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Whaler of Dennis

When Dennis was known as the East Parish of Yarmouth (which was the case up to 1793), one of its foremost inhabitants was a certain Captain Ichabod Paddock.

Ichabod was a famous whaler, so famous that in 1690 he was hired by the Nantucketers to teach them how to kill whales.

Most famous whale that Ichabod ever tackled was old, Crook-Jaw. Coming on Crook-Jaw on Handkerchief Shoal, off Monomoy, Ichabod leaped, harpoon and all, down his throat.

Inside the whale he came upon a beautiful blonde girl (other versions of this story have the “blonde girl” as a red headed mermaid) with sea green eyes, so beautiful he made a second trip down the behemoth’s gullet.

This time he did not again merge. When Crook-Jaw was killed at later date Ichabod’s bones were found inside, together with seaweed bleached to the color of blonde hair, also two sun-squalls, round as eyes, and emerald-green.

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