Dot and the Kangaroo | Page 8

a pity!" said the Kangaroo, as she returned to the cave, "the
'possum made that unlucky joke of telling the Nightjar it has a touching
voice, and can sing: everyone has to suffer for that joke of the 'possum's.
It doesn't matter to him, for he is awake all night, but it is too bad for
his neighbours who want to sleep."
Just then there arose from the bush a shrill wailing and shrieking that
made Dot's heart stop with fear. It sounded terrible, as if something was
wailing in great pain and suffering.
"O Kangaroo!" she cried, "what is the matter?" "That," said the
Kangaroo, as she laid herself down to rest, "is the sound of the Curlew
enjoying itself. They are sociable birds, and entertain a great deal.
There is a party to-night, I suppose, and that is the expression of their
enjoyment. I believe," she continued, with a suppressed yawn, "it's not

so painful as it sounds. Willy Wagtail, who goes a great deal amongst
Humans, says they do that sort of thing also; he has often heard them
when he lived near the town."
Dot had never been in the town, but she was certain she had never
heard anything like the Curlew's wailing in her home; and she
wondered what Willy Wagtail meant, but she was too sleepy to ask; so
she nestled a little closer to the Kangaroo, and with the shrieking of the
Curlews, and the mournful note of the distant mo-poke in her ears, she
fell asleep again.
CHAPTER III
When Dot awoke, she did so with a start of fear. Something in her sleep
had seemed to tell her that she was in danger. At a first glance she saw
that the Kangaroo had left her, and coiled upon her body was a young
black Snake. Before Dot could move, she heard a voice from a tree,
outside the cave, say, very softly, "Don't be afraid! keep quite still, and
you will not get hurt. Presently I'll kill that Snake. If I tried to do so
now it might bite you; so let it sleep on."
She looked up in the direction of the tree, and saw a big Kookooburra
perched on a bough, with all the creamy feathers of its breast fluffed
out, and its crest very high. The Kookooburra is one of the jolliest birds
in the bush, and is always cracking jokes, and laughing, but this one
was keeping as quiet as he could. Still he could not be quite serious,
and a smile played all round his huge beak. Dot could see that he was
nearly bursting with suppressed laughter. He kept on saying, under his
breath, "what a joke this is! what a capital joke! How they'll all laugh
when I tell them." Just as if it was the funniest thing in the world to
have a Snake coiled up on one's body; when the horrid thing might bite
one with its poisonous fangs, at any moment!
Dot said she didn't see any joke, and it was no laughing matter.
"To be sure you don't see the joke," said the jovial bird. "On-lookers
always see the jokes, and I'm an on-looker. It's not to be expected of
you, because you're not an on-looker;" and he shook with suppressed

laughter again.
"Where is my dear Kangaroo?" asked Dot.
"She has gone to get you some berries for breakfast," said the
Kookooburra, "and she asked me to look after you, and that's why I'm
here. That Snake got on you whilst I flew away to consult my doctor,
the White Owl, about the terrible indigestion I have. He's very difficult
to catch awake; for he's out all night and sleepy all day. He says
cockchafers have caused it. The horny wing-cases and legs are most
indigestible, he assures me. I didn't fancy them much when I ate them
last night, so I took his advice and coughed them up, and I'm no longer
feeling depressed. Take my advice, and don't eat cockchafers, little
Human."
Dot did not really hear all this, nor heed the excellent advice of the
Kookooburra, not to eat those hard green beetles that had disagreed
with it, for a little shivering movement had gone through the Snake,
and presently all the scales of its shining black back and rosy underpart
began to move. Dot felt quite sick, as she saw the reptile begin to
uncoil itself, as it lay upon her. She hardly dared to breathe, but lay as
still as if she were dead, so as not to frighten or anger the horrid
creature, which presently seemed to slip like a slimy cord over her bare
legs, and wriggled away to the entrance of the cave.
With a quick, delighted movement, she sat up, eager