Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent is a 1975 children's storybook by Bill Peet.
A sea serpent named Cyrus, looking for something interesting to do after a long period of wandering, becomes mixed up with a ship called the Primrose after he hides under the pier during her launching. The way is long and the dangers are many. Will Cyrus keep the ship and her passengers safe until they reach their new home?
"Cyrus The Untropable Sea Serpent":
- Gentle Giant: While Cyrus is big enough to pull a full-size ship, he doesn't like hurting people and in fact makes it his mission to protect the passengers of the Primrose for their entire journey.
- Giant Swimmer: Cyrus is so big he makes a shark look tiny and can pull a boat by himself.
- Go-to-Sleep Ending: The story ends with the exhausted Cyrus curling up in some palm trees to take a rest.
- Mysterious Protector: Cyrus saves the Primrose from the doldrums and a storm before the passengers and crew even know they have a sea serpent watching over them.
- Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: Cyrus is disturbed by a shark's suggestion that he wreck a ship and eat the passengers, but decides to try it after being called sissy. However, his gentle nature quickly reasserts itself when he hears a naysaying old man yelling about all the dangers on the way.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: While the rest of the crew panics when Cyrus begins to pull the Primrose by her anchor, the captain urges everyone to remain calm. He points out that Cyrus already saved them from the pirate ship that was chasing them and tells everyone to relax, saying that most likely he'll reach land at some point.
- Sea Serpents: Cyrus is a snake-like sea serpent. However, unlike most examples of the trope, he's friendly, only eating sardines and saving a ship from a number of dangers.
- Use Your Head: Cyrus dives and severely damages a pirate ship threatening the Primrose by ramming it with his head as he resurfaces. The pirates literally do not know what hit them.
