Mamma Kangaroo Gets Pouch

Once there lived a beautiful Mother Kangaroo in the vast grasslands in the country of Australia.

The Mother Kangaroo had a bubbly son named Joey. Joey was cheerful. He hopped and played in the tall standing grasses all day long.

One fine day, Mama Kangaroo waited for Joey to return. It was late afternoon. She was worried.

So she hopped across the tall bushes searching for Joey. Suddenly, she bumped into an old wombat.

The wombat cried, “Who is this? Who is this? Why are you stepping on me? I am an old blind wombat. Leave me alone!"

Mama Kangaroo was nerved. She quickly apologised and said, "I am sorry. I never intended to hurt you. Pardon me! I am looking for my son Joey. He left playing early morning and can be seen no where around here". The mother Kangaroo began sobbing.

The wombat said, "Friend, donot worry. I will help you in finding Joey".

The wombat told Mother Kangaroo, to carry him on her tail to pastures on the other side of small crest. She agreed and they both hopped away. The other side of the crest was laden with fresh green pastures. The wombat told Mamma kangaroo that he was hungry and if they could wait while he ate some grass.

After eating to his heart content, the old wombat said, "let's go to the river side".
The mother Kangaroo sighed. She was worried even more about her son as the day was coming to a draw. But she took the old wombat on her tail to the river side.

The wombat drank water and quenched his thirst. While the wombat drank water, mother Kangaroo turned around hopping to find his Joey. Much to surprise, she found Joey curdled up near the river side lying under a tree.

Her happiness knew no bounds. She ran and lifted Joey, hugging and loving him. He wombat kept looking the beautiful scene. She turned into an angel and said to Mama Kangaroo, “O kind Mama, you love is heartening. You are the kindest of all animals, I have ever seen. I had been asking for help since days. I slept hungry and thirsty for day. No one helped me except you even when you were worried about your baby. You are blessed!"

The angel asked the Mother Kangaroo to tie a bark of a tree around her round tummy. The mother Kangaroo took a large bark and covered her tummy with it. The angel's blessings brought the most unexpected change, and the bark turned into a deep pocket forming pouch! The angel asked Mama to keep Joey in the pouch, so that he always near her.

Mama Kangaroo was overjoyed. She lifted her Joey into the pouch and from that day on, all mamma kangaroos came have pouches.