Long, long ago, the ocean was full of magic, and the creatures of the sea were very different from the way they are today. In those ancient days, dolphins were the great helpers of the ocean. They were wonderfully friendly towards people, and whenever a ship got into trouble, the dolphins would rush to the rescue.
One stormy afternoon, a grand Greek sailing ship bound for the famous city of Athens was caught in a tempest. The wind howled — WHOOSH! — and the great waves smashed against the wooden hull. Then, with a loud CRACK, the ship struck a hidden rock and began to sink, just off the coast near Piraeus, the busy port town where all the ships docked.
Everyone aboard fell into the churning, icy water. Had it not been for the dolphins, every last passenger would have drowned.
Like a fleet of silver rescue boats, a pod of dolphins came up out of the foam. They swam right into the middle of the chaos and let the shivering, terrified passengers climb onto their smooth strong backs, and one by one they carried them safely towards the sandy shore.
An Unexpected Passenger
Now, it was a very silly custom among the wealthy Greeks to bring their pet monkeys and dogs along on long sea voyages. They liked to dress them up and show them off.
As the storm began to clear, a kind dolphin named Delphino was swimming through the leftover swell, looking for anyone else who might need help. And suddenly he spotted a small hairy creature splashing wildly in the foam and gasping for air.
Because the water was churning and the sun was in his eyes, Delphino mistook the wet furry creature for a small human child.
“Hold on, little one!” he called.
He swam up alongside and let the creature scramble onto his slippery back. It shook the saltwater out of its fur and sat up straight — and it was not a human child at all. It was a pet monkey.
Instead of being grateful, or frightened, the proud little monkey sat up on the dolphin’s back looking as grave and dignified as a wealthy nobleman. He puffed out his chest and gazed around him as though he owned the entire ocean.
The Tall Tales Begin
Delphino, believing he was carrying a very important young gentleman from the city, thought it only polite to make conversation as he swam for the shore.
“You are a citizen of illustrious, beautiful Athens, are you not?” the dolphin asked, his blowhole puffing out a little spray of water.
“Oh, yes! Absolutely!” answered the monkey proudly, lifting his nose into the air. “My family is one of the oldest and noblest in the whole city. Everybody knows us. We live in an enormous palace.”
Delphino was impressed. “Indeed?” he said. “Then of course, living so close to the water, you must often visit Piraeus.”
Now, Piraeus was not a person. It was the name of the great harbour town, full of docks and buildings and ships.
But the foolish monkey did not know that. He was so used to boasting and inventing things to make himself sound important that he did not stop to think for even a moment. He wanted the dolphin to believe he knew absolutely everybody.
“Yes, yes!” replied the monkey at once, waving a little paw. “Indeed I do. Old Piraeus? I’m with him constantly! We have lunch together every week. Piraeus is my very best friend in all the world.”
The Giant Splash
This ridiculous answer took the dolphin completely by surprise. Delphino stopped swimming.
Wait a moment, the dolphin thought. Piraeus is not a man at all. Piraeus is a great heap of stone docks and buildings.
He turned his head right round and looked closely at his passenger for the very first time. And he did not see a noble Athenian citizen. He saw a soggy, boasting, foolish little monkey who had told a lie simply to sound important.
Delphino’s eyes narrowed. He could not abide a liar.
Without saying another word, the dolphin took a deep breath, flipped his powerful tail up into the air, and dived.
SPLASH!
The monkey lost his grip and went flying, and landed back in the water with a loud plop. Delphino left him there to fend for himself among the shallow waves, and swam off into the deep blue sea to look for an honest passenger to rescue instead.
The Moral of the Story: One falsehood leads to another. When you tell a lie to make yourself look good, you usually have to tell a bigger one to cover it up — and in the end, boasting and untruths only land you in a mess. It is always best simply to tell the truth.