THE BUNYIP POOL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3870, 15 May 1928, Page 78

THE BUNYIP POOL.

By Ruth Hertslet. (Illustrated by Dvmblb.) (Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.) The Bunyip lived in the pool where the water-lilies grow. A beautiful pool

'TT,E“ OUNVIP lived IN W Root.

it was, hedged round with flax-bushes. At one end grew a many-headed cabbage tree, and at the other end were toi-toi bushes, and brown, fluffy ranpo. The Bunyip was proud of his beautiful pool, and no living creature did he allow to come near it. Giant dragonflies once settled on the wax-like lilies, but the Bunyip’s cruel jaws had devoured them. Green frogs once croaked on the stray floating korari sticks, and rainbow trout once darted in the cool depths of the pool. Many the cruel Bunyip had eaten, and the few that had escaped with their lives soon spread the tale around. The Bunyip Pool was a place to be shunned. Even Eel-0, with his barbed teeth, dared not venture near the Bunyip Pool. One creature, and one only, showed no fear of the Bunyip.' This was Drummer, the wise old bittern. “ Drummer,” they eer boom-booming noise he often made. i he drum when the cam! p.uys in the Gardens,” said Tilly, the wild duck. Tilly knew, because she often flew into the big pond in the Gardens, where she found wheat to eat, and bread, and sometimes biscuits. Drummer spread his long wings, and flew thoughtfully over the Bunyip Pool. You could tell he was thinking *na,-d outlie great wings flapped slowly and eve.dv. ‘ Boom, boom,” went Drummer, and the Bunyip waked angrily from his midday sleep. “Who dares to fly over the Bunvip Pool ?’” cried he in a rage. Boom, boom,” went Drummer calmly, the great wings hurrying not a jot. Who flics over the Bunyip Pool I II drag to its depths so dark and cool You foolish bird that flies so slow I’ll eat you soon in the depths below, sang the Bunvip. nnr | w ith a snarl he darted after the bittern. Drummer smiled, for in his wise o’d head he had a plan to rid the country of he Bunyip. On be flew, and, try as he

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inight, the Bunyip could not keep pace with the great wings. He is like light-

ning on the land, and like lightning in the water, but in the air he is somewhat clumsy. Drummer flew on, until he came to a river bed, dotted about with rushes. Jack and Bob, he knew, had been rabbiting, and had set many steel traps near the big rabbit warren on the hillside. Early that morning he had made a close inspection, and found exactly where the traps were set. Quickly he dropped to the ground, and with a cry of joy the Bunyip was after him. How it happened, the Bunyip could not understand, but always th;e big, clumsy-looking bird eluded his grasp. At last the Bunyip rubbed his eyes in astonishment. The bird had not flown away, and yet he was nowhere to be seen 1 “ I smell him, I smell him,” growled the Bunyip, “ and yet I cannot see him,” and angrily he walked around, searching and searching. He little knew that Drummer stood almost alongside bin In a clump of rushes stood Drummer, his great long bill pointed skywards. Still as a statue he stood, and so closely did his colouring resemble the rushes, so much like a rush was the long, painted bill, that the Bunyip looked straight at him, without seeing him. Even the sharp eyes of little boys and girls would find it hard to pick a bittern standing thus amongst the rushes. “Ha!” said the Bunyip at last, “he must have gone down one of those holes,” and off he strode to the rabbit warren. Snap went the steel trap, and the Bunyip was held fast. His cries of terror brought Shot, the big retriever, to the scene, and, thinking it was some strange animal, Shot soon worried the life out of the Bunyip. “ Boom! boom! ” went the bittern, as he flew happily home. “ The Bunyip is dead. The Bunyip is dead. Come and live in the beautiful pool.” Once more the giant dragonflies dream on the water lilies; once more the green frogs sing as they sail their korari boats, and the silver rainbow trout jump in the clear water. And still, in the cool of the evenings, wise old Drummer flies

ON THS Vi'AIHR, luty

slowly round and comes home to rest by the wavjng toi-toi bushes.