A Kangaroo Tale

Long, long ago when the world was new, and the animals were given their places on earth to dwell. There seemed to be a problem in the land down under. The kangaroos that lived there couldn’t hop about without falling flat on their faces. Trying all ideas from different kangaroos they still had no luck.

Kipper Kangaroo had an idea. “I say we all hop backwards, then we can’t fall on our faces.” They tried his idea, but they couldn’t see where they were going.

Kyle Kangaroo had a suggestion. “Maybe we could hop sideways.” They tried that as well, but hopping in that direction caused one leg to get a cramp.

One day while the kangaroos were having a meeting, Kris Koala was watching from his eucalyptus tree and laughed at their attempts. “I say, mate but you could use a tail for balance.” He smiled as he chewed his leaves. All the kangaroos began to chatter at once. Why of course a tail would give them balance.

“Let’s all get a tail, ” Kipper announced.

“How do you suggest we do that, Kipper?” Kyle was always the first to question a new idea.

“How do we get a tail, Kris?” Kipper looked up into the eucalyptus tree waiting for an answer.

“Go down and talk to Croc. He’s been here longer than any other animal.” Kris continued gnawing on his feast of leaves.

Kipper went to Croc and asked him for help. “How can we kangaroos get a tail?”

Croc yawned as he thought of an idea. “Pick up a wishing stone from the water edge, and ask for what you want as it skips across the water. “
“
How do I know if it’s a wishing stone?”

“If it’s flat and shiny, it’s a wishing stone.”

Kipper Kangaroo skipped the wishing stone and made his wish.

The next morning when Kipper woke he rolled over and felt something behind him. He reached back and felt a long tail. He hopped all around waking up the other kangaroos. “My fellow kangaroos, we have tails. Wake up and try out your new tails.”

From that day on all kangaroos had tails and they hopped around without ever falling flat on their faces again.