The Little Narwhal's Friend

The Little Narwhal's Friend - Author : Aysel Banu YAVUZAL

In the icy Arctic sea, where icebergs float like white boats, lived a little narwhal. He was small for a narwhal, about the length of a rowboat. His skin was smooth blue-grey with dark speckles, and his belly was pale. Best of all, a long spiral tusk pointed forward from his upper lip. He loved to zoom through the cold, sparkly water. 1

The little narwhal was curious and brave. He asked every passing fish, "Have you seen anything new today?" Most fish just wiggled away. But the narwhal never stopped looking. He peeked under ice shelves and around snowy rocks, hoping to find a surprise. The Arctic sea was big, and he was sure it held wonderful secrets. 2

One morning, a round white head popped up beside him. It was a beluga, slightly shorter and rounder than the narwhal. She had a soft melon bump on her head and a smiling curved mouth. "Hello!" she said. "I am a beluga. What is that long thing on your face?" The narwhal laughed. "It is my tusk!" 3

The beluga swam closer. She had no tusk at all, only short flippers and a chubby grey-white body. "Your tusk is very long," she said. "Does it get in the way?" The narwhal wiggled it. "Sometimes," he said, "but I can do this!" He used his tusk to lift a strand of green sea grass and wear it like a crown. The beluga giggled. 4

"I like you," said the beluga. "You are different from me, and that is fun." The narwhal smiled with his bright friendly eyes. "Then let us be friends!" he said. "I am chatty and brave. You ask good questions. Together we make a great team." They bumped noses and decided to explore the sea side by side. 5

The two friends swam past tall icebergs that sparkled like diamonds. The narwhal led the way with his tusk pointed forward. The beluga followed, humming a soft tune. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Somewhere new!" said the narwhal. They passed a sleepy seal and a group of tiny silver fish that darted away like rain. 6

Soon the water grew warmer and the light turned green and gold. "Look!" said the beluga. She had spotted something below. Through the waving kelp, there was a gap between two rocks. A soft glow came from inside. "What is that?" whispered the narwhal. "I do not know," said the beluga, "but I think we should see." 7

They swam through the gap and stopped. There, hidden from the cold sea, was an underwater garden! Bright red sea plants swayed like ribbons. Purple and orange flowers opened and closed. Little green stems curled around smooth stones. "Oh!" said the narwhal. "I have never seen anything so colorful!" The beluga spun around, delighted. 8

The narwhal used his long tusk to gently part the tall plants so they could swim through. "Your tusk is helpful!" said the beluga. She showed him how to float quietly so the shy little fish would come close. "You are so good at waiting," said the narwhal. "I am too wiggly for that!" They both laughed and kept exploring. 9

The garden was full of surprises. Pink starfish rested on rocks, and tiny crabs peeked from shells. The beluga found a starfish and balanced it on her round head like a hat. The narwhal found a curl of sea grass and draped it on his tusk. "Now we match the garden!" said the beluga. They swam through the plants like two happy dancers. 10

Then the water grew darker. "We should go home," said the beluga. But the narwhal had swum too far and could not see the gap in the rocks. "I am lost," he said, his bright eyes worried. "Do not worry," said the beluga. "I am good at noticing things. Follow my voice." She hummed a soft tune, and he followed it through the plants. 11

The beluga's humming led them back to the gap between the rocks. "You found the way!" said the narwhal. "Because you are gentle and careful," she said, "and because you are brave enough to try new things." They swam back toward the cold, sparkly sea. "We are different," said the narwhal, "and that is exactly what helped us today." 12

Back home, they told every fish about the hidden garden. The narwhal's tusk still wore its strand of sea grass, and the beluga's starfish stayed on her head. "Friends can be different shapes and sizes," said the beluga. "Different eyes see different things," said the narwhal. The little silver fish listened and nodded, and the sleepy seal smiled. 13

Every day after that, the two friends swam together. Sometimes the narwhal led the way, and sometimes the beluga did. They visited the garden often, and each time they found something new. "Your tusk is long," said the beluga, "and my head is round." "And our friendship," said the narwhal, "is the best surprise of all." 14

When other young whales asked about the garden, the narwhal and beluga always said the same thing. "Being different is special," said the narwhal. "It makes every day interesting," said the beluga. "And friends can share wonderful surprises," they said together. Then they swam off, tusk and round head bobbing, ready for the next adventure. 15