The Adventures of Mu-Mu Lost in the Outback
Warren Thomas
Copyright © 2012 Warren Day
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2012-06-06
Acknowledgments
I would like to Acknowledge my wonderful wife Deborah and my creative daughter Nikki. Without either of them this project would have never been completed.
The Adventures of Mu-Mu Lost in the Outback
“Good day, mates. My name is Waula the Wallaby. I want to tell a story about my friend, Mu-Mu the Emu. What is an emu you ask? Well let’s find out on this amazing adventure.”
One day, not so long ago, a big green egg began to crack. A cute little head poked out through the small opening. He turned his head right and back to the left. He could not see a thing in the dark, because it was night time.
“Hello,” he whispered ever so quietly. “Is anyone there?”
He heard a clucking purr close in the dark. Someone was near! He ducked his head back in the egg when he saw a shadow move.
“Do not be afraid, Mu-Mu my little son. It is only me your dad.”
But Mu-Mu was still fearful. He had never seen his daddy. True, he had heard his muffled voice through the egg shell, and this voice did sound like that, a little.
Hatched
Mu-Mu eased his little head back through the crack. There in front of him was a face that appeared to be friendly. “Are you my daddy?” he asked.
“Yes, I am your daddy.”
“What are you?” Mu-Mu asked.
“I am an emu, and so are you.”
“What’s an emu?” Mu-Mu asked.
“Well we are. An emu is a large bird that lives in Australia. We have really long legs with three toes for running fast. We also have long necks for reaching high into the brush for leaves and berries. We can’t fly however. Our wings are too small to lift our large heavy bodies off the ground.
“Daddy,” Mu-Mu asked meekly?
“Yes, son,” his father replied.
“Do I have a mother?”
His father hung his head. “Yes, her name is Emma, and she is far away because she is hurt.”
“Daddy, one more thing.” Mu-Mu said wiggling.
“Yes son.”
“I’m stuck, would you help me out of this thing?”
Elvin chuckled. “Certainly, I’ll help you.”
Mu-Mu’s father helped him the rest of the way out of the egg. As Mu-Mu stretched his long legs, he looked again at his father and said, “Do I look like you?”
Before his father could answer, laughter broke out in the dark from all around them. Mu-Mu was again afraid. He scurried to hide behind his father’s leg.
“What was that awful sound?” Mu-Mu whimpered.
“What do you mean awful sound,” came a voice from the dark?
“Karrie, he did not mean anything by it. You frightened him with your laughter, Mu-Mu’s father replied. “He is just a little emu.”
As Mu-Mu peered from behind his father’s long leg, a strange looking animal hopped up to them.
“I understand. I would be frightened too,” replied Karrie.
“Mu-Mu, this is Karrie.”
Karrie nodded her head. “it is very nice to meet you. Welcome to the outback.” She hopped closer to the new family. “Oh Elvin, he is so cute.”
Mu-Mu looked at Karrie for a long moment then questioned, “You’re an emu too?”
A little voice giggled from the area Karrie was standing, but it wasn’t Karrie. Mu-Mu was really puzzled. This voice sounded kind of like Karrie’s but different. “Who’s laughing?” Mu-Mu asked.
A head popped up out of Karrie’s tummy. “It was me,” said the second head.
A little voice giggled from the area Karrie was standing, but it wasn’t Karrie. Mu-Mu was really puzzled. This voice sounded kind of like Karrie’s but different. “Who’s laughing?” Mu-Mu asked.
A head popped up out of Karrie’s tummy. “It was me,” said the second head.
“Karrie, you have two heads.”
Everyone began to laugh. “No I don’t,” said Karrie. “This is my little girl Rhea. She was just riding in my pouch.”
“You have a pouch?”
“Why yes. All mother kangaroos have pouches.”
“So, that means you are not an emu,” said Mu-Mu.
“Certainly not. Only you and your father are emus. That is why Rhea was laughing.”
Soon the group of animal began to leave and Mu-Mu and his father settle down to sleep the rest of the night away. Mu-Mu had many questions but he had time to ask and learn.
As the days passed, Mu-Mu grew less afraid of everything around him. His father began to explain what it was like to live in their land. One of the first things he taught Mu-Mu was what was good to eat and what was not. Elvin showed Mu-Mu how to pick out seeds and berries that tasted good and which insects were safe to eat.
As they were looking for seeds near the stream, Mu-Mu spied someone new on the water’s edge. This new animal was very long and green. It had a long snout and a long tail. Many humps and bumps ran along its back all the way to the tip of its tail. Mu-Mu started walking closer to get a better look. This was the most unusual creature he had seen in all his three days. When he was about ten feet away the long green thing opened its mouth and rows of long pearly white teeth shined in the day time sun. Mu-Mu saw right then that this was a dangerous fellow. Mu-Mu scurried back to where his father had found some ripe berries.
“Why are you running so fast Mu-Mu,” his father asked?
“There is a monster over by the stream. It has long pointy teeth and a tail with humps and bumps. It frightened me when it opened its mouth.”
His father spoke very seriously, “You should be afraid. That is Old Toothy the crocodile. He really is a monster, and is extremely dangerous. If you get too close to him he will gulp you down in one bite.
You must look both ways when you get to the water and be very aware. You never know from which way Old Toothy is going to appear. Your mother wasn’t careful enough. That’s how Old Toothy was able to hurt her.”
“Did