part of the Snake, and the rest hung out of the side of his beak, like an
old man's pipe; so he couldn't speak. It wouldn't have been polite to do
so with his beak full.

Dot was so rested by her sleep all night that she did not ride in the
Kangaroo's pouch; but they proceeded together, she walking, and her friend
making as small hops as she could, so as not to get too far ahead. This
was very difficult for the Kangaroo, because even the smallest hops
carried her far in front. After a time they arranged that the friendly
animal should hop a few yards, then wait for Dot to catch her up, and then
go on again. This she did, nibbling bits of grass as she waited, or
playing a little game of hide-and-seek behind the bushes.

Sometimes, when she hid like this, little Dot would be afraid that she had
lost her Kangaroo, and would run here and there, hunting round trees, and
clusters of ferns, until she felt quite certain she had lost the kind
animal; when suddenly, clean over a big bush, the Kangaroo would bound
into view, landing right in front of her. Then Dot would laugh, and rush
forward, and throw her arms around her friend; and the Kangaroo, with a
quiet smile, would rub her little head against Dot's curls, and they were
both very happy. So, although it was really a long and rough way to the
little creek where the Platypus lived, it did not seem at all far.

The stream ran at the bottom of a deep gully, that had high rocky sides,
with strangely shaped trees growing between the rocks. But, by the stream,
Dot thought they must be in fairyland; it was so beautiful. In the dark
hollows of the rocks were wonderful ferns; such delicate ones that the
little girl was afraid to touch them. They were so tender and green that
they could only grow far away from the sun, and as she peeped into the
hollows and caves where they grew, it seemed as if she was being shown the