G’day!
We’re back today with a story inspired by a recent trip to Yandina down here in Australia.
Here’s a photo of the kookaburra that sparked this story!
What a cutie!
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Side note for those not from Australia: kookaburras are a native bird of Australia that are known for their gorgeous laugh! “🎶 Kookoo Kakaka! 🎶” is the general gist of it!
They’re the best!
Now, let’s get to it: here is Kool as a Kookaburra!
Kool and his dad Kenny couldn’t be more different from one another. The only thing they had in common was that they both loved a good laugh, as do all kookaburras.
Kool was always on the move. He could never stay still. Kenny was almost always still. He was like a gum tree, patient as can be, always looking around, waiting, assessing his surroundings. His first step was always planned. Kool’s first step was usually skipped over so that he could start at step two.
In kookaburra years, Kool was a teenager. He was young and springy and still liked to chase moths and catch great long gusts of wind like a surfer. He wanted to go as fast as the roaring gigantic white birds that occasionally soared way up above the clouds, somehow never needing to flap their wings.
Kool got hungry fast. Ever since his first worm, he was always searching for his next bite. And now that he was a teenager, his nagging hunger was louder than ever, like a constant voice in his ear whinging, “Fooooooood! I want fooooooood!” He felt like he had no choice but to listen to that bratty little voice and do as it said.
Morning to night, he was dipping, diving and darting around, scouring the bush for beetles and bugs (and sometimes even slugs). He never stayed in one place long. There was always somewhere new for him to check. When it came to food — when it came to everything, really — Kool was about as patient as a hungry snake with a fresh mouse.
One day, Kool was in a particularly peckish mood. He was nipping around all over the bush, checking all of his usual places. But there was nothing to be found. Not a single snack or morsel. The whole bush had apparently gone into hibernation.
His journey led him away from his usual stomping grounds to a nearby waterfall. If he wasn’t having any luck with the trees and the ground, then maybe the water would have some food for him instead.
Kool checked the waterfall, flying low to the water and scoping it out. As he glided just above the water, he suddenly heard a bird cry out just behind him. He turned around just in time to see a black shadow fizzing towards him. It was a magpie!
Kool ducked out of the way just in time. The magpie cried out again and then came in for another charge. Kool kicked into action and scrammed.
He sqwuaked and clucked as the magpie chased him down. Kool scurried off away from the waterfall and weaved between the gumtrees of the bush.
The magpie was still on his tail, caw-cawing after him, screaming its head off.
Out of the blue, another kookaburra popped up with a sqwuak and a cackle. It was Kool’s dad!
Kenny opened up his wings wide and yapped and hollered at the magpie that was chasing after Kool. The message was simple: Leave my boy alone!
The magpie was quick to wisen up. Kenny clearly meant business. The magpie took a sharp turn and promptly disappeared into the bush.
“Scary birds, magpies,” said Kenny once things had calmed. “Very territorial. They just want to protect their babies, that’s all.”
“Thanks dad,” said Kool, feeling a little embarrassed.
Kenny looked at Kool and saw his little baby bird.
“Come with me,” said Kenny. “Let’s get some tucker.”
The two of them followed the narrow creak that scribbled through the bush. As they flew, the sky started to spit light rain.
“Perfect,” said Kenny. Except he wasn’t joking.
They reached a small opening next to the creak and Kool and Kenny landed on a tree that overlooked the water.
It was raining lightly. The air was cool.
“This is a kookaburra’s dream,” said Kenny.
Kool remembered all of the times that his dad had tried to teach him to hunt. Kool had always been so frustrated when they went out. It was all so slow and tedious.
“The worms come out when the soil gets too wet,” said Kenny.
They waited… and waited… and waited…
The rain continued quietly around them. Occasionally, a drop slipped through the leaves above them and dampened their feathers.
“There!” said Kenny.
A leaf was stirring down by the soil next to the water. Kool was just about to take off.
“Wait!” said Kenny.
Kool held himself back, itching to get going.
“Why are we waiting?” he asked.
“We want to wait until the worm is fully showing itself. It will stick out more. You watch.”
They waited a little longer. The leave moved aside and they could see the worm properly now. It was an absolute monster.
“Now go!” said Kenny.
Kool pounced and soared down through the air. He plucked up the worm which was waggling about in the damp earth like a long arm waving.
Kool pulled up with worm in beak and beat his wings hard. He flew back up towards the branch where his dad was waiting for him. He landed next to his dad and gulped down the unfortunate worm in one big mouthful.
“Not bad, huh?” his dad said.
Kool and his dad looked at each other and started cackling so loudly that every heartbeat in the bush could hear them.
Love it!