The Sing-song Of Old Man Kangaroo
:
Just So Stories
NOT always was the Kangaroo as now we do behold him, but a Different
Animal with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, and his
pride was inordinate: he danced on an outcrop in the middle of
Australia, and he went to the Little God Nqa.
He went to Nqa at six before breakfast, saying, 'Make me different from
all other animals by five this afternoon.'
Up jumped Nqa from his seat on th
sand-flat and shouted, 'Go away!'
He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced
on a rock-ledge in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Middle
God Nquing.
He went to Nquing at eight after breakfast, saying, 'Make me different
from all other animals; make me, also, wonderfully popular by five this
afternoon.'
Up jumped Nquing from his burrow in the spinifex and shouted, 'Go away!'
He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced
on a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Big God
Nqong.
He went to Nqong at ten before dinner-time, saying, 'Make me different
from all other animals; make me popular and wonderfully run after by
five this afternoon.'
Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted, 'Yes, I
will!'
Nqong called Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusty in the
sunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said, 'Dingo! Wake up, Dingo!
Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ashpit? He wants to be popular
and very truly run after. Dingo, make him so!'
Up jumped Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--and said, 'What, that cat-rabbit?'
Off ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like a
coal-scuttle,--ran after Kangaroo.
Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny.
This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale!
He ran through the desert; he ran through the mountains; he ran through
the salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he ran through the blue
gums; he ran through the spinifex; he ran till his front legs ached.
He had to!
Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like a
rat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther,--ran after
Kangaroo.
He had to!
Still ran Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the ti-trees; he
ran through the mulga; he ran through the long grass; he ran through the
short grass; he ran through the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer; he ran
till his hind legs ached.
He had to!
Different Animal with four short legs. I have drawn him grey and woolly,
and you can see that he is very proud because he has a wreath of flowers
in his hair. He is dancing on an outcrop (that means a ledge of rock) in
the middle of Australia at six o'clock before breakfast. You can see
that it is six o'clock, because the sun is just getting up. The thing
with the ears and the open mouth is Little God Nqa. Nqa is very much
surprised, because he has never seen a Kangaroo dance like that before.
Little God Nqa is just saying, 'Go away,' but the Kangaroo is so busy
dancing that he has not heard him yet.
The Kangaroo hasn't any real name except Boomer. He lost it because
he was so proud.]
Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, grinning like
a horse-collar, never getting nearer, never getting farther; and they
came to the Wollgong River.
Now, there wasn't any bridge, and there wasn't any ferry-boat, and
Kangaroo didn't know how to get over; so he stood on his legs and
hopped.
He had to!
He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the Cinders; he hopped
through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like a
Kangaroo.
First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then he hopped
five yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs growing longer. He
hadn't any time for rest or refreshment, and he wanted them very much.
Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--very much bewildered, very much
hungry, and wondering what in the world or out of it made Old Man
Kangaroo hop.
For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a saucepan; or a new rubber
ball on a nursery floor.
He had to!
afternoon, when he had got his beautiful hind legs just as Big God Nqong
had promised. You can see that it is five o'clock, because Big God
Nqong's pet tame clock says so. That is Nqong, in his bath, sticking his
feet out. Old Man Kangaroo is being rude to Yellow-Dog Dingo. Yellow-Dog
Dingo has been trying to catch Kangaroo all across Australia. You can
see the marks of Kangaroo's big new feet running ever so far back over
the bare hills. Yellow-Dog Dingo is drawn black, because I am not
allowed to paint these pictures with real colours out of the paint-box;
and besides, Yellow-Dog Dingo got dreadfully black and dusty after
running through the Flinders and the Cinders.
I don't know the names of the flowers growing round Nqong's bath. The
two little squatty things out in the desert are the other two gods that
Old Man Kangaroo spoke to early in the morning. That thing with the
letters on it is Old Man Kangaroo's pouch. He had to have a pouch just
as he had to have legs.]
He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he stuck out
his tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he hopped through the
Darling Downs.
He had to!
Still ran Dingo--Tired-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, very much
bewildered, and wondering when in the world or out of it would Old Man
Kangaroo stop.
Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pans, and said, 'It's five
o'clock.'
Down sat Dingo--Poor Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusky in the sunshine;
hung out his tongue and howled.
Down sat Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo--stuck out his tail like a
milking-stool behind him, and said, 'Thank goodness that's finished!'
Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, 'Why aren't you grateful to
Yellow-Dog Dingo? Why don't you thank him for all he has done for you?'
Then said Kangaroo--Tired Old Kangaroo--'He's chased me out of the
homes of my childhood; he's chased me out of my regular meal-times; he's
altered my shape so I'll never get it back; and he's played Old Scratch
with my legs.'
Then said Nqong, 'Perhaps I'm mistaken, but didn't you ask me to make
you different from all other animals, as well as to make you very truly
sought after? And now it is five o'clock.'
'Yes,' said Kangaroo. 'I wish that I hadn't. I thought you would do it
by charms and incantations, but this is a practical joke.'
'Joke!' said Nqong from his bath in the blue gums. 'Say that again and
I'll whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off.'
'No,' said the Kangaroo. 'I must apologise. Legs are legs, and you
needn't alter 'em so far as I am concerned. I only meant to explain to
Your Lordliness that I've had nothing to eat since morning, and I'm very
empty indeed.'
'Yes,' said Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo,--'I am just in the same situation.
I've made him different from all other animals; but what may I have for
my tea?'
Then said Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, 'Come and ask me about
it to-morrow, because I'm going to wash.'
So they were left in the middle of Australia, Old Man Kangaroo and
Yellow-Dog Dingo, and each said, 'That's your fault.'
THIS is the mouth-filling song
Of the race that was run by a Boomer,
Run in a single burst--only event of its kind--
Started by big God Nqong from Warrigaborrigarooma,
Old Man Kangaroo first: Yellow-Dog Dingo behind.
Kangaroo bounded away,
His back-legs working like pistons--
Bounded from morning till dark,
Twenty-five feet to a bound.
Yellow-Dog Dingo lay
Like a yellow cloud in the distance--
Much too busy to bark.
My! but they covered the ground!
Nobody knows where they went,
Or followed the track that they flew in,
For that Continent
Hadn't been given a name.
They ran thirty degrees,
From Torres Straits to the Leeuwin
(Look at the Atlas, please),
And they ran back as they came.
S'posing you could trot
From Adelaide to the Pacific,
For an afternoon's run--
Half what these gentlemen did--
You would feel rather hot,
But your legs would develop terrific--
Yes, my importunate son,
You'd be a Marvellous Kid!