ignorant! That's because they are so new. When they have existed a few
more million years, they will be more like us of old families; they will
respect quiet, exclusive living, like that of the Ornithorhynchus Paradoxus,
and will not be so inquisitive, pushing, and dangerous as now. The age
will come when they will understand, and will cease to write books, and
there will be peace for everyone."

The Kangaroo now thought it a good opportunity to change the subject, and
gently introduced the topic of Dot's lost way, saying how she had found
the little girl, and had taken care of her ever since.

The Platypus did not seem interested, and yawned more than once whilst the
Kangaroo spoke.

"The question is," concluded the Kangaroo, "whom shall I ask to find it?
Someone must know where it is."

"Of course," said the Platypus, yawning again, without so much as putting
its web foot in front of its bill, which Dot thought very rude, or else
very ancient manners. "Little Human," it said, "tell me what kind of bush
creatures come about your burrow."

"We live in a cottage," she said, but seeing that the Platypus did not
like to be corrected, and that the Kangaroo looked quite shocked at her
doing so, she hurriedly described the creatures she had seen there. She
said there were Crickets, Grasshoppers, Mice, Lizards, Swallows, Opossums,
Flying Foxes, Kookooburras, Magpies, and Shepherd's Companions----

"Stop!" interrupted the Platypus, with a wave of its web foot; "that is
the right one."