about was getting a kiss and a cuddle from his mum before she took him home.   He grinned, dived deep, swam as fast as he could, then re-emerged with a massive explosion as he performed the highest breach he had ever been able to do.   He was going to fly so high and long he would end up plop, dead smack in front of her, he thought to himself.  ‘Yes siree, Bob.   That was exactly what was going to happen’, he said.  But the best laid plans, as they say ... .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   “Yaaaahoooooo!,” Nardook screamed out loudly, his words spiced with glee as he flew upwards, seemingly going forever, and to some degree he was, but he was not going the way his imagination had taken him before he jumped.   In fact his massive body was heading in an entirely different direction when he began to fall back into the water … but Nardook had forgotten that he hadn’t swum through the waters he was now diving and breaching in, he had simply floated on it to get where he was. 

   It was all uncharted waters at the moment.  

   He had no idea whatsoever about what was underneath him.   Nor was he aware that the water had risen because the tide was coming in.  

   This was why the current had been so strong earlier when it carried him upstream to where he was now.

   And being in unfamiliar territory helped to explain why, instead of falling back into the water as he expected to before causing a huge SPLASH, he made a rather squishy ‘ploop’ sound when he landed.’  

   And then he found himself stuck on something that now kept him half in and half out of the water.  

   Nardook had no idea whatsoever as to what he was stuck on. 

   He could look to his left.

   He could look to his right.

   But he couldn’t look underneath himself - and that was fast becoming a source of frustration.

   He thrashed his tail.

   He bounced his body.

   He shook his head,

   But nothing was going to free him.

   Nardook could not move.   He was trapped!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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High on the sand dunes, hidden in the shade of tall trees at the edge of the beach, Yoona, a young warrior who had been studying the whale since it had first arrived in the estuary, could not believe his eyes when, and how, it became stuck.

    At first Yoona had had no idea what the huge creature had been doing when it had allowed itself to be carried upstream by the tide after its continuous efforts at breaching whenever the tide was low.    He knew something was wrong, but he had only limited knowledge about their normal behaviour, so he was uncertain as to what could be wrong.  

   Yoona had observed the whales as they passed by the island for many years now, but he knew he still had much to learn about their culture.   It had been something he had done since his sixth birthday, when an elder had introduced him to the annual pilgrimage the large creatures undertook.   A pilgrimage, the elder had explained, that had taken place since the beginning of time, or at least as long as the warriors had existed.   A journey that no warrior had been able to fully interpret, with the exception that they knew it had been a journey of life, for the creatures always returned with new-borns in tow.  

   The warriors had also learnt the weather patterns that the whales followed.   The oncoming of winter months signalled the arrival of the gentle giants as they headed north to breed.    The warmer months of late spring and summer signalled the return to the southern waters.    And that was all they knew about them.

   But they had seen the whales frolicking in the water.   They had seen how they moved in packs, in family groups, like warriors did when they were forced to move camp in search of somewhere new to live when the weather changed, causing the creeks and rivers to rise and flood the plains, or when the summer storms caused fires to rage across a dried land.   They had heard the whales singing as they travelled, so they knew how they communicated.

  And they had seen the whales playfully breaching and assumed playing was a natural behaviour for them.  It was no wonder then that Yoona had been unaware that Nardook had been breaching in an attempt to escape from the estuary, and not playing silly whale games.

   However, when he heard Nardook laughing at the kookaburras and kangaroos he knew the huge creature was at least enjoying itself, and when it suddenly dived under the water he had guessed correctly what it was going to do.

   But he had absolutely no idea as to why the whale had decided to jump up on ‘Mother’ and get itself trapped. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Yoona continued to watch the stranded whale, and may very well have stayed there all day waiting to see what Nardook would do next, because Yoona really believed that Nardook had landed on the rock on purpose.   ‘How will he get out of Mother’s arms?’,   Yoona wondered’   ‘Will he wiggle his way out?  Will he suddenly jump up in the air … then propel himself forward so that he would fall back into the water?   So many possibilities’, Yoona thought.   Then Yoona heard a strange sound.   It was so unexpected it took him quite a few seconds to work out what it was … and, more importantly, where it came from.   And when Yoona worked out the answer to both questions, he was surprised.   For the sound was similar to that of a young child softly crying … a mournful, pitiful sound … and it had come from the whale!

   Yoona instantly realised the creature was in trouble: big, big trouble.    Without thought or plan, Yoona ran down to the water’s edge and his canoe, and rowed out to the stranded whale as fast as he could.

   “Are you alright, mate?”  Yoona called out without thinking when he arrived beside the stranded whale.   After all, he was calling out to a rather large fishy thing stuck up on a huge rock that was only likely to reply with a gurgle (or something just as fishy).    ‘Doh!’, Yoona thought to himself, ‘why didn’t I just call out something like ‘Gloop.  Gloop.   Bloop?   It would have made just as much sense?’   But to his surprise - not only did the whale hear him – it replied!

   “Yes, thank you, and my name is Nardook, not, Mate,” Nardook replied in an admonishing tone, but the tone subsided rapdily as the reality of his situation returned to him, “but I think I am rather stuck at the moment.  Am I stuck?   I can’t seem to turn my head to see what has happened?

   “Well, yes, you certainly are stuck”,   Yoona replied once he had overcome the shock of actually hearing a whale talking to him, but Yoona was a warrior, and warriors are taught very young in their life that nature had many gifts to offer to those that took the time to communicate with what it offered.   And this unexpected conversation was no exception.  “Actually you are on top of a very special rock.   I must admit I was a bit surprised to see you land on it.   It must have hurt a bit.”

   “Oh yes, it certainly did,” Nardook said with a roll of the eyes, “My belly is still aching.  But I didn’t mean to end up here.   Actually, I didn’t even realise the rock was there.   Did it just sort of, well, pop up?”

   “Didn’t you see it when you passed by it?”   Yoona asked in surprise,   “You were so close to it you almost ran into it.  

   “No, I was tired.  I was lonely.  I was sad.   I had lost interest in everything.   Then I saw those funny animals and I was happy again.    I had made my mind up - I was going home.   I tried to get back to the ocean … now I am trapped again.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   “I can’t believe that you didn’t see Mother.”   Yoona said, his voice betraying his disbelief at Nardook’s denial,    “She’s huge … even when the tide is in like it is now.  Why did you come into the estuary, Nardook?   Didn’t you think it was a bit of a risk; that perhaps it would be too small for you?  A bit dumb wasn’t it?   No wonder you’re trapped in Mother, you’re just a dumb bunny … or whatever you are.    What are you anyway, besides a big fishy thing?” 

       “I am a whale,”   Nardook replied with a sad sigh,   “I have been trapped for the past three days.   But I had no choice in coming in to the estuary.   My mother and I had been travelling back to our home with some other whales and I had sensed Jellyfish nearby.   My friend, Jonah, had told me that his big brother, Ahab, had told him that jellyfish were the most beautiful, sweetest thing you could ever eat, and I wanted to try some, but I forgot to tell my mother where I was going.   I found the jellyfish, and they were everything that I had been told they were, but when I tried to rejoin my mother I couldn’t find her.   I breached to see if I could see her and I thought I sensed Orcas nearby.   They would have liked to have eaten me, so I came in here to hide.   But the water suddenly became too low for me to breach high enough to see if they were still there – or if my mother was looking for me.   And it has been like that every time I breached, so I don’t know where she is.    Mind you, it is rather funny in one way, but while I am stuck up here I can see the OCEAN again, but it doesn’t do me any good; there is no sign of my mother … and I still can’t get out of here.”

   “Oh, sorry,” Yoona mumbled, rolling his eye upwards and backwards at his gaffe.  “I didn’t realise …”   Yoona hadn’t meant to be insensitive and he knew immediately he would still have many things to learn as his life rolled on.   Perhaps next time, he thought, he would be a bit more cautious in the way he asked questions.   At the moment, however, he felt embarrassed and was uncertain what else to say in case he got that wrong as well.   But Yoona was spared further embarrassment when Nardook posed a question.

   “Why is it so special?”  Nardook asked, “This rock you call Mother,”   ?

   “One night, many years ago,” Yoona began, relieved to change the subject, “a young girl was swept away by a cyclone.  We thought we had lost her, but in the morning we found her on this rock – safe and well.   The rock is shaped like the letter ‘Y’, but the tip of it, the Vee shape, is all that is exposed on a high tide.  When we first found the girl it was low tide and the rock looked like its arms were holding the child up to show the world she was safe and we christened the rock ‘Mother’.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    “That was a nice story,” Nardook remarked in a remorseful tone, “Now its holding me up.   Oh, how I wish I had never come in here.   If only I hadn’t gone after those jellyfish.   I would never have become separated from my mother … and I certainly would never have ended up here in this mother’s cold and rocky arm’s”

     “No, I suppose not, Yoona agreed, then he had a sudden thought, and a huge grin began to cross his face.

   “What do Orcas look like?”   Yoona asked for two reasons, one of which was curiosity – the other, if he was right in his thinking, would be a pleasant surprise for Nardook … because Yoona was beginning to have an idea.

   “They are much smaller than the humpback whale, which is what I am,” Nardook replied, “though I am only a young boy, and I have a long way to grow as I get older, but they are very much smaller than my mother … and they are shaped differently … and they hunt in packs.   Oh, and one more thing - they look terrifying!” 

   “And what colour are they?”  Yoona asked excitedly.

   “They are black and white.  Why?  Can you see some?”

   “No,” Yoona replied with a smile, “but I just saw six grey creatures like you earlier today, only they were all much, much bigger than you – and they were all going the wrong way.   Or, at least, they were going a different way than all of the others I have seen over the past few weeks.”

   “They were looking for me.” Nardook said excitedly, a tear forming in the corner of his eye as he spoke.  “I need to get free and return to the ocean to catch up with my mother,” he said, his voice still soft for one so big,  “I thought I had lost her when I couldn’t see her wherever I breached, but being so high I could see her now if she were there.  But I can’t sing our special song yet, so I couldn’t call out to her even if I could see her.   And I do need to get back into the water soon.   I really can’t stay up here forever.  Can you help me get free?   I would be ever so grateful.” 

   “I reckon I can, my friend,” Yoona replied with a smile. “I reckon I can.   I’ve got an idea - won’t be too long.”  He said, “you wait right here.   Don’t move a muscle.

   Nardoon looked at Yoona in total disbelief. “Yeah, sure thing, Yoona, not a muscle will I move, not one.”

   “Good boy, Nardook.”  Yoona called out as he rowed towards the shore … and Nardook rolled his eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   There were not a lot of things that Nardook could do comfortably at the moment, in his rather precarious position at the top of a rather large and uncomfortable rock, but one thing he could do was turn his head in the direction of the beach, and as he did so he saw almost all of the villagers had assembled at the shoreline to meet Yoona.   And it was then that Nardook realised just how much he had failed to see before he came across those wonderful animals that had made him so very happy.    So happy - he had tried to rush home.    So happy- he ended up stuck on a rock.   Suddenly He was no longer certain just how happy he was.  ‘But, if Yoona could help me get home, I’d be the happiest whale in the world,’ he thought.

   Nardook watched the young warrior gathering his tribe around him, and he wondered what Yoona was saying to them as he waved his arms around in all directions, including pointing them towards the rock where he was stranded.

   Nardook wished he knewwhat  Nardook had in mind to free him and how long it would take, because it was getting quite warm out of the water.    He was worried because he had no idea how long he could remain out of the water without it causing him harm, or making him sick.    His mother had told him how whales occasionaly become stranded in low water.     ‘According to whale lore they could last for quite some time’ she had told him, but they didn’t always manage to get back into deep water, and those who did get themselves out of trouble and survived, often had skin problems that lasted for years afterwards.’  The thought of being stranded on Mother forever sent a shiver down Nardook’s back that frightened him.  

   Nardook then began to wonder what would happen to him if Yoona couldn’t  help him, and he was fast becoming even more frightened that he would get burnt to a crisp, or at least lightly roasted …if he was left stuck in Mother’s  arms for much longer.

    And he had no idea what a large, bright pink, baby whale would look like, but he was fairly certain that it would not be a pretty picture.  ‘Probably frighten a few children and make the dogs bark,’  he thought.

  Suddenly Nardook’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of activity taking place on the shore.  

   Yoona’s friends had broken up into two groups, one of which ran towards the bright green forest that stood just beyond the beach, returning shortly afterwards with two fallen trees which they placed on the sand, then cut off the branches.  

   Meanwhile the other group returned with four extremely long lengths of vine which they too placed on the beach.

   Nardook was mystsified by their actions, but he smiled, because he felt Yoona did indeed have a plan to save him,

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   However, from where Nardook was lying, Yoona’s plan seemed rather complicated.

    The vines, and the trees which were now reduced to poles, were laid out on the beach side by side in a straight line, one end pointing towards Nardook, the other end towards the forest, and the entire village, with the exception of some very young children and a few elderley men and women, formed themselves into six lines along the length of the vines and the trees.

   Unexpectedly, a new noise attracted Nardook’s attention and he looked past Yoona and his friends, past the trees and vines that lay on the beach, past the sandy beach to the edge of the edge of the forest and was amazed to see more warriors heading towards the beach.  

   ‘What are they doing over there?’  Nardook wondered as Yoona welcomed the visitors from the next village before turning and pointing to Nardook.   The new arrivals shook their heads in agreement with whatever it was that Yoona had just said, or so it seemed to Nardook - then Yoona quickly allocated them each a line to stand in.

   Yoona called out his first instruction and a member from each of the four lines that were standing besides the vines grabbed the end of their vine and ran up to the gum trees at the edge of the grassy area where each wrapped their end of the vine around their tree three times, then tied it in a huge knot before taking their place in the lines again.

   Yoona then called out his next instruction and everybody, depending upon which line they were in, reached down and placed a hand on a pole or a vine and waited for Yoona’s final instruction.

   Yoona counted to three to ensure that everybody would be in the same position - then called out for the vines and poles to be lifted. 

    Everybody picked up their vine, or their tree, and as soon as they were all standing upright with the rescue gear in their hands they waded into the water and began making their way out to Nardook as quickly as they could.

   The minute the rescuers arrived at ‘Mother’s side’ the poles were placed side by side under Nardook’s huge belly, the vines were looped around each end of the poles and the remaining lengths of vine were then taken back to shore.  

   Once the rescuers had all arrived back on the beach they formed into four lines facing Nardook and ‘Mother’.  

   On Nardook’s command they reached down, picked up the vine beside them and slowly pulled on it until they had dragged in the slack and the vine was now reasonably taut in their hands.   

   Everything was now in readiness … and Nardook still had no idea what they were going to do.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Nardook continued to look towards the group on the beach and was still very confused by their actions   ‘What are they doing?’, he asked nobody in particular, ‘it looks like they are going to compete in a massive tug-of –war.   Oh, I wish they would hurry up.   All this strain on my neck to see what’s happening is giving me a massive headache.   I wonder if somebody has any asprin?   And a cold coke would be nice in this hot sun … if anybody is offering, that is.’   But, of course, nobody heard a word he said.

   Meanwhile, on the beach, Yoona’s plan was about to kick in.   The plan was simple enough: On Yoona’s command everybody would pull their vine as hard as they could at the same time: the logs and vines had been positioned in such a way that when pulled, one log would remain where it had been placed, but the other log would be pulled in between it and Nardook’s stomach and that would force Nardook’s body to lift high enough for him to pop him out of mother’s arms.    

   Well that was the plan … but would it work?   That was the question that was about to be answered.

   On Yoona’s command, everybody pulled hard on their vine … they pulled very , very hard - but nothing happened.      

   They pulled again … and again nothing happened. 

   They pulled hard for a third time … and a collective sigh from the rescuers could be heard when nothing happened again.   Now there’s a question for you: can nothiing happen over and over again without becoming something?   And if it becomes something, how can it be nothing?  Anyway, back to the story.

   “One really big pull,”   Yoonan called out encouragingly, “we can do it this time.   One … two … three … Pull!!!”  

   Everybody strained … sweated … grunted … cursed … complained under their breath, pulled faces, prayed for more strength … and strained even harder, but they had failed again.   A few even farted from straining too much … and as expected a collective, and very exasperated, sigh could be heard as a result of their failure.

   Then, as the would-be rescuers pondered their failed attempts, a new sound covered the water that lay before them.   A mournful, discomforting, sound that rippled across the water, whispered across the sands and then ripped at their individual hearts: it took them less than a heartbeat to realise just what the sound was.  It was the sound of a young child who was suffering in a way that no child should suffer.    It was the sound of a child in pain and discomfort.   It was Nardook.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    Immediately Yoona heard Nardook’s cries he ran to the shore where his canoe was parked, pushed it into the water and began to row out to Nardook as fast as he could row.

   “Nardook, my old china,” whatever is the matter with you?”  Yoona asked when he arrived beside the stranded whale, “Have you seen Orcas?   Is something frightening you?  What can I do to help you?”  

   “I’m terribly sorry for crying,” Nardook replied in a soft voice, “but it’s hurting so bad.”

   “There is no need to apologise, my friend, but what is hurting you?  

   “My belly,” Nardook replied, his voice still very soft. 

   “Do you mean, like you have a pain in your belly?   Wind, perhaps?”  Yoona asked, the tone a combination of panic and frustration because he knew that the tide was due to change shortly, and their time to free and release Nardoon was fast running out.   Then a thought crossed his mind and he whispered quietly to Nardoon so those on shore wouldn’t hear, “Do you need to go to the toilet?   Do you need a potty?   No, no – of course not.   Perhaps a branch of gum leaves, no, of course you don’t – you’re not a koala.  We’ve got toilet paper, but it might not be long enough.”   When Nardook looked blankly at him, Yoona quickly changed tact,   “Something to help you to go, perhaps?   We should have something in the medicine room.”    Yoona was becoming extremely worried about the time and he knew he had to fix things … and fix them soon. 

   Nardook managed a little laugh as he answered, “No,” he said, “it just hurts every time your friends pull on the rope.”

   “Oooooh, it shouldn’t do that,” Yoona said with great concern, “I wonder if,” but instead of finishing his sentence. Yoona jumped up in the canoe and dived into the water, leaving poor Nardook totally confused.

   A minute later Yoona broke the surface, a glum look on his face as he pulled himself back into his canoe.   “I’m not absolutely sure what the problem is, “he said, but I have an idea.   Please be patient, my friend.   I’ll sort this out as fast as I can.”

   “Oh, I hope that you do.   It is getting very hot up here.   I’ll probably end up all squishy looking … yuk!”   

   “Fast as we can, old mate, fast as we can.”   Yoona said with a comforting smile as he began to row, but as he did Yoona broke out in a huge smile as his imagination conjured up visions of what a squishy looking whale would look like.

     Back on shore Yoona explained how he intended to help Nardook: two of his friends would come with him back to where Nardook was stranded.    He needed to check something to be certain and when he was ready to test his theory his friends would signal them to pull.  But he had to be quick: time was running out to prevent Nardook from becoming squishy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Everybody got themselves in position early to await Yoona’s signal as he and his two helpers set off - and the very second they arrived beside the stranded Nardook, Yoona dived into the water, the signal was given - and everybody pulled hard on their vines as they had been instructed to.   And to everybody’s dismay … Nardook gave out an unexpected yelp and everybody cringed.    But everybody gritted their teeth and retained the tension on the vines as Yoona had requested.

   Tick … Tick … Tick.  The seconds were agonisingly slow in their passing as Yoona did whatever it was that he was doing under water, while those on the surface, and on the beach, became increasingly frustrated by their inability to do anything for the moment but cause Nardook more pain as they waited for Yoona’s next instruction. 

    They knew only too well the effects the environment and the lack of water were having on the young whale, and the vines were causing even more pain.   They wanted instant action, something tangible that they could do to correct his situation.   But they also knew far too well that a plan was in action – and it would have to be followed to its completion for it to work - and Nardook to be freed.

   But knowing, and understanding, didn’t make it any easier for those waiting above - and their nerves were beginning to shatter when Yoona suddenly surfaced next to Nardook, the signal was given, and the vines immediately dropped to the ground.

   “I know what is wrong,” Yoona called out happily to a very upset Nardook, “hold on for just one more moment, young fella; we need to pull the vines just one more time.”   Nardook winced at the thought, but Yoona continued,   “As soon as you feel the vine touching your stomach, I need you to lift your tail up as high as you can and draw it as far back towards your head as you can - then hold it there until I tell you to put it down again.   Okay?’

    “Yes, alright, if you say so,” Nardook sighed, as he nodded his great head in agreement, “but why?   What is wrong?  It still hurts when they do that.  I don’t know how much more I can take.” 

   “Just be patient, my friend, please,” Yoona asked gently, “it will only hurt for a second or too.   I promise.  You’ll see.”  

   Nardook sighed and nodded his head in agreement, but he wasn’t happy.

   Yoona instructed his friends to signal the shore – the signal was sent and everybody pulled their vines … and as they did Nardook lifted his huge tail and drew it back … back … back … - SUDDENLY one of the vines went slack – and those holding that vine lost their balance and they all fell backwards.   And when the would-be rescuers got themselves up onto their feet again, that vine was now floating on the water … not under it like the others … and Yoona knew Nardook was almost free. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Yoona, who had been watching Nardook underwater as the vines were being pulled, resurfaced and called out to him, 

   “You can put your tail down, Nardook.   Did that hurt?   Do you feel better now?”

   “It did only hurt for a second, thank you, Yoona,”  a very happy and relieved Nardook replied as he brought his massive tail down with a gentle splash as it made contact with the water,  “and ooooh, yes … that feels a lot better.”

   It had quickly dawned on both the rescuers, and Nardook himself, what had happened.   Somehow the rope had become entangled in Nardook’s tail - and whenever they pulled that rope it was somehow forcing just the one end of the log to push into Nardook’s stomach, and that is what had been hurting him.    And, of course, he needed for it to be straight when it was pulled so it could be positioned on top of the other log.

   The team holding that line pulled up the slack and they were ready to try again – more than ready, now that they knew that they wouldn’t be hurting Nardook … and they had a newfound sense of guarantee that they would succeed this time.

   Nardook, too, felt elated, confident that his new found friends would save him.   That they would somehow find the strength and the stamina to somehow flip him out of the rock they called Mother and into the arms of his real mother (Figuratively speaking, that is).

   “Try again!”  Yoona screamed out loudly from his canoe to those on the shore awaiting instructions. 

   But nobody on the beach moved a muscle.   Instead they just stared at Yoona who began to scratch his head in confusion.   “Why hadn’t they pulled the vines?” he wondered.

   Yoona tried again.   “Pull the vine”, he screamed out to them, his voice even louder than the last time.

   But once again nobody on the beach made a move of any kind.   They just stood there looking at him like he was an idiot or something.

   Yoona was beside himself in frustration as he tried to work out what was going on, then he noticed that one or two of the group were putting cupped hands to their ears.   ‘They can’t hear me,’ Yoona said in astonishment, ‘but that is impossible’, and it was then that Yoona realised just how noisy it was suddenly becoming … and whatever it was, as it got closer and closer to him, it also got louder and louder.   So loud, so noisy, it was beginning to give him a headache .  It seemed to be everywhere around him, then, unexpectedly, he recognised the noise as laughter and turned to see where they were because wherever they were Yoona knew that trouble had turned up.    Somewhere close by …the kookaburras had arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   And the kookaburras certainly had arrived.   Eighty five of them were laughing their heads off (figuratively speaking, of course – their heads were really staying on their shoulders), but for Nardook it was a marvellous sight and it brought a new joy to his heart because this time he could  understand what they were saying, and they had an important message for him.

   ‘Your mother is on her way,” they told him, “we had seen you stuck on the rock and we had also seen the huge creatures that looked like you going up and down the coast.   We put two and two together and approached the huge creatures.   One of them identified herself as your mother and had told us she would wait for you near the estuary entrance when Yoona had you back in the water and you could make your way to the open ocean .’

   Nardook’s heart was beating wildly in excitement at this news and he asked the birds why he hadn’t been able to understand them earlier and they explained that they hadn’t been talking kookaburra, they had been laughing at the jokes some of the flock had been making about the kangaroos, and they were mimicking the roos’ language as they did so.

   “kangaroo was not an easy language to understand”, one of the kookaburras explained , “because the kangaroos did a lot of their talking as they hopped around, and the pronunciation of a word would change every time they bounced.   Big dumbos”, the kookaburra said with a laugh, “the only way we can understand what they are saying half the time is by jumping up and down as they bounce.  Most inconvenient if one is sitting on the branch of a rather old gum tree when they start up a conversation.   The branches can be very rough sometimes as you jump up and down on it trying to keep up with the story they are telling.   Plays havoc with your botty, I tell you.   Now and then a kangaroo gets so exited telling his story I end up with a raw butt.   Sometimes takes over a week to heal.  It gets so sore I can’t sit on a tree.   I have to find a soft patch of grass to rest on … makes it rather awkward to swoop down on an unsuspecting worm or grub when one is hungry.   I’m lucky they don’t turn the tables on me and eat all of my toes while I am stuck on the ground.”  

   The air suddenly began to roar like an approaching category one cyclone, as every one of the other eighty four kookaburras added their thoughts and complaints regarding Kangaroo talk; and the ensuing volume threatened to deafen everybody within half as mile of where they were perched.

   Yoona cupped his hands in front of his mouth and yelled as loud as he could, “If you don’t mind, we are attempting to rescue this young fella.”  Yoona’s voice thundered trough the air giving the majority of kookaburras that had perched themselves on various parts of the young whale such a start that nearly three quarters of them fell into the water.

   ‘Well, that should keep them quiet for a few moments,’   Yoona said laughing.   ‘Now, let’s get this show on the road.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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    Nardook, who wasn’t in a position to see what had happened to the birds, looked at Yoona in surprise.   “I didn’t know you could speak kookaburra,” he said, , “in fact I have only just realised that you speak whale … or, do I speak human?    I really have no idea.”

   “Aw, a bit of both, I reckon.”    Yoona replied.   It ain’t too hard.   They have a limited vocabulary.    But we can all speak it.   It’s a warrior’s job to be able to speak to all of nature’s creatures.   The same as we can read the signs when the weather is going to change or the fires are going to start.   We need to so we can survive.”   Yoona replied is a soft, confident voice.    “But enough chit chat.  It’s time to get you out of Mother and back on your way home to your own family.

    Yoona stood up in his canoe ready to set the wheels in motion to free Nardook, but first he turned his attention to the soggy, black and white birds with very large beaks, that had again perched themselves on Nardook’s huge body.    He wasn’t worried about those chewing on small fish and a side order of chips as they waited for the action to begin, though he did wonder where they had got the chips - at least they were keeping quiet about getting wet, unlike the others who were loudly carrying on about it, and it was them that concerned him.    Their loud voices had been the reason  for them getting wet in the first place when had yelled at them.   He needed silence and they weren’t helping.    

   But it was a situation that Yoona knew how to handle, and handle it he did.

    “Oy, Birdbrains!,” he yelled out loudly to attract their attention, ‘give it a rest.’ and his choice of words received an immediate response.   For a split second there was a deafening silence … but it lasted for just a second.

   “Hey, who are you calling, Birdbrain, Bro?”   One rather chubby kookaburra named Kenny called out as he jumped up on his tippy toes.

   “That would be you, you silly kookaburra … unless you would rather be called Kookyburra.”   Yoona responded with a grin, “it would probably suit you better, I think    What do you reckon, Krazy Kenny Kookyburra, or perhaps, Billy Birdbrain, which do you prefer?”

   The bird continuously jumped up and down on the spot spluttering angrily, but after two failed attempts at a smart retort, or even saying something intelligible, he decided to sit down and be quiet.”   But he was definitely not happy.

   Yoona decided to state his case quickly, before the birds went ballistic again,    “I would really appreciate you guys keeping quiet for a few minutes.” he began, “My friend here is only young and he needs to be fully in the water as soon as possible, and all of your chattering is making it difficult for my friends to hear my instructions.  So if you don’t mind putting a zip on it, I’ll get on with what I have to do,” and without waiting for a reply Yoona screamed out, “Pull! Now!”    The birds fell back into the water – again … and everybody on the beach pulled as hard as they had ever pulled.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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   Everybody pulled as hard as they could. 

   They pulled harder than they had ever pulled anything in their entire lives.

   They pulled harder than was possible to pull because they were determined to complete the job they had set out to do – and they intended to do it successfully!

   Nardook felt far better this time as they pulled on the vines than he had on the previous attempts.   Releasing the tension of the vine on his tail had made this a far easier thing for him to put up with, and he was just as confident as everybody else that this time things would go right.   However, he would be a lot happier when it was all over and he was on his way home.

   The kookaburras had resettled on Nardook’s long body for the third time, but this time they became more enthralled at watching the race against time to save Nardook than to bother having private conversations.   This, however, did not prevent them from becoming excessively noisy as they cheered on the rescuers, even to the point that they made up a game that the four teams were in competition with each other and began selecting a team to barrack for.

   This, in turn, lead to dozens of inane comments being screeched out every couple of seconds as they attempted to call out encouraging remarks to the team they had decided to follow.   

   Most of what they were yelling out in their excitement was pure gibberish, especially when there was no actual race being undertaken in the first place, but there was one particular call that caught Nardook’s ears … and he listened intently to it.

   “Come on team four, you little rippers,” one of the birds sitting on Nardook’s head called out,   “Don’t let the other’s win.   We’ve got fifteen pilchards and two freshly killed grass snakes riding on you to win … so you better win or we’ll starve.”

    ‘Goodness,’   Nardook said with a shudder, ‘they’re betting on which team is going to win.   I thought they all had to pull at the same time.   I do hope the warriors know what they are doing.   I really do want to go home.

   The crazy kookaburras had put a fright in Nardook’s mind, but he had been right in his thinking … all four vines did need to be pulled at the same time - not separately … and across the way, at the water’s edge, the warriors and their families were doing their very best to work as a team.

   They had gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, convinced themselves they had the strength of Superman and Hercules rolled into one, opened their eyes and braced themselves for `Yoona’s signal.  And when it had come – they had been ready.  As one, they had flexed their muscles, picked up their vine and gave an almighty pull, but, without warning, the four vines crashed back into the water almost as fast as they went up.   Everybody had been pulling far too hard to stop when the vines unexpectedly dropped back to the water and they all lost balance and fell backwards onto the sand … had it all gone wrong?

 

 

 

 

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   But things had gone well.  Nardook popped up out of Mother’s arms and flew high into the sky before plopping unceremoniously back down into the water nearly fifty metres away from Mother.  And what a splash he made.

   And just as Nardook landed, the warriors were on the verge of untangling themselves and getting back on their feet when a massive flood of water from Nardoon’s belly flop rained down on them.   The weight of so much water in one drop knocked them ALL back down onto the sand … and this time, because they were all wet, the sand stuck to their bodies making them feel all itchy and uncomfortable, but nobody minded, in fact everybody broke out in racaous laughter at how they now looked.   Their hair was now a thick, gritty, matted mess - their faces almost invisble due to the gritty white sand that covered them, but their laughter was that of joy and happiness as they saw the giant youngster making his way to the open sea … and his mother.   They had fought the battle to free Nardook and won the day.   ‘Hooray for Nardook and Yoona!’ the warriors and their families cried out loud.   Then turned their mind and attention to having the biggest pop-up party of the year.   After all, it was not everyday that the warriors had a chance to save the biggest fishy thing in the world.

  Nardook called out his thanks to everyone as he swam out to his mother.   And when he told her, and the other whales, how the humans had saved him, the whales made a vow to pass the story on to every other whale in the entire world.   And from that day forth the whales have always tried to communicate with humans and be friendly towards them.   And this was why they always breached, or came close, whenever there was a boat nearby, or a crowd on the beach.   They were still thanking us for showing kindness to Nardook.

   Bessie always loved remembering that story, and she really hoped it was true.   Though she had not been entirely certain that it had taken place here on Stradbroke Island, because the old man who had told her the story had admitted that over the years he had heard similar versions of the same story, but they had always taken place in some far-away place.

   ‘Well,’ Bessie thought to herself, ‘I may never know the real story … but in my mind it will always have taken place here on Stradbroke Island’.

 

 

 

 

A SHORT FAT STUBBY FINGER STORY by Tony Stewart

ISBN:

Also available:

BESSIE (THE STRADBROKE FLYER): ONE HOT SUMMER’S DAY