Once, the kookaburra sitting in the old gum tree, with the sun shining on him and all he surveyed, spied a mouse way down below. His eyesight was excellent. Before the mouse could say, "Where am I?," Kookaburra was flying down to catch him.
But the sun was shining brighter than other days, and even with his keen eyes, Kookaburra didn't see a gum tree branch in front of him. Oh no! He flew straight into the branch and, instead of touching down beside Mouse, he fell into a clumsy heap!
Mouse was getting a better idea where he was by now, and squeaked to Kookaburra, "My friend, can you still fly?"
Kookaburra was stunned...not only was his wing sore but, for the first time, a mouse had spoken to him. Usually he just swallowed them.
"My friend," he said in reply, "I can't move my wing. It looks like I've broken it."
Mouse was a brave mouse and he knew, when he saw the sun shining into his eyes that morning, that something special was going to happen.
"Fear not," he gamely said to Kookaburra, "although I look like breakfast to you, I am in fact a fully qualified surgeon..."
"Impossible," said Kookaburra, still somewhat concussed, and not yet ready to deal with baffling conversation, "you don't even look like you could drive an ambulance!"
Mouse took the insult in his stride, being a generally unflappable kind of mouse.
"If you let me fix your wing, Kookaburra," he ventured, "all I ask is for your protection, and that I may never be seen as breakfast again."
"Deal done," Kookaburra hastily agreed ( his wing was getting rather sore by now ).
And so it was. Mouse fixed Kookaburra's wing so well he was able to fly again. In time, he forgot all about being compared to an ambulance driver. And Kookaburra? In all his subsequent days of flying, he was always watching out for Mouse, his true friend, who lived to be a very old, uneaten mouse.
For James Golden.
A story!
ReplyDeleteOnce, James, the kookaburra, sitting in the old gum tree, with the sun shining on him and all he surveyed, spied a mouse way down below. His eyesight was excellent. Before the mouse could say, "where am I?", Kookaburra was flying down to catch him.
ReplyDeleteBut the sun was shining brighter than other days, and even with his keen eyes, Kookaburra didn't see a gum tree branch in front of him. Oh No! He flew straight into the branch, and instead of touching down beside Mouse, he fell into a clumsy heap!
Mouse was getting a better idea where he was by now, and squeaked to Kookaburra, "My friend, can you still fly?".
Kookaburra was stunned...not only was his wing sore, but for the first time, a mouse had spoken to him. Usually he just swallowed them.
"My friend," he said in reply, " I can't move my wing. It looks like I've broken it."
Mouse was a brave mouse and he knew, when he saw the sun shining inro his eyes that morning, that something special was going to happen.
"Fear not," he gamely said to Kookaburra, "although I look like breakfast to you, I am in fact a fully qualified surgeon..."
"Impossible," said kooaburra, still somewhat concussed, and not yet ready to deal with baffling conversation, " you don't even look like you could drive an ambulance!"
Mouse took the insult in his stride, being a generally unflappable kind of mouse.
"If you let me fix your wing, Kookaburra," he ventured, "all I ask is for your protection, and that I may never be seen as breakfast again."
"Deal done," Kookaburra hastily agreed ( his wing was getting rather sore by now ).
And so it was, Mouse fixed Kookaburra's wing so well he was able to fly again. In time, he forgot all about being compared to an ambulance driver. And Kookaburra? In all his subsequent days of flying, he was always watching out for Mouse, his true friend, who lived to be a very old, uneaten mouse...
that was better thán Aesop!
ReplyDeleteJust don't tell Aesop, Demie!
ReplyDeleteFaisal, Thank you. Now I have an Australian story. What kind of bird IS a Koookaburra?
ReplyDeleteNo trouble, James. Kookaburras are in the kingfisher family, but not being as water-dependent, they eat snakes, lizards and - gulp - mice. They're known for their wonderful song, which sounds like laughter, and can become quite tame. A handsome, intelligent bird.
ReplyDeleteWell told, and such a beautiful old Kookaburra, yours; they are such an icon of Australian nature, I should have one with me here in Seattle... Have great week, Liisa.
ReplyDeleteA bit of light entertainment Liisa, because I was bored, because I get sick of writing about gardening...alot of our birds seem to have such character, or maybe it's because we have so many (dwindling?) species, so diverse - thankyou, and you have a great week too in Seattle!
ReplyDeletea fine story.
ReplyDeleteThankyou Velma; it keeps me entertained.
ReplyDeletedear Faisal, I LOVE IT (please forgive the shouting) Should there be a moral? e.g. never assume your breakfast can only help you nutritionally? cheers, catmint
ReplyDeleteCatmint, given that it's natural for kookaburras to eat mice, I'm not sure any moral can be drawn except to say that when under threat, it may be smartest to offer your indispensability. I prefer your interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for David beats Goliath stories.
Cheers, Faisal.