Hello! I'm Freddy, and I'm a fish - a very, very, big fish! Shall I tell you about my funny supper last week?
I had been swimming all day, and I was hungry and tired, so tired in fact, that I gave a great big yawn - and that was when I swallowed something strange.
Then it happened!
Such a noise and kicking way down inside me that it gave me hiccups, and I shouted - 'What's going on down there?'
A little voice answered. 'Sorry, it's only me.'
'Who is "ME"? I asked crossly.
'I'm Jonah' the voice said.
'Well, Jonah, what were you doing swimming about in such a storm so that I swallowed you? I've never seen such big waves before.'
'I know' he said, 'I started it.'
'You started it' I repeated in astonishment. 'What DO you mean?' I felt him sit down, and my hiccups stopped.
'I didn't do what God told me to do' Jonah told me, then he added,'Oh dear, I don't suppose you know who God is.'
'Know who God is' I shouted. 'Of course I know who God is - every creature in the sea knows. He made us!'
'All right, all right, I'm sorry' he said. 'But please don't shout again, you made me fall over and hurt my knee.'
'Then don't say such silly things again' I snapped. 'And get on with your story.'
'Well' Jonah began, 'It all started when God told me to go to the big City of Nineveh and tell people they had been so wicked that God was going to destroy everything.'
There was silence for a while, and then I said - 'Go on, then, Jonah. What did the people say when you told them?'
'That's the trouble' he said. 'I didn't go. I ran away instead, and caught a ship going to Tarshish.'
'Oh dear, that was very wrong of you' I told him.
'I know - what am I going to do now? he asked, and he sighed.
'I think this is why God told me to swim here - so that we could have a little chat' I said, feeling quite excited.
'So, first of all, tell me how you came to be in the sea in such a storm.'
'I was thrown in by the sailors' Jonah answered.
'Dear, oh dear, what a dreadful thing to do' I said.
'Not really - I told them to!' said Jonah.
'Jonah!! Your story gets stranger and stranger. Are you sure you are feeling all right?' I asked him.
'Yes, I'm fine, and I know my story sounds strange, but it's true. The sailors drew straws to find out who had angered the gods, and they found out it was me. I knew it was, of course, so I explained it was because I was trying to run away from God.'
'And what did they say about that?' I asked him.
'They were scared' Jonah said, 'And they asked what they should do to stop the storm before their boat sank.'
'I see' I said, 'And that was when you told them to throw you into the sea.'
'That's right. They didn't want to at first and they tried ever so hard to row the boat to shore but it was no good, and I told them so. Then they asked God to forgive them as they really didn't want to do it. But I told them that everything would be all right so they threw me into the sea and as soon as they did, the storm ceased.'
'And then I came along and yawned, and swallowed you.'
'Yes' said a very miserable and unhappy Jonah. 'So now what can I do?'
I told him that the best thing he could do was to say "Sorry" to God for being disobedient, then wait to see what would happen.
Jonah agreed, and some time later I heard him praying to God and promising to do what God had asked him.
After that, God told me to swim to the beach and put Jonah ashore.
I was sorry to see him go as he had been a good companion for the three days and nights he was inside me, but he had work to do for God so I put him on the beach and said "Goodbye".
Ah! I can hear you asking - 'Did Jonah give God's message to the people of Nineveh?'
Yes, he did. A Seagull told me the end of the story. Jonah told the people how upset and angry God was with them and their wicked ways, and the people were very sorry when they heard this, even the King, and everyone at his Court. So they asked God to forgive them, and when God saw how sorry they all were He forgave them, and didn't destroy anything after all.
I was pleased when I heard this, as I like stories with happy endings, don't you?
Elizabeth Aynsley © 1993