opped.

He had to!

He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the Cinders; he
hopped through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like
a Kangaroo.

First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then he hopped
five yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs growing longer. He had
n't any time for rest or refreshment, and he wanted them very much.

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--very much bewildered, very much
hungry, and wondering what in the world or out of it made Old Man
Kangaroo hop.

[Illustration: This is the picture of Old Man Kangaroo at five in the
afternoon, when he had got his beautiful hind legs just as Big God
Nqong had promised. You can see that it is five o'clock, because Big
God Nqong's pet tame clock says so. That is Nqong in his bath,
sticking his feet out. Old Man Kangaroo is being rude to Yellow-Dog
Dingo. Yellow-Dog Dingo has been trying to catch Kangaroo all across
Australia. You can see the marks of Kangaroo's big new feet running
ever so far back over the bare hills. Yellow-Dog Dingo is drawn black,
because I am not allowed to paint these pictures with real colours out
of the paint-box; and besides, Yellow-Dog Dingo got dreadfully black
and dusty after running through the Flinders and the Cinders.

I don't know the names of the flowers growing round Nqong's bath. The
two little squatty things out in the desert are the other two gods
that Old Man Kangaroo spoke to early in the morning. That thing with
the letters on it is Old Man Kangaroo's pouch. He had to have a pouch
just as he had to have legs.]

For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a saucepan; or a new
rubber ball on a nursery floor.

He had to!

He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he stuck out
his tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he hopped through the
Darling Downs.

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Tired Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, very much
bewildered, and wondering when in the world or out of it would Old Man
Kangaroo stop.

Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, and said, "It's five
o'clock."

Down sat Dingo--Poor Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusky in the sunshine;
hung out his tongue and howled.

Down sat Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo--stuck out his tail like a
milking-stool behind him, and said, "Thank goodness _that's_
finished!"

Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, "Why are n't you grateful
to Yellow-Dog Dingo? Why don't you thank