Mr. and Mrs. Platypus lived in a water-hole. The creek, rippling over the stones, widened out and deepened in one place, forming a sort of tiny lake. Then there was a waterfall, and the creek became narrow again, and rushed on towards the river.
In the water-hole, the water was still and quiet. This was just what Mr. and Mrs. Platypus wanted.
Mr. Platypus was a very queer creature, something like a bird, something like a snake, and something like a beast.
First, he had a bill, just as a bird has. For this reason he was sometimes called Mr. Duckbill. The bill was wide like that of a duck, only it had a skin all round the edge, by means of which the platypus could feel anything almost as well as you can with the tip of your finger.
He was also web-footed like a duck, and on his two front feet the web came out, beyond his toes. This web would have been in the way when he wanted to burrow, but he was able to fold it up nicely underneath his foot.
His bones were nearly all just like the bones of a snake, and his wife laid eggs as snakes and birds do.
But then he was like a beast, too. He was about the size of a large rat, but he had hardly any legs, only feet.
He was covered with dark fur, short and soft underneath, but longer on his back. Wasn"t he a queer kind of animal?
Drawn by John Rowell
Mr. and Mrs. Platypus
On the hind part of his foot was a spur, which held poison. This spur he could thrust into anything that tried to hurt him.
In his mouth were pouches in which to store food, and for teeth he had only two hard, sharp gums.
Well, after he had splashed about in the water for some time with his brothers and sisters, Mr. Platypus had thought that he would like to have a home of his own. So he had asked Mrs. Platypus to be his wife, and they swam farther down the creek to another water- hole.
One of its banks was overgrown with blackberries, and it was shaded with lovely wattles and gumtrees. The other bank was bare and rather sandy. It was just the place for the home of the platypus.
They burrowed with their feet and bills till they had made the loveliest little underground house. It had a long passage, leading to one wide room, and there were two entrances.
The door by which they entered was under the water; the other was ever so far up in the bank out of sight, under some thick bushes. The room was as nice as could be, lined with grass and leaves to make it warm and soft.
Here Mrs. Platypus laid two beautiful white eggs.
After a time the little ones were hatched, and at first they were quite blind and helpless.
But they soon grew big, and then their father and mother taught them to swim and dive, and also to find insects and worms.
These they put into the pouches in their cheeks, and afterwards they lay down and ate them. Most of the day they all lay curled up like a ball, fast asleep in their snug house; but at evening they came out to swim and dive and play with all their friends in the water, where they had a very happy time together.
Sometimes in the daytime, instead of sleeping, they would tell one another stories about what had happened either to themselves or to others.
On e da y, Mr . P la typus told them a bout his gr a n dfa ther . "He ha d just built a house, " Mr . Platypus said, "when a great many black men came to camp near the water-hole. These black men wanted to eat my grandfather and his family. They began to dig holes with a sharp stick near the water.
"In this way they found the passage and, at last, the end room where the young ones and their parents lay. They soon caught my grandfather and grandmother and one of the young ones. The other was able to escape. Itwas my father. He often told me the story, and said he would never forget the fear he felt that day. "Then said one of the young ones to their mother: "Cannot you tell us a story, too? ""I shall tell you one thing that I saw myself, " answered the mother; "and I shall be glad if the story makes my children more careful.""One day, as I was floating about on the water, I heard the noise of a man passing by. I was soon under the water and in my hole, trembling with fear.
"After a while, when all was quiet again, I came out and forgot my fear in seeing a large worm in the water. I made a grab at it, but my brother was too quick for me. Alas! it was on a fish-hook, and my brother was caught and quickly pulled out of the water. He was never seen again. "Mrs. Platypus sighed as she finished her story, and the two young ones made up their minds to be very careful in future. They had seen two girls on the bank that same day, and had watched them catching fish. It amused them less now when they knew that they also might be caught.
The children went on telling stories till Mrs. Platypus told them to cease talking and go to sleep. Let us leavethem now, fast asleep in their warm burrow.
- ConstanCe Tisdall
About the Author.-Miss ConstanCe Tisdall, a graduate of the Melbourne University, and a daughter of the late Henry T. Tisdall, a teacher in the Victorian Education Department, is principal of a school at Sale. Daughter of a nature lover, she herself has taken great interest in the study of Australian plant and animal life. She is the author of Australian Nature Stories (Whitcombe and Tombs).
About the.-How is Mr. Platypus like a bird? How like a snake? How like a beast? Why does he want two entrances to his home?
