Youth Activity Archive

Long ago, the Whale ate everything he could find in the sea. He ate the big fish and the small fish. He ate the prickly fish and the tickly fish. He ate every fish until only one was left. This was the Small-Stute Fish, and he was very, very clever.

The Whale stood up on his tail and said, “I am hungry!”

The Small-Stute Fish hid behind his ear and said, “Have you ever tried eating a Man?”

“No,” said the Whale. “What is it like?”

“It is nice,” said the Small-Stute Fish, “but a bit bumpy.”

“Find me one!” said the Whale.

The Whale swam and swam until he found a Sailor sitting on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The Sailor was wearing a pair of pants with suspenders. Remember that suspenders are extra-strong, stretchy straps. He had a small pocket knife and he was a Man Who Knew Exactly What To Do.

The Whale opened his mouth wide—wider and wider—and GULP! He swallowed the Sailor, the raft, the pants, and the suspenders. Remember that suspenders are extra-strong, stretchy straps.

But once the Sailor was inside the Whale’s warm, dark tummy, he did not sit still. He jumped and he bumped! He danced and he pranced! He stomped and he clanged! He made the Whale feel very, very sick.

“This Man is too bumpy,” said the Whale. “And he is giving me the hiccups!” He told the Sailor, “Come out right now!”

“No!” said the Sailor. “Take me to my home on the shore, and then I will think about it.”

So the Whale swam as fast as he could with constant hiccups, all the way to the beach. Just as the Whale opened his mouth to say goodbye, the Sailor acted fast. While he was inside, he had used his pocket knife to cut his wooden raft into strips. He tied them together up and down, to make a grate with small holes. He tied it together with his suspenders. Remember that suspenders are extra-strong, stretchy straps.

The Sailor shoved the wooden grate tight into the Whale’s throat! Then he stepped out onto the sand and went home and lived a happy life.

The grate stayed stuck in the Whale’s throat. It was too tight to cough up and too big to swallow down. From that day on, the Whale could only eat tiny, little fish that could fit through the holes in the grate. And that is why the Whale never eats people today.

About the Original Story

Original Title: “How the Whale Got His Throat”

From the Book: Just So Stories (1912)

Author: Rudyard Kipling

Type: This story is a Pourquoi Tale, a traditional legend or foundational story focused on explaining the origins of natural phenomena, animal physical traits, or cultural customs. These narratives serve as ancestral records and cultural adaptations that answer “how” or “why” a specific part of the natural world became the way it is today. Pourquoi is the French word for “why”.

History: Rudyard Kipling wrote these stories for his children, using playful language and repetition. In the original 1897 text by Kipling, the Sailor is described as a Mariner and a “Man of infinite-resource-and-sagacity” and uses his “suspenders” to tie the grating. It was included in the 1912 edition was published by Doubleday, Page & Company.

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Disclaimer: The information published on Youth Activity Archive and The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

• Kipling, Rudyard. Just so Stories. Doubleday Page & Company, 1912.
  • Found on Gutenberg Library, 17 April 2026: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32488

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