TChem got two of the un-guessed movies, so I added her name (plus a little of my commentary on why I love those movies) to the post from a couple days ago.

And here's the amigurumi humpback whale I made over spring break:



His name is Boris. I chose that name because of a book I had when I was a child. It was about a seafaring mouse (Amos) and a whale named Boris (he was actually a grey whale, I think, in the book). Amos built himself a small ship and set off to travel the sea. But one night, enraptured with the beauty of the world, Amos rolled off the deck of his little boat.

He has just about prepared himself to meet his Maker when he is rescued by Boris, the whale. Boris offers to take Amos back home - and so Amos rides on Boris' back, eating plankton and swimming when Boris needs to dive. The two become fast friends and both shed a tear when the coastline of Amos' home comes into view.

As he swims for shore, Amos calls out to Boris that he will never forget him, and will repay the favor some day.

Of course, Boris chuckles to himself that there's nothing this tiny mouse could ever do to help HIM, but that he still loves him and will never forget him.

Some years later, during an awful storm, Boris finds himself washed up on a beach.

By amazing good fortune, it is the beach that Amos lives near. Amos happens upon his old friend and promises to help. After Amos runs off to get help, Boris thinks despondently, "What can the little mouse do to save my life?"

But Amos comes back with a couple of elephants, who roll Boris down the beach and back into the ocean.

I remembered this book - the basic storyline of it - all these years because it presents one of the fundamental "morals" I learned growing up: always take the opportunity to do a good turn for someone. Because you never know when someone - even someone you would think never could help you - can come back and help. (And I would add, as an adult: you should take the opportunity to do a good turn for someone whether they can ever repay you or not).

Here's another picture of Boris, showing the cute little "knobbules" you make on the whale's nose using French Knots:



Humpback whales also make me think of that famous Far Side cartoon, where scientists have dropped a microphone into the ocean and the whales (thinking it's karaoke night?) come up to it and sing "Louie, Louie."

(In one of Larson's books, where he talks a little about modifications that were made for international distribution, he says that for one of the Scandinavian countries, they didn't think enough people would know "Louie, Louie," so they changed what the whale was singing to, "I'm singing in the rain...just singing in the rain..."

Larson said it wasn't QUITE the same, but was still funny in its own right.)