“Isn’t life beautiful?”
“Miracles do happen.”
“Crikey!”
Only Rosebush did not feel like eating. Standing at the fence, she peered at Mount Pear in the distance. The shooting had ceased. Lancelot should have come back some time ago. Where was he? Rosebush asked herself.
“Here, sweet girl, eat,” Emmy said, offering Rosebush some grass piled up in her hand.
“What’s the matter with her?” Bill asked.
“I think she’s still scared.”
“No wonder. The shooting terrified her. Look at her, the poor thing. Enough is enough. How can the neighbour be so cruel? I will report him to the police. Shooting at kangaroos is simply cruel. And on top of it, it’s against the law.”
Kneeling down, Emmy patted Rosebush’s coat. “I wish you could understand what I’m saying,’” she said. “Would you rather have an apple or a pear? If I only knew what is going through your mind.”
“I miss Lancelot,” Rosebush sighed.
In human ears, her words sounded like gobbledygook. Yet, Emmy realized that Rosebush was sad and worrying about something. Or someone? Emmy too peered at Mount Pear, and suddenly anxiety overcame her.
“As a matter of fact, where is Lancelot?” she asked Bill.
Yes, where was Lancelot? Watching what was going on in the horse paddock, Meryl Sheep as well asked herself the same question. Only now, she understood that Lancelot instigated this scenario and she had put the idea in his head.
“He’s a smart boy,” she thought, smiling. “But let’s hope he wasn’t that little bit too brave.” Worrying, she too peered at Mount Pear.
Rosebush forced back her tears. Denying herself the terrible thought, that something happened to Lancelot. Since the day she met him in the forest, it was her biggest desire to spend her life by his side. Every afternoon she dreamed of hopping across a paddock together with him and laughing together with him when they tickled each other. Without Lancelot, she would never ever again be able to laugh. Clinging at Emmy’s apron, she begged, silently:
“Please, Lancelot, don’t leave me alone.”
A tear ran down her cheek.
“Boo!” shouted Lancelot, to everyone’s surprise. Rosebush, Bill and Emmy all turned, and saw him dancing in front of them. “I am the tickle-monster,” he laughed. He tickled all three of them with his one arm as good as it got.
Taking Rosebush by her paw, they hurried down the paddock towards the kangaroos. “I defeated him,” he cheered. “I have defeated the nasty neighbour. We don’t have to fear him anymore.”
“How did you do that?” the uncle asked, his eyes showing that he was a little bit jealous.
“I lured him to the far end of the paddock,” Lancelot said. “Once close to the fence I tricked him. I pretended to be somewhere else, but instead I was right behind him. I jumped up and shouted: Boo! Boo! Bah!”
“Oh,” the kangaroos said, amazed.
“And then? What happened?” they all asked at the same time.
“Weren’t you scared?”
“I would have wet my pouch.”
“Of course, you would have.”
“Not me.”
“Get lost.”
“You’re a show-off.”
“Crikey!”
“Hold it!” the uncle interfered. “One at a time! I cannot hear my own words. Let this young man tell his story.”
“And then,” Lancelot continued, “I kicked him in the bum, hard and strong. His shotgun flew out of his hand and he himself plummeted into the fence. Head on. He wiggled and jiggled like a little bug until he tangled himself up in the wires. So hard, he couldn’t even move his little toe.”
“And then?” Rosebush asked.
“Then,” Lancelot said, proud as a peacock, “Then I tickled him.”
Rosebush burst into laughter. So did the other kangaroos, some rolling over the grass holding onto their bellies. Even Meryl Sheep was lying on her back laughing and fidgeting with all four legs.
Rosebush’s uncle put his arm around Lancelot. This time with a voice as deep and mellow as a teddy bear’s yawn, he said:
“Well done, my son. I am proud of you. In the name of the mob, I would like to thank you. As of today, you shall be one of us. Forever.”
Lancelot took a deep breath. He had been waiting for these words for a long time. He pinched himself, making sure he was not dreaming. “Ouch,” he said, because it hurt, but he knew that what he had just heard was real. Happy and relieved, his eyes filled up with tears.
“Watch out, Lancelot! Behind you. Run away. Quick!” Bill and Emmy shouted at him.
Lancelot turned and saw the horse that had kicked him in the arm, standing in front of him. Curious, it sniffed at Lancelot’s scar.
“Are you okay?” it asked.
“Okay?” Lancelot repeated, sneering. He turned to Rosebush and raised his arm. “My whole life I was never as happy as I am today.”
Jubilant, Lancelot and Rosebush hopped across the paddock all the way down to the edge of the forest. Once there, they sat next to each other, Lancelot putting his arm around Rosebush.
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” he asked.
“Dimwit,” Rosebush said. “I’ve been your girlfriend all the way along.” So as not to doubt her words, she gave him a big kiss.
The kangaroos in the paddock watched them complacently. Some had stuck their heads together, whispering and murmuring.
“Look at them. How sweet they are.”
“Aren’t they a cute couple?”
“I always knew that the little boy is someone special.”
“Why didn’t he join us earlier?”
“Crikey!”
### The End ###
About the author
Adrian Plitzco is a writer and producer of children’s audio books. He has also written a novel and hosts a children’s radio show on Australia’s multicultural radio station in Melbourne.
G’day! It’s me, Adrian!
I am very happy you made it right to the end.
It can only mean you enjoyed Lancelot - The one-armed Kangaroo.
The story is also available as an audio book and print book at
https://www.bubenberg.com.au
You can listen to a sample here:
https://soundcloud.com/bubenberg/lancelot-the-one-armed
But hang on, mate!
What about another story?
Have a look at this one:
“Pirate - The barking Kookaburra”
is a lost baby Kingfisher bird. He befriends a colourful bunch of dogs and a cat. His sense of fun turns their life upside down. But at the same time, the dogs' survival skills and the cat's wisdom take Pirate on a journey that changes his life forever. Pirate grows up. He learns to stand up for himself, to overcome fear and to care for his loved ones.
Get it here:
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