Plucky Letters to US soldiers in Iraq

My niece, Katie, tells the story of her friendship with a celebrity:

My Tale of Shamu
By Katie
(As told to Aunt Madge)


I, personally, know a celebrity. I mean PERSONALLY. I met Shamu, the famous whale, in Orlando, Florida.

On our family vacation in Orlando, my parents took us to Sea World. And they all had a diarrhea attack and had to go to the bathroom at the same time. I was the only one who did not have an attack.

While they were in the bathroom for the “family flush,” I got picked to swim with the famous whale, Shamu. I got picked because I am a blond girl with blue eyes, so I look good on TV and in shows.

Shamu carried me on his back, around and around, up and down, swimming gracefully in the water. We did not shake hands because Shamu has flippers, but he did carry me on his back all around the pool. Some people ask me if I got to stand up on Shamu’s back like a surfer, and the answer is, “No.”
Shamu has an enlarged blow-hole and I was afraid of my foot slipping into it, or of him sneezing and blowing me off.

Shamu cannot visit me because he would dry out and die outside his pool. He doesn’t send email because he’s wet and might get electrocuted on a computer. Also, his flippers are not good for typing. But I know he is my friend and he was glad to carry me on his back, gracefully around and around.

This story of my relationship with Shamu is NOT a lie. It is a TALE. There’s a big difference.