magpie comes furtively out of the house with a key in his
mouth, and, seeing Sam, stops to consider if he is likely to betray
him. On the whole he thinks not; so he hides the key in a crevice, and
whistles a tune.

Now enters a cockatoo, waddling along confortably and talking to
himself. He tries to enter into conversation with the magpie, who,
however, cuts him dead, and walks off to look at the prospect.

Flop, flop, a great foolish-looking kangaroo comes through the house
and peers round him. The cockatoo addresses a few remarks to him, which
he takes no notice of, but goes blundering out into the garden, right
over the contemplative magpie, who gives him two or three indignant
pecks on his clumsy feet, and sends him flying down the gravel walk.

Two bright-eyed little kangaroo rats come out of their box peering and
blinking. The cockatoo finds an audience in them, for they sit
listening to him, now and then catching a flea, or rubbing the backs of
their heads with their fore-paws. But a buck 'possum, who stealthily
descends by a pillar from unknown realms of mischief on the top of the
house, evidently discredits cocky's stories, and departs down the
garden to see if he can find something to eat.

An old cat comes up the garden walk, accompanied by a wicked kitten,
who ambushes round the corner of the flowerbed, and pounces out on her
mother, knocking her down and severely maltreating her. But the old
lady picks herself up without a murmur, and comes into the verandah
followed by her unnatural offspring, ready for any mischief. The
kangaroo rats retire into their box, and the cockatoo, rather nervous,
lays himself out to be agreeable.

But the puppy, born under an unlucky star, who has been watching all
these things from behind his mother, thinks at last, "Here is some one
to play with," so he comes staggering forth and challenges the kitten
to a lark.

She receives him with every symptom of disgust and abhorrence; but he,
regardless of all spitting, and tail swelling, rolls her over, spurring
and swearing, and makes believe he will worry her to death. Her
scratching and biting tell but little on his woolly hide, and he seems
to have the best of it out and out, till a new ally appears
unexpectedly, and quite turns the tables. The magpie hops up, ranges
alongside of the combatants, and catches the puppy such a dig over the
tail as sends him howling to his mother with a flea in his ear.

Sam lay sleepily amused