This is a rhymed verse novel concerning a humpback whale lost in the Sacramento River delta, who meets land animals that relate tales of terror from a single species. A raccoon reveals how it came to wear a furtive mask. A heron speaks of poisoned waterways. A frog describes a skin-raising scene in a land of giants. A dog named Ralf uses black humor to recount fur-raising experiments done on animals. Then a beaver builds a dam that blocks Humphrey's forward progress. The first people to discover Humphrey are two big game hunters and a 12-year-old girl. Their meeting triggers a contest...