Editor's note: A young girl and her teacher correspond about the whale she has discovered in her pond.
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
I love whales very much and I think I saw one in my pond today. Please send me some information on whales, as I think he might be hurt.
Love
Emily
Dear Emily,
Here are some details about whales. I don't think you'll find it was a whale you saw,
because whales don't live in ponds, but in salt water.
Yours sincerely,
Your teacher,
Mr. Blueberry
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
I am now putting salt into the pond every day
before breakfast and last night I saw my whale smile. I think he is feeling better.
Do you think he might be lost?
Love
Emily
Dear Emily,
Please don't put any more salt in the pond. I'm sure your parents won't be pleased.
I'm afraid there can't be a whale in your pond,
because whales don't get lost, they always know where they are in the oceans.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Blueberry
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
Tonight I am very happy because I saw my whale jump up and spurt lots of water. He looked blue.
Does this mean he might be a blue whale?
Love
Emily
P.S. What can I feed him with?
Dear Emily,
Blue whales are blue and they eat tiny shrimplike creatures that live in the sea. However, I must tell you that a blue whale is much too big to live in your pond.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Blueberry
P.S. Perhaps it is a blue goldfish?
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
Last night I read your
letter to my whale.
Afterward he let me stroke his head. It was very exciting.
I secretly took him some crunched-up
cornflakes and bread crumbs. This morning
I looked in the pond and they were all
gone!
I think I shall call him Arthur. What do you think?
Love
Emily
Dear Emily,
I must point out to you quite forcibly now that in no way could a whale live in your pond. You may not know that whales are migratory, which means they
travel great distances each day.
I am sorry to disappoint you.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Blueberry
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
Tonight I'm a little sad. Arthur has gone. I think your letter made sense to him and he has decided to be
migratory again.
Love
Emily
Dear Emily,
Please don't be too sad, it really was
impossible for a whale to live in your pond. Perhaps when you are older you would like to sail the oceans studying and protecting whales.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Blueberry
Dear Mr. Blueberry,
It's been the happiest day! I went to the beach and you'll never guess, but I saw Arthur! I called to him and he smiled. I knew it was Arthur because he let me stroke his head.
I gave him some of my sandwich ...
and then we said
good-bye.
I shouted that I loved him very much and, I hope you don't mind, I said you loved him, too.
Love
Emily (and Arthur)
Excerpted from the book DEAR MR. BLUEBERRY, by
Simon James. Copyright (C) 1991, by Simon James. Reprinted by permission of Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.,
Children's Publishing Division. Originally published in the United Kingdom by Walker Books, Ltd. All rights reserved.