The koala is a beloved and well recognized animal. When the koala thinks only of himself he ends up paying a price for it.
The Koala is perhaps the most recognized native of Australia. This beloved little marsupial bear is found throughout the country. There are many folktales that surround this cuddly creature however, one of the more interesting stories is how the koala lost it’s tail which was described as being bushy and long.
There was a drought that had hit the area the ground was so dry that it cracked, the leaves on the trees dried and fell from the trees and none of the animals could find any water. Koala went to his friend the tree kangaroo for consultation.
Tree kangaroo leaned back on his tail and recounted a story from when he was but a joey. There had been a devastating drought much like the one they were now experiencing. His mother was so dehydrated that she could not feed him milk. She told her worries to his father and his father said that there was nothing that could be done, the joey would die but that was the way things went. His mother, not happy with what her husband said, left to find water. Being a tree kangaroo her travel was not like her cousins that lived in the plains. Her body was meant for the trees, long strides on land were difficult for her but she traveled by land with her joey in her pouch. She struggled over rocks and through bushes; she was bruised, cut up from rocks and exhausted. Finally when all hope was lost she came across a dried up river bed with cramped paws she dug into the dry dirt until a small pool of water formed in the bottom. She then allowed the joey to drink and they were both saved.
Koala exclaimed “We must go there! You must take me to that riverbed so that we may drink!”
Tree kangaroo considered the option for a moment and agreed to go to the riverbed with koala. The two friends made the long and exhausting journey together. When they finally made it there tree kangaroo asked who wanted to take the first shift in digging. Koala suggested that tree kangaroo did it while he rested this way tree kangaroo could rest while he dug.
Tree kangaroo continued to dig and when he had grown tired he looked to koala for help, however, koala was so pitiful curled up in a ball with his tail covering his head. Looking at his friend tree kangaroo decided he didn’t have the heart to wake him up so he continued to dig further. As time went on he continued to look to koala for assistance but he was either sleeping or had some excuse as to why he couldn’t help. Eventually koala said that he was going into the bush to find some food for them but koala tricked his friend, he didn’t go into the bush. He hid and watched as his friend dug for water.
Finally tree kangaroo discovered water but before he could do anything koala shoved him out of the way and started to drink up all of the water for himself. Tree kangaroo was furious, he had done all of the work but koala was drinking it all for himself. While koala was drinking the water all that could be seen sticking out of the hole was his beautiful bushy tail. In tree kangaroo’s anger her reached down and bit off koala’s tail at its base. Koala lost his tail for being selfish and has since had to learn how to live in the trees with out it.
