The Great Fish Story

There is a story of a man, named Jonah, in the Bible. Now some of you may have never heard of the story or may have forgotten. Jonah was told byGod to go to a certain city and tell the people they needed to follow God and listen to HIm. And if they didn’t, God would punish them. Well, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. As a result, Jonah spent 3 days inside a great fish, uhh. to think about if he was going to do what God had told him.

But what if you heard the story from the Great Fish’s point of view?

***

The water was still and calm, the sun was shining. Gertrude, Gert for short, a large, large fish, some may even say whale, swam up to the surface. She spotted her two friends, Millie and Ethel.

Excitedly, she called out to them, “Hey, guys! I have a great story to tell you!”

Ethel had been busy arranging shell plates on the seabed floor and Millie had spent the morning making seaweed cakes. Ethel was not pleased that Gertrude was late to their gathering. “Its’ about time you got her, Gert!”

“I’m sorry., but I have something to tell you guys!”

“My seaweed cakes are starting to float away cried Millie, as she tried to keep them together.

Gertrude was anxious to share her news. “Will you forget about the seaweed cakes and listen to me. I have a great story to tell you.’

Ethel and Mille both stopped and swam closer to Gert.

“A great story?”Mille squealed, “Oh, You mean like the time I got away from that fisherman’s line?” Mille continued to tell her story and act it out as well. “ I took the line out, let him reel me back, then I would dive, practically puling him off his boat. He thought he had me but he couldn’t hold onto me!”

Ethel rolled her fisheyes at hearing this story, more times than she could count. “You slipped off the line.”

“Hmph, mere details,” Mille retorted.

Gertrude shouted, “Enough! I want to tell you my story!”

“Ok, yes,” Ethel said, waving her fins in the water, “ by all means tell us your great fish story.”

Gertrude started. “Well, I was swimming not too far from here, when I heard God say “Gert, do you see that man sitting on that large rock on the shore?”

I told him that I saw him and then God said, “I want you to keep your eye on him. I have told him to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent and follow me but, he is not being obedient. You will help change his mind.”

Mille asked what Gertrude did next. Gertrude told them she watched the man for a while, but when he left the shore and could not see him she called for Evan.

“Evan?” Ethel said questioningly, That seagull with the crooked beak?”

“Yes, now if I may continue.”

“I asked Evan if he saw a man that was sitting on a rock by the shore. He said he did and that the man was headed toward town.

I asked, “Evan, could you watch him and tell me what he is doing?”

Evan agreed and left to follow Jonah. I continued to swim as close to shore as I dared. The water was calm, I had almost fallen asleep when suddenly, I heard Evan squawked very loud, “Gert!”

I jumped, I swear my tail was out of the water “What is it?” I asked.

Evan explained to me , “Jonah is headed for that ship that’s going to Tarshish.

I shouted as I swam toward the ship “Thank you. Stay near the ship.I will follow.”

Evan saw Jonah board the ship and go below, I could not see him, but I knew he was there.

Soon a huge storm came up, waves were crashing over the bow of the ship. Sailors were scrambling to keep the ship from going under.

Evan said “That storm is something else!”

Ethel and Mille listening intently, agreed “that storm was huge, we stayed beneath it amongst some coral, safer there.” Ethel declared. “What happened next?’

Gertrude continued, “I asked Evan, “What’s Jonah doing?”

He said, “The sailors have figured that Jonah’s god is mad and he is to blame. He is telling them to throw him over the side.”

I kept an eye on the ship and the men were scrambling around on the deck. The waves, like mountains, were toppling over the ship.” I thought to my self, “that ship can’t hold together much longer.”

Then I heard God say, “They are trying not to have to toss Jonah over the side, but they will soon have no other choice.”

“When Jonah is tossed over the side, there is something I want you to do.”

I asked what that was, He said "I want you to swallow Jonah."

Ethel and Mille both exclaimed, “He wanted you to swallow who?”

That is exactly what I said. “You want me to swallow who?!”

“You heard me,” God said, “Now look here he comes”.

“I looked up and through the waves I could see Jonah I swam toward him. Jonah was wrapped in seaweed. In he went, straight into my stomach.”

Mille swimming in circles with fins waving at a few hundred knots per hour, stopped and peered at Gert's stomach and excitedly asked, “Is he still in there?”

“Don’t be silly, of course he isn’t.”

“What happened next, Gert?” Ethel asked, wanting to know more. "God just had me swim for three days. I didn’t think about Jonah. When I was near Nineveh, my stomach was churning like a whirlpool. I was feeling sick." God said "This is it." "II tossed up Jonah and half of my lunch on the shore.

Millie held her stomach with her fins. “Ewww, yuck!”

Gertrude continued, “ He headed straight to Nineveh”

“Let me tell ya, I was glad to get rid of him, three days of having a human in your stomach can give you such indigestion! I am still getting that after taste out of my mouth!”

“What happened next” Ethel asked”

“I ate a bunch of kelp and seaweed.” Gert answered.

“No! What happened with Jonah?”

“ Oh, I was curious about that also, Ethel,” Gert said. “ I asked Evan the next time I saw him.”

“You mean that crazy crooked beak bird was still following Jonah?” Ethel asked.

“Yep, he sure was. He told me that Jonah went to Nineveh and the people were sorry and they decided to listen and do what God said. So God did not punish them.”

“So, it turned out well.”Ethel said.

“Yes, but it would have been better if Jonah would have just obeyed God in the first place.” Gert replied.

“You listened to God and did what He said, even though Jonah made you sick and left a bad taste in your mouth.” Mille said.

“True, but nothing like what Jonah probably went through. I am going to find some more seaweed to eat” Gertrude said swimming off, shaking her head.

“You know what Mille?”

“What Ethel?”

”There is a good lesson for human here?”

Oh, what?”

“If God tells you to do something you best be doing it, ya never know what great fish He has waiting for you!”

Mille smiled, “Come on if we hurry we can catch up with Gert and make some more seaweed cakes before she eats all the seaweed.”

“Let’s go.” Ethel said. And off they swam.