Wobbly Wombats
By Pat Dargin
Once upon a time there were three wombat brothers. They lived amongst the high hills running down to the edge of the great southern sea.
One night, the wombats came out of their burrows to eat the grass as usual but they’d eaten all of it. There were tussocks of tall grass on the next hill but, to get there, they had to cross a steep, deep ravine between the two hills. There was a way. An ancient gum tree had fallen across the ravine, roots buried into the earth on one side, trunk stretching out and great branches resting on the other side. They could wobble along it.
However, they didn’t know that in the dark, damp cave under the roots of the tree lived a Bogley, the ugliest of Boglies. It was so ugly it would frighten anyone! The Bogley had woken when the tree fell over and now sat on a branch under the tree trunk, dangling its long, green legs. Its tummy rumbled.
The wombats decided to go across. The smallest wombat went first, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HO! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“Oh no! I’m only small. My brother’s coming next and he’s much bigger and fatter.”
“ERRAH! Then I won’t waste my time with you. I’ll eat your brother instead. Quick! Go across!”
And the wombat wobbled across – very quickly!
Soon, the middle-sized wombat wobbled along, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HA! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“Oh no! I’m only middle-sized. My brother’s coming next and he’s MUCH bigger and fatter.”
“ERRAH! Then I won’t waste my time with you. I’ll eat your brother instead. Quick! Go across!”
And the wombat wobbled across – very quickly!
Before long the biggest wombat wobbled along, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HEE! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“ARE YOU NOW? Well, come on up – I’ll be waiting.”
The Bogley pulled its ugly self up onto the tree trunk but that wombat turned around so that the Bogley saw his tough, hairy rump. The Bogley tried to hold the wombat but that big, fat wombat rammed his rump upwards and backwards into the Bogley again and again. The Bogley let go. Then the big, fat wombat turned about and CHARGED at the Bogley’s legs. They crumpled and it fell off the tree trunk – down, down, down into that steep, deep ravine.
The biggest wombat wobbled across to the other side and joined the others. They were SO hungary they ate and ate and ate the grass until they had eaten so much they could hardly wobble back across the tree trunk to their burrows. Then they slept and slept and slepty and lived happily ever after.
And, as for that Bogley – well, don’t worry about it because it was never seen again.
From Swag of Yarns winter 2004
Once upon a time there were three wombat brothers. They lived amongst the high hills running down to the edge of the great southern sea.
One night, the wombats came out of their burrows to eat the grass as usual but they’d eaten all of it. There were tussocks of tall grass on the next hill but, to get there, they had to cross a steep, deep ravine between the two hills. There was a way. An ancient gum tree had fallen across the ravine, roots buried into the earth on one side, trunk stretching out and great branches resting on the other side. They could wobble along it.
However, they didn’t know that in the dark, damp cave under the roots of the tree lived a Bogley, the ugliest of Boglies. It was so ugly it would frighten anyone! The Bogley had woken when the tree fell over and now sat on a branch under the tree trunk, dangling its long, green legs. Its tummy rumbled.
The wombats decided to go across. The smallest wombat went first, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HO! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“Oh no! I’m only small. My brother’s coming next and he’s much bigger and fatter.”
“ERRAH! Then I won’t waste my time with you. I’ll eat your brother instead. Quick! Go across!”
And the wombat wobbled across – very quickly!
Soon, the middle-sized wombat wobbled along, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HA! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“Oh no! I’m only middle-sized. My brother’s coming next and he’s MUCH bigger and fatter.”
“ERRAH! Then I won’t waste my time with you. I’ll eat your brother instead. Quick! Go across!”
And the wombat wobbled across – very quickly!
Before long the biggest wombat wobbled along, his long claws a-tapping on the tree trunk. Tip-tap, tip-tap. The Bogley listened. The Bogley sniffed and rubbed its tummy.
Who’s that tapping up there?
“It is I, a wobbly wombat. I’m going across to eat grass so that I’ll grow big and fat.”
“HEE! No you’re not! I’m coming to gobble you up!”
“ARE YOU NOW? Well, come on up – I’ll be waiting.”
The Bogley pulled its ugly self up onto the tree trunk but that wombat turned around so that the Bogley saw his tough, hairy rump. The Bogley tried to hold the wombat but that big, fat wombat rammed his rump upwards and backwards into the Bogley again and again. The Bogley let go. Then the big, fat wombat turned about and CHARGED at the Bogley’s legs. They crumpled and it fell off the tree trunk – down, down, down into that steep, deep ravine.
The biggest wombat wobbled across to the other side and joined the others. They were SO hungary they ate and ate and ate the grass until they had eaten so much they could hardly wobble back across the tree trunk to their burrows. Then they slept and slept and slepty and lived happily ever after.
And, as for that Bogley – well, don’t worry about it because it was never seen again.
From Swag of Yarns winter 2004
posted by Sarah Johnstone | 3:51 PM
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