The Dolphin's Song
The Dolphin's Song — an illustrated stories story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Books.
Page 1
The Sky Market buzzed with activity, stalls overflowing with bottled weather: sunshine, rain, even a blizzard in a jar! Sora skipped through the crowd, her eyes wide with wonder. "Look, Hassan! A rainbow in a bottle!" she exclaimed, pointing to a shimmering vial held high by a cloud merchant.
Page 2
Hassan chuckled, carefully adjusting his satchel. "Careful you don't break something, Sora. We need all our sky-coins if we're going to buy cloudberries for Mother." Suddenly, a strange melody drifted through the market, unlike anything they'd ever heard. It seemed to emanate from a stall tucked away in a quieter corner.
Page 3
"What is that beautiful sound?" Sora asked, tugging Hassan towards the source. He hesitated. "It's coming from Tane's stall," Hassan said, his voice a little worried. "He's a bit... eccentric." Sora, undeterred, marched ahead. "As Helen Keller said, 'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.' Let's go, Hassan!"
Page 4
They reached Tane's stall, crammed with strange contraptions and bubbling potions. An ethereal glow emanated from a large, ornate tank filled with shimmering water. Floating within was a small, injured dolphin, singing the haunting melody. "That's no cloud song," Hassan whispered. "Dolphins don't belong in the sky!"
Page 5
"She's singing of the ocean," Tane explained, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Of coral reefs and deep currents. I found her caught in a sky-net, far from her home." Sora frowned. "But dolphins need salt water, don't they? This water looks... fresh." Tane nodded, stroking his chin. "Indeed. The salinity is off. It's diluted with sky-rain."
Page 6
"The ocean is far below the sky, if she doesn't swim in the right water, she may not survive," Hassan declared sadly. Sora's eyes widened. "But how can we help her? We can't just... pour a bottle of sea-weather into the tank." Tane sighed. "I've been trying to create a saltwater solution, but all my attempts have failed. Sky-salt and ocean-salt are... different. I'm using the wrong ratio, but I don't know what it is!
Page 7
"Wait!" Sora exclaimed, remembering something. "Grandpa used to say ocean salt is made with three parts ocean air, one part sea-weather, and one part sea-sand. He said the secret was in the swirling!" Tane's eyes lit up. "That's it! The swirling replicates the ocean currents! We need to replicate the formula. Hassan, do you have your weather bottles? I'll grind sand from a sky-stone!"
Page 8
They worked quickly, carefully measuring and swirling the ingredients into a large glass beaker. The mixture shimmered, mimicking the ocean's turquoise depths. Tane carefully poured the saltwater into the tank. The dolphin chirped joyfully, its melody changing to a song of relief! Sora grinned. "She's singing about home!" she exclaimed. "The right water brings her back to happiness!"
Page 9
Tane released the dolphin from the sky-net tether, and she swam more strongly than ever. They opened the bottom of the tank to allow her to swim to open sky and ocean. Hassan smiled. "You know, 'We are most alive when we're in love,' as John Updike said. And that dolphin is finally in love with the ocean, with her real home!"
Page 10
As the dolphin soared towards the ocean, her song echoed through the Sky Market, a reminder of the importance of home and belonging. Sora smiled at Hassan. "We made a new friend, and helped an old one get back where she needed to be!" She said smiling at the dolphin. Hassan nodded. "Maybe embracing differences makes us stronger!"
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)