The Fifth Star

The fifth Star

It was in the middle of September, and the whales were still living in front of the Northwest coast of South America.

3 moths ago the hunchback whales of the southern part of the earth have arrived in these parts, to avoid the Antarctic winter and to mate peacefully in the warm tropic waters.

But the changing temperatures and their own instinct told them finally, that it was about time to head off and to return back to the Antarctic sea, where they would be able to supply themselves by precious Krill; their favourite food.

The first ones that were about to head off were the pregnant females, as it was usually the way. Followed by the not quite yet grown up Males and finally at the end off the line those were followed by the cows, whose calves were big enough to survive their first big trip.

Compared to the big polar seas there wasn’t much food around the tropical sea so it meant to survive about 8 weeks of what they’ve saved up before.

There was a far, dangerous journey lying in front of the hunchback whales and as same as their ancestors started that incredible journey this new generation would make their way in order to secure their existence.

It’s been more than 4 weeks now since the whales had left their area in the tropic sea and made their way further to the south.

The group was in good condition still, for everyone did help each other in order to keep them together and let no one fall back. Thanks to their incredible way to communicate with each other: by singing.

Every wandering pot has got its own unique song, which every member knows to sing.

Like the cows sing to their calves, the females sing with their males. And this is, what ensured them safety on their long and dangerous journey to the Antarctic sea.

The sun had set already and the whales kept on swimming along towards the south. The sea here started to get rougher and suddenly, without any warning, they had problems communicating.

Although they started to sing as loud as they could, their understanding got worse and worse. Some of the younger calves started to panic because of the rough waves, which were separating them from their mothers.

And then, out of a sudden, it happened.

A gigantic oil ship appeared, using the same route as the whales and was heading straight through the pot; dividing the group into two and causing a total interruption of communication between the whales.

Triggering a big chaos the water was turning grey and big waves formed up when the body of the ship was pacing through the water.

More than 10 Minutes it took while the whales tried to flee in all kinds of direction, distracted by the instinct to stick to the crowd and the instinct to survive. A collision with the ship would have meant death.

After a while the ship left the pot behind it, without even having noticed the mess they’ve caused.

It was nearly half an hour later, when the group finally managed to calm down and get back to their normal formation.

The biggest males started to collect and search for the others to reunite the pot. And because of the darkness of the night it was only their singing that was guiding them back together.

The Leader of the pot was colossal; 25 tons and by collecting all of them around him he was calling everyone by his name to make sure that the group was together.

All of them seemed to have found their way back when suddenly one of the cows was crying out loud.

Her calf was still missing!

All the other whales started to search for the missing one immediately; but no success.

Eventually they decided to gather around closely and started to sing. As loud as possible they were singing to show the lost calf the way.

After 2 days there was still no sign of the missing calf.

They all were very exhausted and the search weakened every member even more, so the lead bull called them together.

He knew they were close to starvation and if they went on like this the whole pot would not make it to the home waters back to the Antarctic.

“My dearest friends,” he announced. “Something very terrible has happened and although we tried our best the search remained unsuccessful. Now it’s time for us to head forward. We have to go on further to the south otherwise we are all going to die out here in the foodless water. Surviving; this is the law of nature and we have to follow that law. Lets prey for the lost calf. May it find its way home.”

The sad mother lowered her head. She knew that she as well had to follow the law of nature and she, too, had to go on along with the pot.

She dived up to the surface once more, but her desperate last try to find her baby failed.

Everyone could hear her crying, when she caught up with the swimming pot.

A few hundred kilometres further away a small young whale was floating in the water; hungry and tired.

He remembered, when that big, massive ship divided the group it scared him to the bones and then he had to swim along to the north to avoid hitting the ship’s propeller. He did know, animals are dying in those big fans that move the ships forward.

And then, while he was trying to escape the ship’s wall hit his head and he lost his orientation totally.

He had tried to find back to his mother and rest of the pot, but he only swam further and further away without noticing.

Now, he didn’t even know where he was.

When he came up to the surface, the only thing he could see was an endless desert of water, the horizon and the sky.

What shall I do, he thought frightened while dozing of by exhaustion. He was full of fear and as lonesome as never ever before.

He tried to sing, as his mother had taught him, but the pot seemed far, far away.

Because of his tiredness the little whale didn’t quite realize that he was dozing above a big rocky reef where there was a collection of starfish living.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” one of them asked and came near.

“OH! Who…are you?” the little whale wanted to know.

“I am a starfish and I think I heard you singing earlier!”

The little whale cried a bit and said: “I got lost. My mother and me we were on our yearly migration with the pot, when suddenly a ship got into our way and nearly killed us. I was soooo scared, so I ran away but in the end, I got lost and couldn’t find my way back.”

“Well, do you know where they were headed?”

“Well, yes…or…no, not quite exactly. But I remember my mother telling me about the migration into colder waters, where there was supposed to be more food for us.”

“In colder waters?” The starfish thought for a moment.

That must be the southern ice sea, the starfish thought.

He was observing the small, frightened and tired whale body in front of him and said: “Wait here! I will be back in a minute! I will help you to find your mother!”

The starfish arrived at the rock where his friends were sunbathing. “I have to leave you!” he declared.

“What? Where do you wanna go?” asked one of them.

“I will go and help the little whale to find his way back home!”
“Stupid!” another one said. “You know! You will die in colder waters!”

But the little starfish answered: “I know! But I am old and tired. I had an amazing time, have reproduced myself a lot of times and I have done everything a starfish should have done in his life. But now I have to do something else! Something special and it will make my last weeks to live worth living them!”

And with those words he swam over and stuck himself carefully to the whales skin with his little suckers.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the whale wanted to know.

“Lets not waste any time now,” the starfish answered climbing upwards over the smooth skin to the top of his head, where he placed himself next to the blow hole.

Then he looked up to the night sky.

Thousands of stars were shining but the starfish was looking for a few special ones; four of them.

“Do you see those four stars up there? The ones who form a cross? Right next to the brightest one to the left?”

With the little peak of his arm he was pointing upwards.

The whale kept staring for a while.

“I think I can see them, yes!”

“Good!” the starfish said. “Those stars show you, where to swim. Follow those stars and you will find your family.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes I am,” the starfish answered. “Every night, no matter what time. No matter if it’s in the morning or late at night! No matter the seasons either!”

The whale smiled brightly. “Thank you!”

“I will come with you, though,” announced the starfish then.

“But, what about your family? Won’t they miss you, little starfish?”

“I don’t have a family anymore,” the starfish answered. “They all died, when a big ship, same as the one you did meet, lost something. Liquid it was, which ran through the whole waters and killed everything that was alive on these rocks. Except of me, no one of my family survived.”

For three weeks the Cross of South that was shining bright in the night sky guided the whale and his friend the starfish.

The small whale was now badly exhausted and he was close to give up his search.

The water got colder and colder and the nights became shorter and shorter, for in the south there was the summer about to arrive.

“I don’t think I can make it, little starfish” the little whale said.

“Oh yeah!” he answered. “ You will make it! We will make it together I know it for sure! Your family can’t be too far away now, don’t give up!”

The whale went on swimming along and became slower and slower. He didn’t have much strength left for his body got too cold. The fat layer he brought from the tropic seas was worn off and made him susceptible to the chilly water.

I will never make it, he thought tiredly, when he suddenly held in.

He thought he heard something and kept still.

A few minutes later he heard it again; a whistle, a snoring and fluting.

It was the song of his pot!

He couldn’t believe it!

And he started to sing along, along with them to get into contact with them.

He sang as long as he could.

Without an answer he fell backwards onto the surface after a while and couldn’t move anymore. The water was too cold, his body got too numb and he was tired of starvation.

He closed his eyes and waited for death to arrive.

They came in the morning; two strong males and one female.

They saw the little whale floating on the surface.

Expecting the worst the female swam closer. She touched the little whale softly with her fins and he slowly opened his eyes.

“Mama!”

“Yes! Its me!” she cried out. “I am so glad I found you here! I thought you died!”

And with those words she leaned over to let the calf drink as much milk as it wanted.

After a while he felt stronger and more awake. He could feel life running through his veins again and said: “The starfish saved my life! Thank you! Thank you, starfish. – Starfish?”

His mother was staring at the starfish, which was sitting on the whale’s head.

“He…died, my dear,” she said quietly. “The waters here are too cold for him to live in.”

“But….why did he come with me then?!” The little calf couldn’t understand.

“He might have found it more important to save YOUR life, except of his.”

The young whale picked the starfish and kindly lifted him up with his back fin.

“Thank you, my friend!” he said. “I will never ever forget you! I promise!”

“Its time to go back,” one of the males said and the young whale looked one more time at the starfish, before he let him float through the water onto the ground of the deep blue sea.

He swam back to his mother and all four of them turned to the south where they had found a new area to live in.

In that night, there was happening something very extraordinary.

When the Cross of South appeared in the night sky, there weren’t only four stars, but a fifth one.

The young hunchback whale kept on staring into the sky.

The fifth one was shining less than the others but now; all of a sudden it seemed to be the brightest star to him.

“It is, as if the Cross of South has a heart,” he thought out loud.

“Yes,” his mother answered. “From now on, it has!”