The mother kangaroo bounded out of the trees.
She landed ten feet away from Jack, Annie, Teddy,and Joey.
They all were still for a moment, as if they all wereholding their breath.
Then Joey tried to jump out of Jack's backpack.
"Hold on," said Jack.
He put his pack on the ground.
The little kangaroo leaped out.
He leaped again.. .then again.. .and dived headfirstinto his mother's pouch!
Joey turned himself over inside the pouch. Then hepeeked out at Jack and Annie.
"Yay!" said Jack and Annie together. They laughedand clapped with relief.
"He looks happy to be home," said Annie.
"His mother looks happy, too," said Jack.
The mother kangaroo was gazing down at her joey.
She patted his head with her small paws.
Then she looked at Jack and Annie with soft eyes.
"She's saying thank you to us," Annie said.
"You're welcome," Jack said.
"It was no problem," Annie told the kangaroo. "Youhave a great joey."The kangaroo gave a little nod. Then she bent overand used a front paw to pick up a small piece of barkfrom the wet grass.
The kangaroo held the piece of bark out to Jack andAnnie.
Jack took it from her.
"Oh, man," he whispered. "It's our gift from akangaroo."The kangaroo then sprang into the air. She boundedgracefully away through the charred forest.
"Thanks!" called Jack.
"Bye!" called Annie. "Good luck!"Arf! Arf! Teddy barked.
The rain stopped as Jack studied the piece of bark.
There was a tiny painting on it. It was just like thesnake painting in the cave.
"I wonder what the snake means," said Jack.
Jack opened the wet cover of the Australia book. Hecarefully turned the damp pages. He found a pictureof the snake painting.
"Listen," said Jack. He read:
The first people of Australia are called "Aborigines"(say ab-uh-RIJ-uh-neez).
They have lived there for 40,000 years. Their mythstake place in a time they call "Dreamtime."Dreamtime, there is a Rainbow Serpent, who sendslife-giving rain.
Aborigine artists paint the Rainbow Serpent oncave wails or on pieces of bark. In special ceremonies,they some-times honor the Rainbow Serpent bypainting their handprints on the magic snake.
"See?" said Annie. "That explains everything!""Explains what?" said Jack.
"We put our hands on the painting of the RainbowSerpent," she said. "It was like a special ceremony. Sothe Rainbow Serpent sent the rain to put out thewildfire."Arf! Teddy barked.
Jack frowned.
"But it's not a real creature," he said. "It's inDreamtime. Not real time." Annie smiled.
"Then how do you explain that?" she said. Shepointed at the sky.
The rain clouds were gone. The sun had come backout.
A rainbow curved across the blue Australian sky.
"Oh, man," whispered Jack. Though the air waswarm again, he shivered.
"Teddy led us to the painting," said Annie. "Weshould thank"How did he know about the Rainbow Serpent inthe cave?" Jack asked.
"I told you," said Annie. "He has a touch of magic."They looked down at the little dog. Teddy tilted hishead and seemed to smile.
"Hey, we have all four gifts now!" said Annie.
"Oh, yeah!" said Jack.
"Let's go home and see if Teddy's spell is broken!"said Annie.
Arf! Arf!
Jack put the bark painting and the Australia book inhis pack. Then they all headed through the wet,steamy forest in the direction of the tree house.
"I hope the tree house didn't get burned!" he said.
They went past the clearing, past the gum trees andbushes.
The tree house was waiting for them.
"It's still here!" said Annie.
She grabbed the rope ladder and startedJack put Teddy in his pack and followed.
Inside the tree house, Teddy wiggled out of thepack. He pawed the Pennsylvania book.
Arf! Arf!
"Okay, okay," said Jack. He pointed at a picture ofthe Frog Creek woods. "I wish we could go there!""Over the rainbow!" said Annie.
And the wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still. |