(原版)澳大利亞語(yǔ)文第五冊(cè) LESSON 26

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LESSON 26 COOEE—AN AUSTRALIAN FAIRY STORY

COOEE—AN AUSTRALIAN FAIRY STORY

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COOEE and Blue Bonnet played there together in the heart of the bush for many golden hours, and by fairy time the day stretched out and out and out, till it was long enough for all their games, for fairy clocks are not the same as mortal clocks. Fairy time is just as long or as short as you wish it to be.

But it happened towards evening that Blue Bonnet and Cooee grew tired of play, so they lay on a bank of violets near the creek to watch the mountain trout ［1］ swimming in the clear water, and the platypus diving home to his tunnel in the bank. But the platypus and the fishes were soon gone, and there was nothing to be seen in the pool except their own two pretty little faces.

It was then that Cooee said once more, "I will never let you go, Blue Bonnet, never, never!" He put his two arms round her, and kissed her, and they fell asleep together on the bank in the warm sunshine of the declining day.

Night fell, and it was dark. The tall trees began to whisper and sigh. A boobook owl moaned on a bough. Far off a dingo ［2］ howled. Suddenly Blue Bonnet awoke. She put out her hand to touch Cooee, but he was gone.

She called for him, "Cooee! Cooee!" but no voice answered in the gully. She looked for the daisies along the creek, but they had shut up their eyes and gone to sleep, and the stars were hid behind a cloud.

COOEE WOULD NOT SPEAK LEST BLUE BONNET SHOULD BEG HIM TO LET HER GO.

He will never let you go! sighed the gum- trees. "Never!" echoed the boobook ［3］ . "Never!" murmured the creek.

What shall I do, then? asked Blue Bonnet, almost in tears. "Cooee, dear, let me go home awhile, and I will come back!" But Cooee would not speak, for he was hiding. He loved her too dearly to let her go, and loved her so dearly that he was afraid to see her, for if she begged hard enough and cried about it he might have to show her the way, but if he kept hidden she might forget about home, and stay in the bush.

Then Blue Bonnet heard a noise above her head. It was little Baby Bear.

So Blue Bonnet, as soon as she saw his welcome chubby little body, sang:"Baby Bear, little brother, say,

How shall Blue Bonnet find her way?"

Baby Bear halted, and spoke to her in these words:

Blue Bonnet's way through the bush she'll find, If she gives me a promise kind.

On behalf of the beasts of the bush he asked her to do all she could on reaching home to keep the mortals from letting the fire-snakes spit in the forest. And Blue Bonnet gladly gave her word to do her best.

Dawn was looking at them now with grey eyes. So Blue Bonnet and Baby Bear went on their way. But the moment a twig crackled—it was just the little 'possum getting breakfast—the bear was off up a tree-trunk for all he was worth.

DADDY COCKATOO WAS A SHREWD BIRD.

I'm off! he said. "I don't trust those fire-snakes, not I!"

Blue Bonnet called Cooee, but he would not answer, though she tried again and again.

Tut, tut, young 'un! clucked a cracked voice. "What's the matter?"

It was Daddy Cockatoo, and Blue Bonnet appealed to him for help:

Dear white Daddy Cocky, say, How shall Blue Bonnet find her way?

Cocky was a shrewd bird. With his head on one side he studied her while he made his bargain on behalf of the birds.

Blue Bonnet's way through the bush she'll find, if she gives me a promise kind.

He asked that mortals should cease to steal the birds' eggs from the nests, and sell the fledglings ［4］ , half feathered and parched with thirst, on the scorching pavements, and to kill the birds with fire-snakes so as to trim ladies' hats with the beautiful feathers.

Blue Bonnet gladly agreed, and the whole flock of white cockatoos rose like a white cloud in the blue air, screeching and chattering shrilly. But, sad to tell, they spied some ripe quondongs ［5］ on the skirts of the forest, and they shot off after them like an arrow.

A big lizard was dozing on the sunny grass, lazily darting out like a flame his blue tongue to catch flies. Blue Bonnet had to poke him hard with her toe to make him listen, and she said:

Dear little Brother Blue Tongue, say, How shall Blue Bonnet find her way?

And the lizard grunted:

Blue Bonnet's way through the bush she'll find, If she gives me a promise kind.

He presented a request from the reptiles, and insects, and fishes, and he pointed out that the blue-tongued lizards, instead of being harmful, killed off mosquitoes in thousands, besides all the snakes they found in the scrub.

He moved along so slowly that she soon left him behind. And so, thanks to her little bush brothers and sisters, Blue Bonnet was able to find her way to the place where she had entered the gully. She climbed uphill slowly, and her heart ached when she remembered that Cooee had left her without saying good-bye.

COOEE! CAME THE VOICE FROM THE WOODS.

She halted on the narrow sheep-path in the same place as before, and rather sadly called, "Cooee!" In a voice more trembling than her own came the answer, "Cooee!"

Then Blue Bonnet shouted loud and clear, so that he could not mistake, "I love you!"

And clear and loud came the welcome cry, "I love you!"

I will come back soon! she said.

Come back soon! he pleaded.

Good-bye! she called softly.

Good-bye! came very faintly across the gully.

So Blue Bonnet turned homewards again, but Billycan stayed with Cooee.

But you will go back, little Blue Bonnet! Your heart is left behind you in the beautiful bush. The spell of the bush is on you for ever. Cooee will call, and you will follow the voice through fire and flood, even from the world's end. Cooee will call you, and you will listen, and you will return home.

—Children's Magazine

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［1 ］ trout: A fresh-water fish of the salmon family.

［2 ］ dingo: An Australian animal like a dog.

［3 ］ boobook: An Australian owl; also called mopoke or more-pork.

［4 ］ fledglings: Birds that have just got their feathers.

［5 ］ quondongs: Fruit something like cherries.