"When the holiday was over, back the two went to their own cold home in the north. The cow swam homewards as straight as an arrow. She had no compass to steer by, and the stars, if she went by those, were often obscured; but the wonderful instinct implanted in her by God, who makes and rules all creatures and things, never deserted her, but guided her on and on and on, till the tall icebergs once more loomed out of the dark sea, with stars and aurora shining and dancing above.
"Of course the husband was glad to see her.
"'How well you look, dear!' he said, as they rubbed noses.
"'Yes,' she answered; 'and hasn't Johnnie grown wonderfully!'
"'I hardly knew him, indeed,' said the bull.
"Well, now, when Johnnie was about a year old, a whales' ball took place in Baffin's Bay.
"Yes, Frank. Mind, this is not a fairy tale. I'm speaking from the great book of Nature.
"Well, it isn't a real ball, you know, Toddie, only Greenland sailors call it so because the young whales all meet and dance about, and leap and jump, and whack the water with their awful tails, till the whole sea around is like a whirlpool, and covered with froth and foam. It is an interesting and a terrible sight. Ships may view it from afar off, but they know better than to go too close with boats, else these boats would be smashed into match-wood in less than a minute.
"Well, I suppose Johnnie danced too much at this ball, or ate too many gallons of the little shrimp things that whales feed on. Anyhow, next day he didn't feel at all well.
"'I tell you what it is, Johnnie,' said Johnnie's mother, 'you must take a run south, it will quite brace you up again.'