Saving Sole

• Tamsin Darveniza, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

In the cold icy waters of Antarctica, Bo the walrus swam peacefully through the open ocean, looking for fish. During his search, he heard cries for help coming from behind a big, black rock. He tilted his head in confusion, for usually the water was quiet. As Bo swam past the rock, his eyes met those of a baby seal with fur as white as snow. Her ghostly tail was caught in a clamshell. The baby seal was frightened, mainly because walruses were the enemies of seals. But when she realised he was probably her only hope, she started to speak up.

"Please, help me," she whispered. Bo looked at her.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Sole," she whispered. Bo swam around the shell. He looked for ways to get Sole out. Tugging at the shell, he started pulling it towards the surface. When Bo reached the top, he heaved the heavy clam onto a nearby iceberg and gave her a moment to catch her breath.

"Thanks, but my tail is still stuck," said Sole.

"Bo will fix problem by doing his seal saving trick," he replied. Bo turned and started pulling himself up an ice slide. When he reached the top he unexpectedly jumped onto the giant clamshell, split it open, and sent Sole shooting across 15 metres of solid ice. She turned and started working her way back to Bo. When she reached him, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You...you...you saved me from the clamshell," Sole said, delighted. Sole gave him a thankful slap on the back before a quick hug. And from that day the seals made peace with the walruses and they all lived in harmony for the rest of their lives.

The End