For kids, there’s nothing like being by the harbor, watching boats come in and go out. You never know where they might be coming from, perhaps the other side of the world; and who knows where they could be headed next?
So for little Vilma Hansson, of Varberg, on the west coast of Sweden, she thought she would try to have some fun with the pilot of a passing cargo ship by signalling to him to honk his ship’s horn. The results of her efforts were pretty amazing to watch!
Vilma and her dad, Tobias, were both watching from a wharf, and he happened to have his video camera rolling, when a massive container ship began entering the port on a beautiful sunny day.
Vilma’s tiny frame was dwarfed by the hull of the massive container ship, but that didn’t deter her efforts as she signed the “toot-toot” hand gesture in a pumping motion, shouting “Hey!” with her itty-bitty voice.
At first, there was no response from the hulking ship. Perhaps they were ignoring Vilma, as these men are busy after all. Or perhaps her tiny frame was just too small and the ship is too big and far away to see her. But she didn’t let that stop her—not just yet!
As the ship rolls in, the chances of the pilot seeing her grow increasingly better. “Toot toot!” she cries hopefully, continuing to signal for the horn. Of course, the closer they get, the louder the sound would be!
One can just visualize the crew on the bridge of the great ship getting an incredible chuckle out of the sight of the little girl. She was so startled by the incredibly loud sound that she jumped, let out a shriek, and ran back to her dad.
What would we expect from such a giant ship? After all, its horn is meant for avoiding collision with other giants, like oil tankers and cruise ships, as well as alert men working at the wharf. Yet, little Vilma, being so young perhaps, certainly hadn’t anticipated this.
It surely gave the adults, both those ashore and at sea, a good laugh. For Vilma, it was a lesson in being careful for what you wish for! And after the video was posted on YouTube, over 12 million viewers have also had a chance to chuckle and smile at tiny Vilma’s encounter with the giant vessel and its blow horn!
