How the Kangaroo Got His Legs

Not always was the Kangaroo the Kangaroo we know today. Once he was a Different Animal, with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was enormous.

He wanted to be famous. He wanted to be popular. Most of all, he wanted to be different from every other animal in the land.

So he danced on a rock in the middle of a great desert, and he went to the Little God, and he said, 'Make me different from all other animals by five o'clock this afternoon!'

The Little God jumped up crossly. 'GO AWAY!'

So the Kangaroo went to the Middle God. 'Make me different! Make me popular! By five o'clock!'

The Middle God jumped up crossly. 'GO AWAY!'

So he went to the Big God. 'Make me different! Make me popular! Make me famous! By five o'clock!'

The Big God rose out of his bath and smiled a big, wide smile. 'Oh yes,' he said. 'I certainly will.'

The Big God whistled up Dingo. Yellow-Dog Dingo, always hungry, always grinning. 'Dingo,' he said, 'do you see that gentleman dancing on a rock? He wishes to be popular and very much run after. Dingo, make him so!'

Dingo took one look at Kangaroo, said 'That cat-rabbit?', and grinned wider than ever.

Then off he set. And off went Kangaroo.

Through the deserts and through the mountains they went. Through the reed-beds and the salt-pans. Through the long grass and the short grass. Kangaroo ran on his four little legs like a rabbit. Dingo galloped behind him, tongue out, never getting nearer, never falling behind.

They ran and they ran and they ran.

Then Kangaroo came to a river. There was no bridge. There was no boat. So he stood up on his back legs, and he hopped.

He had to.

He hopped one yard. Then three yards. Then five. His hind legs stretched a little more with every hop. His front legs shrivelled small. His tail stuck out behind for balance, like the handle of a spoon.

Still Dingo chased him. Still Kangaroo hopped.

At last five o'clock came round, and the Big God said, 'Time's up.'

Down flopped Dingo, panting, tongue lolling. Down flopped Kangaroo, stuck out his tail like a stool, and sat.

'Well, well,' said the Big God. 'You are certainly different from all other animals. And Dingo has certainly run after you. So, you are popular, too. Just as you asked.'

Kangaroo looked at his enormous new hind legs and his tiny new front legs, and he looked at Dingo panting on the sand, and he said, 'I only asked to be different. I didn't mean quite THIS different.'

'Ah well,' said the Big God, laughing. 'You should have been more careful what you wished for.'

And that is why, from that day to this, every kangaroo you will ever meet has enormous back legs, tiny front legs, and hops wherever he goes.