She was born big
and strong. From
birth she was
much larger than
the other
inhabitants of
the deep ocean.
After all, she
was a whale. A
beautiful blue
whale!
|
But
Balofa,
as her
friends
called
her,
could
not play
and have
fun like
all
other
sea
creatures
due to
her
size.
As time
passed,
because
she
could
only
play
with the
other
whales
like
her, she
began to
develop
a great
contempt
for
other
creatures
and it
did not
matter
if they
were
fish,
shellfish
or
crustaceans.
|
 |
She considered
them small and
insignificant,
and a great
pride in her
size and beauty
took hold of her
heart.
When they
approached her,
wanting to play,
or just talk,
she would reply:
- Can’t you see?
Look at my size
and see yours!
Go bug someone
else because I
am busy.
And as many
sea-creatures
moved away from
her approach,
fearing being
crushed by her,
Balofa believed
herself to be
truly invincible
and
self-sufficient,
asserting with
conviction and
pride:
- I am strong
and powerful. I
do not need
anyone!
One day,
however, while
swimming around
with her mother,
she turned away
from their shoal
when she became
enchanted by the
beauty of some
corals she had
seen in the
distance.
That region was
absolutely
unknown to her.
She did not get
worried though.
She was huge and
knew how to
defend herself.
There was no
inhabitant of
the depths of
the sea who
could beat her.
As for the way
home, she would
soon find it. It
was only a
matter of time.
Because of her
intelligence and
strength she was
not afraid of
anything.
Thus believing,
Balofa swam vast
distances
without knowing
which way she
was going. She
was already
tired when,
without
realising it,
she came too
close to a beach
and was caught
in a sandbank.
She fought hard
and struggled,
then begged for
help:
- Help! Help!
I'm stuck and I
cannot get out!
Help! Please!
But to no avail!
That was an
almost deserted
beach and hardly
anyone would go
by.
 |
She had
been out
of the
water
for
hours,
under a
very
strong
sun.
Exhausted
from
struggling,
she felt
weaker
and
weaker.
No one
heeded
her
supplications,
and the
poor
blue
whale
thought
it was
the end.
She
would
die
there,
without
help and
away
from her
family.
She
cried a
lot. She
was
desperate
and
finally
realised
that she
was not
as
self-sufficient
as she
had
always
believed,
and that
her
size,
that
huge
body she
had
always
prided
herself
upon,
was
precisely
the
reason
she was
stuck in
the
sandbank.
With
tears in
her
eyes,
she
lamented: |
- Ah! If I were
as small as the
other fish, I
would not be in
this situation
now.
She meditated a
lot and decided
that if she
could save
herself, she
would change and
not despise
anyone else.
She'd stop being
so proud and
make friends
with everyone.
A few hours
later a boy
passed by the
beach. Seeing
her, he shouted
in delight:
- A blue whale!
And it looks
like she's
stranded, poor
thing. I'll get
help.
If it had been
in another time,
Balofa would
roll her eyes
with contempt,
not believing
that such an
insignificant
creature could
be of any use.
But now it was
different. She
thanked God for
the help given
to her in the
form of a small
child.
Soon afterwards
the boy returned
with his father
and some people
from the
neighbourhood.
With great
effort and
taking advantage
of the rise of
the tide, they
were finally
able to release
Balofa, who
happily
disappeared in
the waters.
A
little farther
on, she found
her very worried
mother who was
searching for
her without
rest. Whoa!
What a relief!
That day there
was a great
feast at the
bottom of the
sea, and the
fishes were
astonished to
have been
invited by
Balofa. And,
moreover, to be
received with
much affection
and attention by
the beautiful
blue whale, now
all smiling and
gentle.
TIA CELIA
