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Everybody knows the story of Jonas and the whale. The whale had swallowed him., but he got out of its stomach alive, so the bible says. Many people say that this is impossible. A man cannot stay alive after such an adventure. But some time ago an official document was found, which tells about a young harpooner who worked on ‘’The Star of East’’ a whaler. The story goes back to the year 1891. The ship was fishing near the south pole. It was bitterly cold.

James Bartley was together with a few other man, in a rowing-boat. They had come so close to a whale which they had followed for a whole day, that it was not difficult for him to throw the harpoon and kill the whale. Soon the whale was deadly wounded. But they were too close, and with a few blows of its enormous tail the wail smashed the little boat onto pieces and swam away.

The men who had been in the boat were saved but aboard ‘The Star of East’ they found out that two men were missing. One of them was James Bartley. Shortly before it was getting dark they saw the animal again. Dead. The enormous whale was taken aboard and immediately cut into pieces. After a few hours they cut the stomach open. A foot of a man shoe and all could be seen. A moment later James Bartley was lying on the deck. Seriously wounded but alive with blood from the whale all over him. For more than a week the doctor gave him no chance. He was wounded too badly. But then one day he woke up. He was very weak, but soon he could tell his story. He had seen a very big mouth in front of him. He had seen it come nearer, slowly and then he remembered a big black hole in which he fell. From then on he couldn’t remember anything. When he was saved he had been in it for 8 hours. All his hair had fallen out, his body had a very unnatural colour and he was nearly blind.

He spent his days in Liverpool, where he was born, and earned his money by repairing shoes and by telling over again the story of his adventure. From all parts of the world doctors came to have a look at him. For this also got money. He died when he was 39.

This story is about:
1. a man who worked on a whaler his whole life long.
2. a shoemaker.
3. a man called Jones.
4. a man who was wounded by a whale.
This story about James Bartley:
1. can be found in the bible.
2. was found in an official paper.
3. was told by doctors.
4. can still be heard from James himself.
When people say: it is impossible’ (line 3) they mean:
1. It cannot happen.
2. It can happen.
3. It always happens.
4. It sometimes happens.
In 1891:
1. ‘The Star of East’ was fishing near the north pole.
2. James Bartley was a shoemaker.
3. ‘The Star of East’ was on a whaling trip.
4. the document was found.
The men in the rowing-boat were in a dangerous situation, because:
1. They had come too near to the whale.
2. They had killed the whale at once.
3. The whale was dead immediately.
4. The whale was hungry.
The men had followed the whale for:
1. One day
2. One week
3. One morning
4. One afternoon
In line 11/12 we read that:
1. The wale was not wounded.
2. The wale was wounded very badly
3. The wale was not hit.
The lines 12/13 tell us that the whale:
1. ate the men.
2. swam away very quickly
3. hit ‘The Star of East’ with its tail.
4. hit the rowing-boat with the back part of its body.
What happened with the rowing-boat (line 13)?:
1. It went back.
2. It was crashed.
3. It sailed away
4. It didn’t sink.
They saw the whale again:
1. in the night.
2. in the evening.
3. early in the afternoon.
4. the next morning.
After the word ‘chance’(line 21) you could put the words:
1. to see
2. to die
3. to live
4. to work
The doctor was:
1. wrong
2. right
3. not sure
4. all right
James Bartley told his story for the first time:
1. when the doctors came.
2. when he came out of the whale.
3. after 7 days.
4. after about 10 days.
What did James Bartley say about his stay in the stomach?
1. It had been dark there.
2. It had been a black hole.
3. He said that he didn’t remember anything about it.
4. He said that he didn’t want to tell anything about it.
The big black hole in which James fell (line 24) was:
1. a hole in the ice.
2. a hole in the ship.
3. the whale’s mouth.
4. the whale’s stomach.
‘From then on’ (line24/25) was when:
1. he stepped into the rowing-boat.
2. he fell overboard.
3. he was in Liverpool again.
4. he was swallowed by the whale.
Doctors from all over the world came to have a look at him:
1. to give him money.
2. to listen to his story.
3. because they wanted to have their shoes repaired.
4. because they were interested in his body.
How often did James tell his story?
1. Very often.
2. Twice.
3. Once.
4. Not very often.
The story must be true, because:
1. the bible says so.
2. an official paper says so.
3. people says so.
4. James Bartley says so.
James Bartley was a shoemaker aboard ‘The Star of East’.
1. true
2. false
James Bartley had lost a foot.
1. true
2. false
There were more than two men in the rowing-boat.
1. true
2. false
The rowing-boat was made of wood.
1. true
2. false
Two whalers were fishing near the South Pole.
1. true
2. false
James Bartley was not very old when he died.
1. true
2. false
All the men died in the cold water.
1. true
2. false
When the whale was in the ship everybody went to bed.
1. true
2. false
When James Bartley woke up he was in Liverpool.
1. true
2. false
He often told what had happened with him.
1. true
2. false

Back alive from a whale’s stomach.