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luckyTopic: "Oh Ye White Whale" (3)
Gregory Peck was Atticus Finch. Gregory Peck will always be Atticus Finch. For anyone else to portray Atticus Finch would be borderline sacrilege.
Gregory Peck was Captain Ahab. Gregory Peck will always be Captain Ahab. For anyone else to portray Captain Ahab, it could only be Frodo.
On the morrow, Frodo and Sam travel afar to the lands beyond Rohan, and then to set sail beyond Don Diego's California for the waters where the largest creatures on our small blue planet annually gather to mate. Although the season begins in January for the Humpback Whale, Frodo is a prisoner of time, and so he hopes that there are mammals other than himself seeking to strike fast, and often. Frodo has never seen a whale, so this is an opportunity to unite the largest, and the smallest; the strongest, and the weakest; and for at least one of the two to recall Melville's greatest of opening lines. Although there are no harpoons in Frodo's dream, he will watch closely for anyone who calls himself QueQueeg. Many hours ahead of himself, he can taste the salt spray on his tongue and winces while imagining its sting in his eyes.
"Oh Ye White Whale."
Once ashore, Frodo and Sam will spend Christmas with Bilbo. The gifts exchanged will be as portrayed in the commercial; priceless. Then Frodo and Sam will return to the Shire, rested, but full of guilt. Fiona and Mick, the Wonder Dog, will have spent Christmas in "Jail." So soon after the recent flight to Bilbo's side necessitated a prior sentence, the eyes of the faithful companions were downcast and full of holiday gloom. Frodo noted after the conclusion of the most recent sentence that the muzzle of Mick, the Wonder Dog, was much grayer, and that he slept an unusually long spell afterwards. It took him several days to return to his regimen. Sam noticed it, too.
Life, Frodo supposes, is best defined as freedom and captivity, if not as joy and sadness. Aye, but the wind will blow, and Ahab will steer a course in pursuit of the White Whale, and just maybe, he'll sing along with Bing Crosby and hold Bilbo's hand.
May your Christmas, dear reader, be as full. Until Frodo returns, refreshed, and full of hope.
