Intheyear1866,anewboatcamebackfromseaeveryweekwiththesamestory.‘Agiantwhale,ahundredmetreslong,camenearourboat,’themensaid.Thestorywasinthenewspapersandalotofpeopletalkedaboutit. ‘Itwasn’tawhale,’scientistssaid.‘Abigbluewhaleisonlytwenty-sevenmetreslong.Perhapsitwasacoralreef.’ ‘Butacoralreefcan’tsendwaterfiftymetresintotheair,’theseamenanswered.‘Thisanimalcan.’ ItwentnearoneboatinAustralianwaters.Threedayslater,itwassevenhundredleaguesawayinthePacific. ‘Whalescan’tswimsevenhundredleaguesinthreedays,’thescientistssaid.‘Perhapsit’sasubmarine.’ Butonlyacountrywithalotofmoneycanbuildasubmarine,andthesameanswercamebackfromeverycountry:‘Wehaven’tgotasubmarine!’ OnedayaBritishboat,theScotia,wasintheAtlantic.Suddenly,waterstartedtocomeintotheboat.Thecaptainlookedfortheproblem.Therewasabigholeintheboat.‘TheScotiaisverystrong,’hesaid.‘Idon’tunderstandthishole.Isittheworkofthegiantwhale?’ Tome,aFrenchscientist,thestoriesofthewhalewere,ofcourse,veryinteresting.In1867IvisitedNewYork,andnewspapermenthereaskedmequestions. ‘You’refamousforyourbookaboutseaanimals,MrAronnax,’theysaid.‘Whatdoyouthinkaboutthisgiantwhale?’ ‘Thesea’sverybig,’Ianswered,‘andit’sthehomeofmanythousandsofanimals.Scientistsdon’tknowaboutallofthem.Butonesmallwhalehasalongspearonitshead.Perhapsthere’sagiantwhalewithaspear,too.Andperhapsthisanimal’sspearcanmakeaholeinaboat.’ Aweeklater,aletterarrivedatmyhotel.Itsaid: Youknow,ofcourse,aboutthegiantwhale.Onedaythiswhaleisgoingtokillpeople.Butwearegoingtokillitfirst.Pleasecomeandlookforitwithus.Ourboat,theAbrahamLincoln,iswaitingforyou. Iwantedtoseethisinterestinganimal.IwentquicklytotheAbrahamLincolnwithmyBelgianservant,Conseil. FromNewYork,wewentdowntheAtlanticcoastofNorthandSouthAmericaandintothePacific.Weekafterweek,alldayandallnight,theseamenwatchedthewater.ConseilandIwatchedwiththem.Butwedidn’tseethegiantwhale. Onlyonemanontheboatdidn’twatchthewater.HisnamewasNedLand.Nedwasabig,strongCanadian,aboutfortyyearsold,andhewasaverygoodwhaler. ‘You’renevergoingtofindthiswhale,’hesaid.‘ItwasnearJapaninMay,butit’snowJuly.Whereisittoday?TheMediterranean?TheArctic?Whoknows?’ Forfivelongmonthswelookedforthewhale.Thenthemenstartedtosay,‘PerhapsNedisright.’ ‘Whencanwegohome?’theyaskedtheircaptain. Butsuddenly,oneday,Nedsaid,‘Thereitis!Icanseethegiantwhale!’ Theanimalmovedveryquicklyinthewater.Itcamenearourboat. ‘Wedon’twantaholeintheAbrahamLincoln,’thecaptainsaid.‘Let’smoveaway.’ Butourboatwasslow.Wewatchedthewhale.‘It’sgoingtohitus!’wesaid.Butitdidn’t.Itwentundertheboat,notintoit. Alldaywewentafterthewhale,butitstayedinfrontofus. ‘We’renevergoingtokillthisanimal,’themensaid.‘It’splayinggameswithus.’ Butatnightthewhaledidn’tmove.‘Perhapsit’ssleeping,’NedLandsaid.‘Let’sgetnear.Beveryquiet!’ Suddenly,waterfromthewhale’sbackwentupintotheairandraineddownonourboat.ThenIwasinthesea. 
