The term 'HIS WAS A 'WHALE' OF A STORY' is a reference to the biblical story of JONAH, who was swallowed by a whale. The crossword solution for this term is 'JONAH, ' which is a five-letter word. This story is found in the Old Testament and tells of how God commanded JONAH to go to Nineveh to preach repentance, but JONAH instead tried to flee from God by boarding a ship. After a great storm, JONAH was thrown overboard and swallowed by a whale, where he remained for three days and nights before being vomited onto dry land.