Why the Kangaroo Hops

Long ago in the Australian dream-time Kangaroo walked on all fours instead of hopping. When he wasn’t snacking on the short grass he was dozing under the mulga trees.

One day he woke to find a raging fire spreading across the plains, licking the sides of the trees. Kangaroo rushed around in a blind panic, burning his paws in the process. He realised that he couldn’t walk on his badly burnt front legs so he hopped for the first time. He hopped near the flames and leapt over them. His paws still hurt too much to walk on.

Kangaroo still hops today and his paws are still burnt black today.                                                                    

Retold by Brendan