The Magic Pudding

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The Magic Pudding

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Title: The Magic Pudding
Author: Norman Lindsay
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The Magic Pudding: Being the Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his
friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff
by
Norman Lindsay

[ Bunyip Bluegum ] [ and his Uncle ] [ are koalas ] [ ]
This is a frontways view of Bunyip Bluegum and his Uncle
Wattleberry. At a glance you can see what a fine, round, splendid
fellow Bunyip Bluegum is, without me telling you. At a second glance
you can see that the Uncle is more square than round, and that his face
has whiskers on it.
Looked at sideways you can still see what a splendid fellow Bunyip is,
though you can only see one of his Uncle's whiskers.
Observed from behind, however, you completely lose sight of the
whiskers, and so fail to realize how immensely important they are. In

fact, these very whiskers were the chief cause of Bunyip's leaving home
to see the world, for, as he often said to himself--
"Whiskers alone are bad enough Attached to faces coarse and rough
But how much greater their offence is When stuck on Uncles'
countenances."
The plain truth was that Bunyip and his Uncle lived in a small house in
a tree, and there was no room for the whiskers. What was worse, the
whiskers were red, and they blew about in the wind, and Uncle
Wattleberry would insist on bringing them to the dinner table with him,
where they got in the soup.
Bunyip Bluegum was a tidy bear, and he objected to whisker soup, so
he was forced to eat his meals outside, which was awkward, and
besides, lizards came and borrowed his soup.
His Uncle refused to listen to reason on the subject of his whiskers. It
was quite useless giving him hints, such as presents of razors, and
scissors, and boxes of matches to burn them off. On such occasions he
would remark--
"Shaving may add an air that's somewhat brisker, For dignity,
commend me to the whisker."
Or, when more deeply moved, he would exclaim--
"As noble thoughts the inward being grace, So noble whiskers dignify
the face."
Prayers and entreaties to remove the whiskers being of no avail, Bunyip
decided to leave home without more ado. The trouble was that he
couldn't make up his mind whether to be a Traveller or a Swagman.
You can't go about the world being nothing, but if you are a traveller
you have to carry a bag, while if you are a swagman you have to carry a
swag, and the question is: Which is the heavier?
At length he decided to put the matter before Egbert Rumpus Bumpus,

the poet, and ask his advice. He found Egbert busy writing poems on a
slate. He was so busy that he only had time to sing out,
"Don't interrupt the poet, friend, Until his poem's at an end,"
and went on writing harder than ever. He wrote all down one side of the
slate and all up the other, and then remarked,
"As there's no time to finish that, The time has come to have our chat.
Be quick, my friend, your business state Before I take another slate."
"The fact is," said Bunyip, "I have decided to see the world, and I
cannot make up my mind whether to be a Traveller or a Swagman.
Which would you advise?"
Then said the Poet--
"As you've no bags it's plain to see A traveller