Hi,
My name's Kevin Saker and today we're going to read from Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling and today we're going to look at the sixth story,
The Sing Song of Old Man Kangaroo.
So if you'd like to get yourself comfortable in maybe a chair or maybe get into bed and get all tucked in and once you're relaxed and ready and maybe closed your eyes,
I shall begin.
The Sing Song of Old Man Kangaroo 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 N'Kwa.
He went to N'Kwa at six before breakfast,
Saying,
Make me different from all the other animals by five this afternoon.
Upt jumped N'Kwa from his seat on the sandflat 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 N'Kwing.
He went to N'Kwing at eight after breakfast,
Saying,
Make me different from all other animals,
Make me also wonderfully popular by five this afternoon.
Upt jumped N'Kwing 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 N'Kwang.
He went to N'Kwang at ten before dinnertime,
Saying,
Make me different from all other animals,
Make me popular and wonderfully run after by five this afternoon.
Upt jumped N'Kwang from his bath in the saltpan and shouted,
Yes,
I will!
N'Kwang called Dingo,
Yellow dog Dingo,
Always hungry,
Dusty in the sunshine,
And showed him kangaroo.
N'Kwang said,
Dingo,
Wake up Dingo,
Do you see that gentleman dancing on ash pit?
He wants to be popular and very truly run after.
Dingo,
Make him so.
Upt jumped Dingo,
Yellow dog Dingo,
And said,
What,
That cat rabbit?
Off ran Dingo,
Yellow dog Dingo,
Always hungry,
Grinning like a cold scuttle,
Ran after kangaroo.
Off went the proud kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny.
This,
Oh beloved of mine,
Ends the first part of the tale.
He ran through the desert,
He ran through the mountains,
He ran through the saltpans,
He ran through the red 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 tea 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.
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 Wolgong 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.
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 Nquan 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 Nquan,
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 mealtimes,
He's altered my shape so I'll never get it back,
And he's played old scratch with my legs.
Then said Nquan,
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 incarnations,
But this is a practical joke.
Joke,
Said Nquan 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 them so far as I'm 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 Nquan from his bath in the salt pan,
Come and ask me about it tomorrow,
Because I'm going to wash.
So they were left in the middle of Australia,
Old man kangaroo and the yellow dog Dingo,
And each said,
That's your fault.
Thank you for joining me for that story,
I hope you enjoyed it,
And I hope to see you back again soon.
