THE PARENT COMPANY

 

PRESENTS

 

The Greatest Stories Ever Heard

 

 

The Tale of a Whale

 

 

Written by

Kelly L. Segraves

 

Illustrated by

Sean Segraves

 

 

©2004 The Parent Company


I will always remember how I felt on that day
When out of the water I heard the Lord say,
"Arise, My Great creature, you must serve your Creator,"
And even for whales, there is nothing greater.


As soon as I heard His Almighty command
I immediately left to fulfill My Lord's plan.
For since whales were created to live with the fishes
We have instantly moved to obey all His wishes.


I swam and I swam 'til a storm made me stop;
I knew that to breathe I must reach the top.
As my head broke the surface I saw a huge ship,
Tossed about by the storm so it might even flip.


There on the deck I could see the men talking;
The ship tossed and turned so they had trouble walking.
Why does the wind make these waves on the sea?
Then Jonah cried out, "This storm's caused by me!"


"I am God's prophet who fled from the Lord,
To save your great ship, throw me overboard."
Finally Jonah was thrown in the sea
While each man prayed, "Lord--please forgive me!"


Alone in the sea Jonah felt out of place--
When he saw me coming there was fear on his face.
Having opened my mouth, I took Jonah inside
Where secure in my stomach he would safely abide.


As Jonah was praying from deep in my belly,
The thought I was thinking made me shiver like jelly.
Of all of God's creatures that He could have asked,
How thrilled was this whale to be given the task.


After swimming toward shore three days and three nights,
I sent Jonah sprawling--what a terrible sight!
His skin was so white and his hair so in patches
That the people ran quickly to lock their door latches.


And now on to Nineveh Jonah when on the run
to warn all the people of God's judgment to come.

Throughout the great city his message did ring;
He reached all the people, including the king.


The king had decided that all must repent;
For sackcloth and ashes the servants were sent.
He told all his people not to drink or eat,
But to pray to the Lord, His forgiveness to seek.


When God heard the people and saw them repent,
He turned from His wrath--no judgment was sent.
The people rejoiced and sang praises to God,
But somehow ol' Jonah thought all this was odd.


For Jonah was angry and wanted to die;
He sat under a vine and asked the Lord, "Why?"
As a worm struck the vine and the sun burned his head,
Poor Jonah cried out, "I'd be better off dead!"


Then the Lord spoke to Jonah, "You made not the vine.
You made not the worm. These things are all Mine.
And so are these people who did quickly repent.
I've forgiven their sins; no judgment was sent."


Thus Jonah had learned that all things the Lord made
Should honor and serve Him and not be dismayed.
For men, just like whales, should love their Creator
Trying to please Him, for nothing is greater.