The Dolphin’s Secret
by Jace Daniel (b. 1969)
Once upon a time in the bluest blue sea there lived a dolphin with a secret. This secret was very wonderful, and the dolphin wanted very much to share it with others.
So the dolphin swam as fast as he could, deep into the sea, searching for somebody to share his secret with. As the sea began to get dark and cold, the dolphin met an octopus.
“Hello,” said the dolphin. “I have a secret that is very wonderful, and I want very much to share it with you. Come with me!”
“I don’t have time for you,” said the octopus. “I’m too busy counting my arms. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.”
“But it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen,” said the dolphin.
“It can’t be more wonderful than my eight arms,” said the octopus. “You have way too much time on your fins. Now swim along, and leave me alone.”
So the dolphin swam as fast as he could, deeper into the sea, searching for somebody to share his secret with. As the sea began to get very dark, and very cold, the dolphin met a shark.
“Hello,” said the dolphin. “I have a secret that is very wonderful, and I want very much to share it with you. Come with me!”
“I don’t have time for you,” said the shark, gnashing his big sharp teeth. “I’m too busy looking for food.”
“But it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen,” said the dolphin.
“It can’t be more wonderful than food,” said the shark. “You need to get a life. Now swim along, and leave me alone before I eat you up!”
So the dolphin swam as fast as he could, deeper and deeper into the sea, searching for somebody to share his secret with. As the sea began to get very very dark, and very very cold, the dolphin met an old sea turtle.
“Hello,” said the dolphin. “I have a secret that is very wonderful, and I want very much to share it with you. Come with me!”
“I don’t have time for you,” said the old sea turtle, sticking his head out of his shell. “I’m too busy living in my shell and getting very old.”
“But it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen,” said the dolphin.
“Look around you,” scoffed the old sea turtle. “There is no such thing as a wonderful thing in this dark cold sea. Now swim along and leave me alone, little dolphin dreamer.”
So the dolphin swam as fast as he could, deeper and deeper and deeper into the sea, searching for somebody to share his secret with. As the sea began to get very very dark, and very very cold, the dolphin reached the bottom, and could swim no deeper. There on the floor, in the darkest, coldest part of the sea, he met a starfish.
“Hello,” said the dolphin, almost out of breath. “I have a secret that is very wonderful, and I want very much to share it with you.”
“What is it?” asked the starfish.
“It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen,” said the dolphin. “Come with me!”
“I’d like to come with you,” said the starfish. “But I cannot swim.”
“That’s okay,” said the dolphin, resting his belly on the sand next to the starfish. “I’ll take you. Climb up on my back.”
So the starfish climbed atop the dolphin’s back, clinging to his fin.
“You ready?” asked the dolphin.
“Ready!” said the starfish.
“Okay then,” said the dolphin. “Hang on!”
So the dolphin swam as fast as he could towards the top of the sea, with the starfish on his back. The sea got less dark and less cold as they zoomed like a silver streak past the old sea turtle.
“Wait until you see this!” exclaimed the dolphin to the starfish. “It’s like a dream!”
The dolphin swam even faster towards the top of the sea, with the starfish on his back. The sea got even less dark and even less cold as they zoomed like a silver streak past the shark.
“Hang on!” exclaimed the dolphin to the starfish. “For dear life!”
The dolphin swam even faster and faster towards the top of the sea, with the starfish on his back. The sea got brighter and warmer as they zoomed like a silver streak past the octopus.
“Get ready!” exclaimed the dolphin to the starfish. “It’s almost time!”
The dolphin swam even faster and faster and faster towards the top of the sea, with the starfish on his back. The sea got even brighter and even warmer as they zoomed like a silver streak, and they began to shine.
“It’s so beautiful up here!” exclaimed the starfish.
“That’s nothing!” yelled the dolphin. “Watch this!”
The dolphin swam faster than ever with the starfish on his back, reaching the top of the sea, and could swim no further. Yet he did not slow down.
“Look out!” screamed the starfish. “Stop!”
“Watch this!” exclaimed the dolphin, swimming faster than a shiny silver speeding bullet. “And hang on!”
The dolphin swam with all his might with the starfish on his back, crashing through the top of the sea, entering another world. A world that the starfish had never seen. Blowing water out of the top of his head, the dolphin screamed in delight, and laughed.
“There it is!” the dolphin exclaimed to the starfish.
“Wow!” said the starfish. “That is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen. What is it?”
The dolphin smiled.
“It’s called a rainbow.”
– – – – – –
For Estella.
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Here’s a little piece of trivia for permanent record:
While existing as a half-developed idea for weeks, this story greeted me in its entirety the other morning as I was walking the dogs at the rocky cove below Point Fermin. He came up for air, and BAM. The story was done. I immediately broke out the cell and documented the realization with video.
In that footage, my eyes were fixed on a dolphin out in the cove. Our hero.
My heroine for this one will always be Estella Naylor, who, whether she realizes it or not, is the reason I imagined this idea through to its conclusion. Without the inspirational nudge she’s given me through her strength and courage these past few months, The Dolphin’s Secret could never have been told.