Gail the Whale lived in a small
salty lake. She was the only whale in that territory, and she led a very
comfortable life. In fact, this easy life made her a bit fussy. But, one year,
there was such an incredibly hot summer that the lake's water really warmed up.
Gail, used to such an ideal existence, could hardly stand the hot water. A
little fish, which had spent some time in a child's goldfish bowl, told Gail
that humans used fans to cool themselves down in summer. From then on, Gail the
Whale couldn't think of anything else apart from how to build her very own fan.
Everyone told her that she was
overreacting, and that the hot weather would soon pass, but Gail got to work,
constructing her enormous fan. When it was finally finished, she started fanning
away at herself.
Unlucky for the fish!
The giant fan beat the little
lake's waters so strongly that huge waves rolled right across it. The waves
crashed onto the lakeshore, leaving the lake half empty, and Gail stranded in
only a few inches of water.
"You couldn't just hang on
for while. You had to empty the lake," some unhappy-looking fish berated
her.
"So impatient! So
selfish!" others shouted. But the worst of it for Gail was not the
insults, but the fact that with so little water around her, the heat was
becoming unbearable. Preparing herself to die of heatstroke, she said her
goodbyes to all her friends, and they asked for her forgiveness. She assured
them all that if she were to live again she would be stronger and learn to put
up with life's discomforts.
Yet, once again, Gail the Whale
was overreacting. She managed to survive those hot days without dying,
although, of course, she suffered. When the next rains arrived, the lake filled
up again, and the weather improved. Naturally, Gail had to keep her promise,
and show everyone that she had learned not to be so dependent on comfort, so
impatient, and so fussy.
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