In
a quiet, lush part of the coastal scrub a young kangaroo named Hoppy lived
with all her family and friends.
She loved to nibble the choice leaves, hide in the scrub and play with her friends. She knew she was loved and cared for, and she knew every nook and cranny. One day Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo told Hoppy that very soon the family would have to move away from the coast into the outback. Hoppy was shocked.
Hoppy
knew she would be leaving her friends and familiar feeding ground, the
sounds of the ocean roaring and her favourite play spots.
She knew she would surely be lonely, but what lay out there beyond the next hills really stirred her curiosity, especially when Kooka Kookaburra told her stories of wide open spaces, and Maggie Magpie told her of many other joeys just like her.
Kirsten Koala could not help but tell of the choice gum leaves and Platy Platypus told of the quiet, deep pools of clear spring water.
Hoppy
grew curious and excited. She packed her pouch with a few special treasures.
But, just as the family was about to leave, she felt a tear in her eye,
so she bit hard on her bottom lip, straightened her ears and made sure her
tail was tall, for she did not want to let anyone know that tears were just
under her eyelids.
After
several days Hoppy and her family finally came to a beautiful watering
hole. Kooka, Maggie, Kirsten and Platy were right! It was beautiful! It
was all so exciting!
She unpacked her pouch and set about exploring. For a long time life felt very strange. Gradually, she learnt the rules of the bush, and discovered many new things, so that for a while she almost forgot how sad she was leaving home.
When
the newness wore off and darkness fell and her new friend, Bobby Bandicoot
had settled down for the night, Hoppy listened to the strange, eerie,
empty sounds of her new home.
How she longed for the reassuring sound of the waves and the wind through the grasses and above all the sound of familiar voices.
Days
passed. Hoppy grew to like her new surroundings and friends, and threw
herself into the life of the other young animals.
She listened in awe to the wise old Kangaroos tell stories of drought and fire and flood. She tried to remember their wisdom and advice for she knew that she too might face fire or drought or flood.
Sure
enough, a very severe drought soon came to Hoppy's new home. The older
kangaroos gathered the bush creatures around them.
"The time has come for you to move off", they said, "for there is not sufficient food for so many of us".
The creatures nodded for they knew that the old kangaroos were very wise, and sadly each went off to pack his or her special treasures once again.