Koalaland or The Great Koala Novel - Volume I: The Making of a Kingdom

by David Bolton

  ***

  The next morning, Sticky met with his two friends and told them all about his experiences in the city.

  “That all sounds quite fascinating,” said Judge Grandaddy, “but I think it would be too much for me. All that noise!”

  “Yes, surely,” Doctor Koala agreed. “We koalas are better off right here. Nonetheless, I suppose it is good to know more about how the humans live, if only so that we can avoid imitating them.”

  “True, true,” Sticky replied. “Well, in any case, we have our lottery ticket. Mr. Johnson said he’d be sure to let us know if we win. The drawing is tonight, you know.”

  “Let’s not count on that,” Grandaddy said. “It’s only a game, after all. Speaking of games, how about a round of cards?”

  “You took the words right out of my mouth,” Doctor Koala responded, taking a deck of cards out of his pocket, “I just happen to have them right here.”

  The three indulged in an amusing session of six games, after which nobody could complain, since each had won two hands.

  Interlude: The other Side of the Grove

  Elsewhere, in a less privileged section Koalaville…

  “Hey Chigow, what’s in that big basket?” Blimpy asked as he approached his friend, who was sitting at the base of his tree.

  “I’m glad you asked. Look here!” Chigow answered, removing a cloth that was covering the contents of the basket.

  “Walnuts! And without the shells! It must have taken a long time to gather ’em, and especially to crack all the shells. How long did it take you to do that?” Blimpy asked as he reached over, took a walnut from the basket and stuffed it into his mouth.

  “It didn’t take me any time at all. I traded for ’em. All these walnuts for one bottle of eucalyptus liquor,” Chigow responded, “but it was our last bottle.”

  “Oh, no! Well, these are good, anyway. Quite a good deal you made, I’d say. There must be hundreds of ’em in this basket. If we don’t eat ’em ourselves, we could trade ’em for at least three bottles over in Koalatown,” Blimpy suggested.

  “Just what I was thinkin’. Maybe we should take a little stroll over there today, and make the trade,” said Chigow. “But let’s make sure nobody sees us comin’ or goin’. I heard that Doctor Koala is tryin’ to figure out how the liquor is getting’ into our grove. He suspects it was Warooey and Usotsky, or maybe your brother Bumpy and his homely gang. Nobody suspects us, and let’s keep it that way.”

  “Right,” Blimpy laughed, “let those other mangy koalas take the heat! My brother deserves any trouble we can get him into. The last time I saw him, he punched me in the snoot just ’cause I said he was as dumb as he is ugly. It still hurts a little. You and me should concentrate on doin’ business as we see fit. We’ll be better off for it! Why, we traded the last batch of eucalyptus liquor for all those nice berries and a beautiful wooden box with real metal hinges. It’s even waterproof!”

  “Yeah, that’s a real beauty. It’ll last us a lifetime, unless we trade it for more liquor. Uh, you know, I was thinkin’, maybe we shouldn’t trade after all…” Chigow said slyly.

  “What? This is goin’ great! Why should we stop now? There are a few koalas here in Koalaville who would give us anything for that liquor. Who are we to disappoint them?” Blimpy protested.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Chigow tried to calm him down. “I didn’t say we shouldn’t smuggle in any more liquor. I just said maybe we shouldn’t be tradin’.”

  “Well, that Tama who makes the stuff over in Koalatown isn’t gonna give it to us for free. Eucalyptus liquor is legal over there, and it’s his business to make it and trade it for stuff,” Blimpy explained.

  “Yeah, I know, but what I mean is, suppose we sneaked over to Koalatown some night when everybody’s asleep, went to Tama’s supply shack, and helped ourselves without anybody noticin’?” Chigow said with a devious smile.

  “Oh, you mean we should steal it? Hmmm, that would have its advantages,” Blimpy thought out loud, “but suppose they catch us?”

  “If we’re clever about it, they won’t, and when they notice it’s missin’ the next day, they wouldn’t suspect us. After all, there are more than enough crooks who live right there in Koalatown, and who steal things all the time: Chuppy, Guppy and Moldy, just to name a few. They’re always the usual suspects when somethin’ happens over there. Nobody would think that we were behind it.”

  “Hmmm, that sounds logical, and it might be fun, too!” Blimpy seemed to like the idea.

  “It’s settled, then,” Chigow concluded. “We’ll sneak over around midnight. Let’s take these walnuts and put ’em into a bag. Then we can take the basket with us tonight. It should hold a bunch of bottles.”

  “Good idea,” Blimpy said, and they began putting the walnuts into a cloth sack that Chigow had next to him. Then, after carefully making their plans for their nighttime visit to Koalatown, they both ate a few leaves and a couple of walnuts, and then took a wonderfully long nap.

  A Surprise Visit

  On Moonday afternoon, several koalas who were sitting on high branches in their trees noticed Mr. Johnson’s Land Rover in the distance to the south; he was obviously going to pay Koalaville an unexpected visit. One of them, Crabby, thought to himself, “Oh, it seems like we’ll never be able to get rid of that human. Now he’s coming back every few days!”

  The koalas on the ground, among them Sticky, Judge Grandaddy and Doctor Koala, also noticed the approaching vehicle.

  “I wonder why Mr. Johnson is coming here today?” Grandaddy said. “Do you think he forgot something the other day?”

  None of them dared to say it aloud, but all were asking themselves the same question: Could this visit have something to do with the lottery?

  Soon the Land Rover pulled up and stopped. Mr. Johnson quickly got out, carrying the daily newspaper.

  “Hi, my friends! I just had to come over right away!” he greeted them.

  “What is it, sir?” Sticky asked.

  “Well, I’ve been anxious ever since I bought the newspaper. You see, I forgot to write down the numbers that you played the other day. I could only remember three of them: 33, 4 and 7. And today in the paper, I saw that in Saturday’s drawing, these were three of the numbers that were picked. But what were the other three that you played?” he asked excitedly, sitting down on the ground in front of their table and placing the open newspaper on it.

  “Oh, I’m not quite sure,” Sticky answered. “Wait here – I’ll go back to my tree and fetch the ticket.” With that, he turned and began to jog up through the grove. His mind was racing: could it be that they had won? No, that would be too much of a good thing. But suppose he couldn’t find the ticket? Or suppose someone had stolen it? True, nobody had ever stolen anything from him before, and none of the koalas in the grove would have known what to do with the lottery ticket anyway, but he’d feel better once he had it in his hand. Reaching his tree, he leapt onto the trunk and scurried up to the branch where he kept a little box with a number of articles inside. Carefully laid out on the bottom, beneath a folded piece of paper, a little bottle of ink and a feather pen, he found the ticket. He looked at it with a smile, then carefully put it into his pocket, climbed down the tree, and jogged back to his waiting friends.

  “I’ve got it!” Sticky announced when he got there. He took his place at the table, and began to read the numbers. “As you said, Mr Johnson, three of the numbers we played were 4, 7 and 33. The other three were 25, 41 and 47.”

  Mr. Johnson looked down intensely at the open page in the newspaper, and then asked, with growing excitement in his voice, “Did you say 25? And 41? And 47?”

  “Yes, I did, sir,” Sticky replied.

  “Give me that ticket, please,” Mr. Johnson took the ticket from Sticky, studied the numbers on it; then he looked back at the newspaper. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

  “You’ve won! You’ve actually won the lottery!” he cried out so loudly that the koalas wer
e almost frightened at his outburst.

  “What!” Doctor Koala gasped. “Are you serious?” he leaned over to take a look at the ticket, and compare the numbers on it to those in the paper. “Why, he’s right. They’re the same numbers!”

  “Well, I’ll be!” Grandaddy blurted out. “Who would have thought it? I guess Claire picked our lucky numbers after all!”

  Only Sticky was speechless. Doctor Koala and Grandaddy were happy, to be sure, but mainly because they had simply won a game. They didn’t fully realize the implications of what had happened, but Sticky did, as did Mr Johnson, who, beside himself with joy, exclaimed, “You have really won! Eight million dollars! Do you know what that means?”

  “Let’s see,” Doctor Koala muttered, “eight million sounds like a rather large number, but what good is having eight million dollars, if we koalas don’t even know what we could do with one or two of them?”

  “Well, I certainly wouldn’t know. Maybe you would like to have them, Mr Johnson?” Grandaddy offered.

  “Oh, no, I couldn’t accept that. It’s your money. You picked the numbers, and Sticky here bought the ticket himself.”

  “Uh, Mr. Johnson, didn’t you tell me a few months ago that the human who owns Eucalyptus Grove would like to sell it?” Sticky asked.

  “Yes, he does. His problem is that no human wants to buy it, since the state won’t allow the trees to be cut down, so they wouldn’t be able to build anything on it anyway,” Mr Johnson explained.

  “And how much money does he want for it?” Sticky asked, as it gradually dawned on his friends what he was getting at.

  “He wants a million dollars, the last I heard,” Mr Johnson answered.

  “In that case, it is clear,” Sticky replied with a sudden burst of determined enthusiasm. He quickly got up out of his chair and took a few steps away from the table.

  “My friends,” he announced in a tone of joyous resolve as he lifted his left hand and held out his arm straight, pointing directly between two trees, and over towards Eucalyptus Grove in the distance. “Behold! That is going to be our new home!”

  Grandaddy and Doctor Koala looked at each other for a moment, surprised and almost bewildered, then looked up at Mr. Johnson. “Would that be possible, sir?” Doctor Koala asked him.

  “Of course it would be!” Mr Johnson replied, laughing merrily. “You have more than enough money. You can buy it whenever you want!”

  “Why, I never thought I’d live to see the day…” Doctor Koala muttered. “Imagine… we can all move over to that beautiful grove! Pinch me, Grandaddy, I think I must be dreaming!”

  “Not before you pinch me,” Grandaddy replied, “because I’m having the very same dream.”

  The conversation that followed was long and animated, though interrupted by occasional pauses during which all involved merely stared at each other in a daze, hardly able to fully comprehend the luck they had had.

  At one point, Sticky suggested, “I do believe this would be a good moment to call a special session of the Koalaville Council, don’t you?”

  “Why, of course, you’re right,” Grandaddy agreed. Then, calling out to a young koala who was walking nearby, “Hey, you! Would you come over here?”

  The koala immediately trotted over to them. “Yes, sir, Judge. I’m not in any trouble, am I?”

  “Well, hello, Wheezy!” Doctor Koala greeted him. “How’s that asthma of yours?”

  “Oh, it’s somewhat better, Doctor Koala, since you gave me that mint flavored eucalyptus tea to drink.”

  “Glad to hear it,” the doctor replied.

  “Wheezy,” Grandaddy said, “I’ve got a favor to ask of you.”

  “What can I do for you, Judge, sir?”

  “Go to the members of the Council – those who aren’t here already, naturally – and tell them to come over right away.”

  “Oh, well, I’m not so sure who all the members are…” Wheezy said, a bit embarrassed about his ignorance.

  “Yes, of course. Let me write them down for you.” Grandaddy took a feather pen out of his breast pocket, opened a little bottle of ink that was on the table in front of him, dipped the pen into it and began to write on a piece of paper.

  “Chosay and Chashibu. They live in the trees next to mine.”

  “Yes, I know them, sir,” Wheezy commented.

  “Then there are Kashy and Gruffy. Gruffy lives in the center of the grove, Kashy in the west, about twelve trees up from here. Then there’s Claire, over on the western central edge, and Tecky, he lives up in the northeast…”

  “Oh yes, I know him well. Just the other week I traded with him for a bunch of berries I had picked. He gave me a nice little box in exchange. I use it to keep my medicine in. This asthma really slows me down sometimes,” Wheezy wheezed as he strained a bit to take a deep breath.

  “Wheezy, if you don’t feel up to the task, we could find somebody else to round up the members,” Doctor Koala expressed his concern.

  “Oh, no, Doctor,” Wheezy answered, “I would be honored to be of assistance, and I’m doing all right today. Besides, I’ll get my brother Queezy to help me find them.”

  “Excellent, Wheezy. I like your spirit. Tell them all we’ll meet here three hours from now. Oh, wait a minute,” Grandaddy hesitated, “say it’s important that all are present.”

  “Will do, Grandaddy,” Wheezy said. “Should I go now, or is there anything else?”

  “No, that will be it. Go get your brother Queezy, and make sure all the koalas on this list are informed. Wait a second... let me see if I remembered everybody. Sticky, Doctor Koala and myself are already here. On the list, we have Chosay, Chashibu, Kashy, Gruffy, Tecky, and of course Claire. She’s the one who dreamed up the numbers, so she simply must be told. Oh yes, I forgot our youngest member, Handy,” Grandaddy said, jotting down Handy’s name on the list below Claire’s. “Three members here, seven on the list to be rounded up. Ten in all, the complete Council. Here it is,” Grandaddy said, handing him the piece of paper.

  Wheezy took a quick look at it, folded it, put it into the pocket of his overalls, said good-bye to all and walked away.

  Grandaddy, Sticky and Doctor Koala then continued their conversation with Mr. Johnson, who began to explain to them how they could claim their money, and about the importance of opening a bank account.

  “Hmmm… a bank, you say?” Doctor Koala questioned him. “You mean, like a river bank?”

  “Huh? Oh, no!” Mr Johnson replied. “Not that kind of bank. A bank is a financial institution.”

  All three koalas were silent, and looked a trifle bewildered.

  “Oh, well, you see, humans deal with money, as you already know.”

  “Yes, you told us,” Sticky said, “and I saw how we bought things in the city using this money. But what we don’t understand is, why don’t they just trade one thing for another, as we do? For example, the man at a shop gives you a box, and you give him some nuts or berries?”

  “That is hard to explain,” Mr. Johnson answered. “Let’s just say that in most cases, money makes everything easier. Now, as I was saying, if you have money, you should give it to a bank so that they can keep it for you.”

  “Why is that?” asked Grandaddy, confused. “It’s our money, isn’t it? Why should we give it away to humans we don’t even know?”

  “Well, you’re not giving it away. They just keep it for you, in a safe place.”

  “But we have safe places here,” Doctor Koala suggested, “for example, that cave up in the forest. We could hide it there.”

  “No, Doctor Koala,” Mr. Johnson said. “It’s safer in a bank, believe me. Even if some robbers stole it, you wouldn’t lose it, since the bank has insurance.”

  It took him a good five minutes to explain to the koalas the concept of bank insurance, for none had ever heard of such a thing. After then elucidating another important banking concept – that of getting interest on money one has in the bank – the koalas seemed quite pleased. />
  “Do you mean to say that if we put eight million dollars in the human bank now, the amount would grow to maybe eight million, three-hundred twenty thousand by next year?” Grandaddy asked, amazed.

  “At four percent, for example, that’s exactly what I mean,” Mr. Johnson told him.

  “Sounds good to me,” Doctor Koala opined, “but Mr Johnson, I was thinking – and I’m sure my friends will agree – you should get at least half of this eight million dollars.”

  “What?” Mr. Johnson reacted, surprised.

  “Yes, of course,” Sticky went on. “After all, you told us about the lottery, you took me to the city so that we could buy the ticket, and you even gave us the dollar to pay for it.”

  “Oh, why thank you, thank you so much,” Mr Johnson said, touched by their generosity, “but I cannot accept that. You had the right numbers, not I, and that’s by far the most important part. Besides, I have enough money to live well, and I don’t need more, but you koalas can do many wonderful things with so much money.”

  As much as Grandaddy, Doctor Koala and Sticky tried to convince him, Mr. Johnson remained firm: he would not accept their unselfish offer.

  “Well, sir,” Judge Grandaddy then said in a somewhat authoritarian tone, “it is clear we can’t convince you, but keep in mind that I am the Judge here in this grove, where you, too, find yourself at the moment.”

  “Well, yes,” Mr Johnson uttered, not sure of what Grandaddy was getting at.

  “Therefore, I will have the final word in this matter. Here’s my decision. Since you won’t accept any of the eight million, I hereby decree that you shall have one half of the interest we collect on the money annually, and for as long as we have that money.”

  “Oh, no, really, I…” Mr. Johnson demurred.

  “It’s not up for discussion!” Grandaddy interrupted him, blocking any further protest on his part by holding up his hand. “That is my decision, and you don’t have to feel bad about it, for along with the money, you will have your obligations.”

  “Which would be…?” Mr Johnson asked.

  “You can help us manage the money, choose the best bank, get a high rate of interest, et cetera.”

  “But I would have helped you with all that anyway!” the human replied.

  “I know,” said Grandaddy, “but where a service is rendered, compensation should be offered, so you shall have fifty percent of the interest, and that’s that. No more complaints, or I might just fine you! I’m the Judge here, I can do that, you know,” Grandaddy smiled slyly.

  “Well, I don’t know how to thank you…”

  “No need to thank us. We all agree it’s the right thing,” Sticky added, “so you’ll just have to accept it!”

  “In that case, I do accept, and with my most sincere thanks,” Mr. Johnson said, nodding his head in a gesture of reverence to them.

  They then talked about the details, about how Mr. Johnson would invite a notary to come with him the next time so that the koalas could give him, Mr. Johnson, power of attorney. That way, he would be able to claim the money for them, open the bank account, and do everything else related to managing their money. They were going to have all these things taken care of over the next few days, and they planned that within a week or so, their prize money would be claimed and transferred to their new bank account, after which they would immediately arrange to purchase Eucalyptus Grove. To make sure they’d get it, Mr Johnson was going to call the owner that very evening to set up an appointment for the following week.

  After a couple of hours of fruitful planning, Mr. Johnson made his farewells and left them. He would come back in two days to inform them of how things were going, as well as to bring the notary so that the necessary papers could be signed.

  “Good bye, Mr. Johnson!” the koalas called in chorus. “We give you our most sincere thanks!” Grandaddy added, reflecting the sentiments of them all.

  After waving good-bye to him as he drove off, they went back to their table.

  Initial Plans

  “Hmm,” Doctor Koala said, “maybe we should eat a few leaves before the others get here. We only have about forty-five minutes before the meeting begins.”

  “Good idea,” Sticky agreed, standing up and walking towards the nearest tree. “I’ll climb up and collect some fresh leaves for us.”

  Sticky soon returned with a bunch of fresh eucalyptus leaves, and the three had a delicious late lunch.

  Soon thereafter, the councilmembers who had been invited to the meeting began to arrive. Claire was the first to get there.

  “Don’t tell me, let me guess,” was the first thing she said to them. “We have won that lottery, haven’t we?”

  “Claire, we couldn’t keep a secret from you even if we wanted to, which certainly isn’t the case here!” Doctor Koala replied. “How did you know?”

  “I had another dream. All the koalas in the grove were very happy, and were making plans. In the second part of the dream, we were all living over there,” she replied, pointing over towards Eucalyptus Grove in the distance.

  “Amazing!” said Sticky. “Claire, you do have remarkable abilities!”

  “True, true,” Grandaddy added, “you’ve hit the nail on the head, as Nory the carpenter koala might say. That’s just what happened, and is exactly what we’re planning. Have a seat.”

  Claire sat down next to Doctor Koala on one of the benches next to the table. Within the next ten minutes or so, the others arrived. Chosay and Chashibu, two of the elders who were long-time friends of Grandaddy, had been summoned, as had been the other notable koalas, Grandaddy having felt that the leaders of the grove should be the first to know all the details. Kashy and Gruffy, the grove’s two lawyers, were present. Handy was on time, as he always was; punctuality was one of his many admirable qualities. Tecky, the last to get there and take his seat, was the most successful businesskoala in Koalaville.

  Judge Grandaddy, Sticky and Doctor Koala filled them in on all that had happened that day, about how they had won the lottery, their talk with Mr. Johnson about the next steps to be taken, and especially about the plans for purchasing Eucalyptus Grove in order to make it their new home. All except Claire were quite astonished at this unexpected turn of events, and everyone agreed that Eucalyptus Grove would be a magnificent place to live.

  It was Tecky who broke the stream of expressions of joy with a few comments of a more serious nature. Tecky, a vigorous, healthy, middle-aged koala with brownish-gray fur who wore beige-colored overalls with brown trim, was both very practical-minded as well as ambitious, and was able to clearly comprehend the importance of the transformation that was soon going to take place.

  “Friends and colleagues, if we really are able to purchase Eucalyptus Grove and move over there, we should realize now just how many fundamental changes we will be experiencing.”

  “For example?” Chashibu inquired.

  Chashibu was perhaps the oldest koala in the grove, and was certainly the eldest on the council. Most of his once-gray fur had now turned a snowy white, and had even thinned out noticeably on his head. Tall and slender, there was definitely something distinguished about him, and he would have looked quite the aristocrat, had he dressed accordingly, yet Chashibu wore plain, dark gray overalls; he never did think much of fashion. His eating habits were similarly plain. He always said that simple food was the best, and he was never one to overeat. Chashibu was in excellent shape for his age, and kept that way by taking extended walks through the grove, and even through the woods, on a daily basis. He liked to say that his strolls not only helped him maintain his physical strength, but also sharpened his mental faculties, for he liked to think, ponder, and meditate about life as he walked. If Eucalyptus Grove had had an official philosopher, it would have been Chashibu, for in him, age was adorned with a penetrating mind, and with a perspicacious wisdom that he was always willing to share whenever somebody needed his guidance.

  “Perhaps you could tell us of some of these chan
ges you envision, Tecky?” Chashibu was curious.

  Doctor Koala added, “Of course, the grove will be a different one, but will things really be all that different?”

  “Indeed they will be, Doctor,” Tecky began. “Even once we’ve settled there, our lives will be affected in every way imaginable. First of all, we will possess not one, but two groves: Eucalyptus Grove, where we will all be living, and Koalaville, that we will have abandoned. Nonetheless, it will be our right to continue using its resources, since it will still belong to us. Thus, our supply of fresh leaves will be twice what it is now. We’ll be able to store more leaves for the winter, have access to the entire forest region stretching from Eucalyptus Grove over beyond the eastern part of Koalaville. We will be able to use the large field between the two groves for any purposes we see fit. In short, we will possess the resources necessary to multiply the prosperity of our community, far beyond what we have known to date.”

  “That’s just like you, Tecky,” Chosay laughed, “always thinking of how to make a profit!” Chosay could be very direct, most notably when it came to making a humorously sarcastic remark. Almost as old as his life-long friend Chashibu, Chosay was shorter in statue, and a bit stout, as evidenced by the slightly tight fit of his worn, brown overalls. Despite the occasional age-related ailment, Chosay was still quite active. He seldom, if ever, missed a council meeting, and never refused to join in a good card game, either.

  “I admit that I have been successful in my trading with Koalatown,” Tecky answered, “but what I am talking about here has little to do with any ambitious plans of my own. What I am trying to say is that because of the expansion we are soon going to experience, we should be aware not only of our possibilities, but if I may say so, of our obligation to use the resources we will have as wisely as possible, and when we do that, we will inevitably experience an increase in our development at all levels. In other words, all of our koalas will be called upon to play their role in improving our society, and that improvement will perhaps change the way we live more than we can even imagine right now. We must make sure that we are psychologically ready for it, and that our government – represented by those in the council meeting we are having right now – that our government, I say, has taken all the measures necessary to ensure that the transition be as smooth as possible. Isn’t that right, Grandaddy?”

  ”Oh, huh?” Grandaddy muttered, only partially aware that he had been asked a question.

  “Did Tecky’s speech put you to sleep, Grandaddy?” his friend Chashibu laughed.

  “No, not at all. I was listening to you, Tecky, but at the same time, I was thinking about something we really need, something we have needed for a while now.”

  “What’s that, Grandaddy?” Tecky asked.

  “A leader. A supreme leader. Someone who represents us, our system, and everything we stand for. Someone who has the final word when important decisions must be made.”

  “But Grandaddy, you are more or less the leader in Koalaville,” Sticky spoke up. “After all, you are the Judge; you define the laws, make sure they are enforced, and when an important decision must be made, we meet in the Council and always decide what course should be taken.”

  “I know, I know,” Grandaddy replied, “but how often has it happened that we disagreed on something, and spent days or weeks trying to decide? We’ve lost a lot of time that way. Besides, I may be the Judge, but somehow it isn’t right for a judge to have the final word, yet because there are a number of us in the Council, we often can’t agree on what must be done. And please consider my age. No, no, what we need is a real leader, someone respected by all, and younger than I.”

  “You’re right there, Grandaddy!” his old friend Chosay interrupted him. “We’re no spring chickens, you, me and Chashibu!”

  “That’s just what I was getting at,” Grandaddy responded. “Sure, I am healthy enough, but at my age, I could drop dead when we least expect it. We should have a leader who is youthful, more energetic, and as I said, someone all koalas could accept and respect.”

  There was a moment of silence as all present pondered his words.

  “That may all be true Grandaddy,” Sticky said after a moment’s thought. “May I suggest that Tecky be our leader? He seems to have a good understanding of all the important issues.”

  “Oh, no, not me!” Tecky protested. “I love doing business, and besides that, peace and quiet is all I desire. Don’t you remember? It took you all a while to even convince me to be on this Council. And though I may see some things clearly, I don’t want to dedicate myself to leading an entire koala community. But thanks anyway for the endorsement, Sticky.”

  “Well,” said Grandaddy, “no need to rush things. It’s starting to get a bit late. I suggest we plan another meeting tomorrow, but not just a council meeting. We’ll spread the word tomorrow morning that any koalas who wish to attend as observers may do so.”

  “Wow!” Chosay exclaimed. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Grove Plenum!”

  “True,” Gruffy, one of the grove’s lawyer koalas, agreed, “yet this occasion certainly merits it.”

  “I usually disagree with Gruffy, but in this case, he’s absolutely right. All the koalas in Koalaville should be present at the next meeting, for we may just end up selecting a leader,” added Kashy, who, as the grove’s only other lawyer koala, was always on the opposing side of any legal argument.

  Gruffy and Kashy, now both approaching the threshold of middle age, had been friends since childhood, though even back then, they engaged in heated debates about everything from whether moss does in fact only grow on the north sides of trees, to what would be the best possible system of government in this imperfect world.

  Kashy was tall and slender, and wore fine, dark gray overalls whose straps and seams were black, as was some of the fur around his mouth area, a feature that might have given a human the impression that the koala had a rather stylish moustache and beard. This somehow corresponded to his natural vanity, a trait that both humored and irked the slightly shorter, yet physically more powerful Gruffy. Gruffy’s overalls, that were more often than not wrinkled, were a plain leaf green, and seemed to reflect his pleasant, down-to-earth nature. Gruffy found Kashy’s sporadic displays of haughtiness to be rather silly. Nonetheless, he was not above engaging in duels of witty one-upmanship with his proud colleague, and this made the trials in Eucalyptus Grove, in which Kashy represented the prosecution, and Gruffy the defense, both mentally stimulating, as well as entertaining for all those present.

  “Exactly, we should invite all of our citizens to attend,” Grandaddy confirmed. “Until tomorrow evening, then, all ten of us on the Council should think about who that next leader should be. Then, at the meeting, suggestions can be made by any one of us who would like to nominate somebody.”

  “Sounds like a very sensible plan,” Handy thought aloud. “Uh, Claire, maybe you could already tell us who the leader will be?” he added jokingly.

  “Oh, no!” Claire replied. “I don’t have any visions about that yet. And even if I did, I wouldn’t say anything now. It might ruin all the fun we’re going to have at tomorrow’s plenum!”

  They all laughed at this, then engaged in some animated conversation until it was time for each of them to retire to his or her tree for a good night’s sleep.

  The Making of a Monarch

  Judge Grandaddy was up early the next morning, and immediately went over to Handy’s tree.

  “Handy! You awake?” he called up.

  “Just barely, Judge,” he called down. “What is it? Climb up, we’ll have a few leaves.”

  Judge Grandaddy made his way up the tree and sat on the branch next to Handy, accepting from him a handful of fresh leaves, two of which he immediately began chewing on.

  “I wanted to ask you if you could round up some other koalas, as many as you can find, and tell them to go to all corners of the grove to tell them about this evening’s meeting. Naturally, not everybody
will feel like coming, but everyone should at least know about it.”

  “Of course,” Handy replied. “I’ll get Wheezy, his brother Queezy, Pringly, Choty, Mo, and maybe a few others. We’ll get the word spread by mid-afternoon, at the latest.”

  “Thank you, Handy. I’ll talk to some koalas myself, but I’m too old to spend hours walking around again, like I did the other day trying to get opinions on the lucky numbers. My left foot is still sore! I really do appreciate your help.”

  “My pleasure, Judge. Always glad to assist you, especially in such an important matter.”

  Handy and his friends did indeed spread the news quickly, and though they were only supposed to tell about the upcoming Grove Plenum, news of the lottery win somehow leaked out as well. Grandaddy had wanted to announce it as a surprise at the meeting, but it was no doubt better that someone had spilled the beans, because the joyous excitement caused by the rumors of the prize money, and of the plans to move over to Eucalyptus Grove, made all the more koalas want to attend the meeting, in order to learn the details about the great future they were all going to have.

  Early that evening, koalas from all corners of Koalaville began to appear in the clearing next to Grandaddy’s tree at the southern end. The ten members of the Council were already there, and were seated on the two benches at the long table they always used for meetings. All in all, over six hundred koalas showed up for the meeting, which was a record number, as far as anyone could remember. Those who got there early enough, and who wanted the best view, climbed nearby trees and lined up on the branches. Most, however, simply sat on the ground, forming a long, thick semicircle around the Council’s table, and extending back quite a few yards.

  When all had arrived, Grandaddy began: “Koalas of Koalaville, we have several announcements to make.”

  “We won the lottery!” a boisterous chap yelled out from the crowd.

  “And we’re all going to live in Eucalyptus Grove!” shouted another merry voice from a tree. All the koalas then began talking excitedly among themselves. “Is it all true, Grandaddy?” a sceptic called out.

  “Well, I see that the news has already reached you,” Grandaddy responded with a smile, “and so I’d like to say that yes, it is true!”

  At that, a spontaneous cheer arose from the crowd, and wild clapping as well.

  “Okay, okay, quiet down, now,” Grandaddy called out, holding up his hands to signal silence. “There’s another matter we must attend to, a decision we must make here in the Council, and we wanted all to witness it.”

  “What is it, Judge?” an anonymous koala shouted out.

  “We on the Council have decided that we need a leader,” Grandaddy answered, “and we are here to decide who among the councilmembers should be raised to that distinguished position.”

  “But aren’t you our leader?” asked another koala from the multitude.

  “In a way, maybe he is,” Doctor Koala answered for Grandaddy, “but he is really just the Judge. His job is to interpret and uphold the law. What we need is someone who could represent us in all capacities.”

  “Exactly,” Grandaddy continued. “We need someone who is younger than I, someone who could tend to all matters pertaining to our well-being, someone who can make final decisions if need be, who would act whenever necessary to protect the best interests of the grove.”

  “Who would that be, Grandaddy?” another koala from the crowd inquired.

  “We councilmembers have been thinking about it all day, each one on his own, without conferring with the others. We will now make nominations, and then vote. Doctor Koala, would you like to nominate someone?”

  “Well, I had someone in mind, but I would rather not be the first to speak…”

  “Just like you, Doc,” old Chashibu spoke up, “hemming and hawing as always!”

  This comment made many koalas laugh heartily.

  “Then what about you, Chashibu?” Doctor Koala asked. “Whom would you like to nominate?”

  “I have my ideas, but the truth is, I think that since all of this was Grandaddy’s idea, he should be the first to make a nomination.”

  Chosay, together with Chashibu and Grandaddy one of the oldest koalas on the Council, agreed. “Yeah, Grandaddy, speak up! Whom do you want to nominate?”

  Grandaddy was silent for a few seconds, then slowly stood up from the bench and took a few steps away from it, positioning himself so as to be able to speak more directly to the assembled crowd. He realized that the next few minutes would be some of the most significant in recent koala history, and that he should therefore carefully weigh his words.

  “My fellow koalas, I have been thinking long and hard on this matter, especially since it is a subject that has been going through my mind for a few months now. We are a great community, and therefore deserve to have a leader who is truly worthy of the position we are about to bestow upon him. The way I see it, we need someone who is honest, who thinks of others more than of himself. Someone who is willing to make personal sacrifices for the good of the grove. A koala who is practical, down to earth, yet who also has the vision to inspire others, so as to ensure that future generations fulfil the great hopes that we have for them. Someone who is still relatively young, and who will thus be able to live long enough to establish the good reputation of the new grove to which we are soon going to move, and to make it a respected member among the family of groves that comprise greater Koalaland. A koala who is brave, intelligent, dedicated, compassionate, prudent, of noble spirit… a koala who is above all, wise.”

  “Come on Grandaddy, tell us! Who is it you’re talking about?” an impatient koala yelled from a branch.

  “Patience, friends!” Gruffy admonished. “Let Grandaddy finish.”

  “For some time now, I have had just such a koala in mind,” Grandaddy continued. “Many of you will remember the last time the hyenas attacked us. This koala fought as well as anybody, and killed one of those beasts with a well-aimed arrow.”

  This hint offered little clue, since a number of koalas had distinguished themselves in the course of that terrible battle, which had taken place several years earlier.

  “Then, during the last great wet tail epidemic three years ago,” Grandaddy went on, “at a time when many of us were cowering in our trees, or going off to the forest to keep from being infected, this koala helped Doctor Koala tend to the sick, risking his life to do so. And if I had had any doubts at all about him being the best one to lead us, they were dispelled yesterday, when we learned we had won all that money. I was right here on this spot, when he walked over there,” said Grandaddy, indicating a place between two trees, right on the edge of the grove, “...pointed over to Eucalyptus Grove, and said, ‘Behold! That is going to be our new home!’”

  Doctor Koala, who had been there when that happened, now knew to whom Grandaddy was referring. “Yes, of course! I was thinking of nominating him myself!”

  Sticky was almost numb with shock at this point, hardly believing what was taking place.

  “Yes, we know whom you mean,” Chosay added, “and it’s a great choice!”

  “Of course!” Gruffy exclaimed. “He’s the right one to be our king!” This was the first mention of the title of “King”, as Grandaddy had only spoken of selecting a “leader”, yet everyone there seemed to be quite comfortable with the concept.

  Even Kashy, who had secretly been hoping that they would pick him, chimed into the growing enthusiasm, for once he realized whom they were talking about, he knew that Sticky was truly the king they should have. “Yes, right! He’s the one!”

  Grandaddy took a few steps forward. “Koalas of Koalaville, I hereby present you with my nomination for King of our community: Sticky Koala!”

  Sticky was stunned. Was this a dream? He almost would have liked to run away and hide, for he was by nature far too modest to feel comfortable in such a situation.

  “Yes… Sticky!” a koala cried out from a low-lying branch.

  “Naturally! S
ticky, who else?” another yelled out from the crowd.

  “Sticky, Sticky! Sticky should be our king!” the cries of many koalas mingled, then became synchronized to form a repetitive chant. “Sticky! Sticky! Sticky will be our King!”

  There wasn’t a koala in Koalaville who had any ill feeling towards Sticky. He had always treated everybody fairly, and politely. Even-tempered by nature, he never argued with anyone, nor even raised his voice, and was always the first to offer help wherever and whenever it was needed. Yet for him, this was “normal” behaviour. It was only now that he realized how much he was respected – and even loved – by his fellow citizens, and this realization suddenly made him feel very humble.

  “Sticky it is!” Grandaddy shouted, echoing the common feeling of every koala there gathered. He then walked over to the table where Sticky was seated with the other councilmembers, took him by the hand and helped him up, then led him to the center of the little clearing. “Koalas, is this the leader you want?” he asked the crowd, in order to be sure that the choice was unanimous.

  “Yes, yes! Sticky is our King! We want Sticky!”

  The atmosphere was vibrant with enthusiasm, and it seemed that not a single koala could even imagine anyone else being the king who would reign over them from this day on.

  “Quiet, quiet, there’s one more thing,” Grandaddy said, raising his hands to silence the joyous crowd. “Our new King should have a name, a title that is worthy of his position. Now, I hope Sticky doesn’t take this the wrong way, but...” Grandaddy continued, turning to Sticky, “the name you have perhaps isn’t one that would inspire the respect that you truly merit.”

  At this, some of the koalas began to laugh. “Yeah, Sticky sure doesn’t sound too dignified, does it?” one yelled out.

  “Oh, I remember well how he got that name,” Grandaddy explained to them with a smile. “He was just a koala baby, with only one vice: he simply loved honey. Trouble was, he always ended up getting more on his fur than in his mouth. His mother spent many an hour trying to wash it off him. That’s why, when he grew from a baby to a koala child, and it was time to choose a name for him, his parents thought ‘Sticky’ was quite appropriate. So Sticky it was, and the name, not surprisingly, stuck!”

  More laughter ensued, and even Sticky joined in now.

  “So I would like to suggest that we come up with a new name for him. I invite anyone here, whether someone on the Council, or from the crowd, to make recommendations. Can anyone think of a name fit for our King?” Grandaddy asked.

  The koalas looked at each other, murmuring suggestions to those sitting next to them, trying to find just the right name. “How about King Koala?” one called out.

  “Well,” councilmember Chashibu spoke up, “that might get confusing, for after all, the leader of Koala City in the north uses that same title.”

  The crowd continued to buzz as further ideas were considered. After a couple of minutes, a lone furry hand in the crowd went up.

  “Yes, you there,” Judge Grandaddy called, straining his old eyes to see if he could recognize the koala who wished to speak. “Please stand up and have your say.”

  She rose to her feet and spoke, albeit somewhat shyly. “Excuse me, Judge. My name is Maki Koala.”

  “Oh yes, Maki Koala, one of our carpenters, the daughter of Nory. Would you like to make a suggestion?”

  “Well, yes, I suppose I would, if I may.”

  “But of course, Maki,” Doctor Koala reassured her. “Speak your mind, please!”

  “Oh, well, I was thinking… We are soon going to move over to Eucalyptus Grove, which, of the three groves in Southern Koalaland, is no doubt the most beautiful, and therefore certainly the most, one might say… the most prestigious.”

  “Yes, indeed,” old Chosay agreed. “No doubt about that at all.”

  “So, I was thinking,” Maki Koala continued, “that perhaps our new leader could be called the ‘Prestigious Koala King’”

  “Prestigious Koala King…” Grandaddy repeated slowly, savoring the words.

  “Prestigious Koala King,” the councilmembers at the long table also reiterated, just as slowly and ponderously.

  “Prestigious Koala King,” countless koalas in the crowd murmured softly to themselves.

  “Yes, I do believe that’s a fine name!” Grandaddy finally said.

  “No doubt,” Tecky agreed. “It sounds great!”

  “A marvelous title!” Claire added.

  “It’s wonderful!” an anonymous koala from the crowd shouted out. “I like it!”

  “Yes, we love it! It’s just the name our leader should have!” A koala on a limb cried out enthusiastically, as several others began a rhythmic chorus, a general crescendo ensuing as others joined in, till the chant filled the whole southern end of Koalaville:

  “Prestigious Koala King! Prestigious Koala King! Prestigious Koala King!”

  Only Sticky remained silent, as he listened to the overwhelming sound of hundreds of his grovemates calling out the title, which, as unbelievable as it seemed to him, was going to be his new name from that moment on.

  Grandaddy raised his hands to silence the multitude, though it took a good minute to do so.

  He walked over to Sticky, who was still standing there trying to look dignified, despite the fact that he was nearly dumbfounded by the events that were unfolding before him.

  Putting his right hand on Sticky’s shoulder, and stretching out his arm towards the koalas assembled in an all-inclusive gesture, the Judge announced in a loud voice:

  “Your Majesty, here are your loyal subjects!”

  All of the koalas emitted a wild cheer of assent. Then, taking a few steps forward towards the crowd, turning to face Sticky, and gesturing towards him by holding up his open hand, Grandaddy went on:

  “And here, my fellow koalas, and other creatures here assembled,” – for there were also several emus and a few anteaters present – “behold your Prestigious Koala King!”

  At this, those koalas who were not already standing rose to their feet. Looking at Sticky, they all, simultaneously as if by instinct, bowed ceremoniously to their new monarch, as they once again repeated, this time in voices dampened by reverence and awe:

  “Prestigious Koala King!”

  A moment of almost complete silence followed, the koalas sensing that they had all been witnesses to one of the most significant events of their lives.

  “I think that this would be a good time for you to say a few words,” Handy called over to Sticky.

  “Yes, speech! Speech!” many in the crowd called out excitedly.

  Sticky moved forward a few steps, looked from left to right at the koalas gathered around him, and then spoke these words:

  “My friends, I feel both touched as well as deeply humbled by the great honor you have bestowed upon me today – an honor I neither sought, nor expected. I wish I could say that I am worthy of it, that I deserve it, but the truth is, Koalaville in fact owes me nothing, though I owe so much to Koalaville. I accept your decision, for it would be arrogant of me to assume that all of you are mistaken. I can only say that I promise – nay, I swear, by my honour, and by everything that is sacred to the koala species – I swear, I say, that I will dedicate myself to the good of our community, that I will always put your interests before my own. May I – with the help of the Koala Sun and Koala Moon that gave us life – may I prove worthy of the faith you have placed in me!”

  All present cheered when he finished his speech. It was Doctor Koala who finally interrupted the jubilant outburst.

  “We have selected our new leader. I would say it’s time to celebrate. Let’s have a party, and let it begin now! Long live the Prestigious Koala King!”

  The crowd roared its approval, as a great joyous cry rose up. Those on the ground walked forward, those in the branches climbed down, all moving towards their new monarch to give him their congratulations and to bow before him, after which they went about fetching large baskets of leav
es, refreshing eucalyptus drink, berries, and nuts for the feast. Musicians began to play their instruments, koalas began to dance merrily, and joyful, animated conversations began, even among those who didn’t know each other. Happiness reigned among them as they enjoyed a party the likes of which few had ever seen before.

  Sticky graciously accepted the kind words of all the well-wishers. He kept shaking hands with one koala after the other, even when his own was becoming sore from the strain.

  Night fell on Koalaville, though hardly anyone even thought of retiring to his or her tree. It was almost sunrise before exhaustion had subdued the merriment enough to convince an ever-growing number of koalas to go get some sleep.

  Sticky was one of the last to leave. After all, he owed them his presence till the very end. Finally, only he, Gruffy and Grandaddy remained; even Doctor Koala had succumbed to weariness and left twenty minutes earlier.

  “Do you think I could go get some sleep now?” Sticky asked them somewhat hesitatingly.

  Gruffy laughed a bit, “I’m glad you suggested it!”

  ”Right!” Grandaddy agreed. “It would have been impolite of us to leave our new King alone.”

  “Well, then,” Sticky said jokingly, giving his very first royal command, “I hereby decree that this celebration has ended, and that we three should go get a good ten hours sleep!”

  “Your wish is our command, Your Highness,” Gruffy said with a bow. Sticky – that is, the Prestigious Koala King – smiled warmly and gave him, then Grandaddy, a hug. The three wished each other a good night; then each walked back to his tree. Sticky was in a sort of daze, and if he had been able to think clearly, he might have asked himself if the entire day had been merely an odd dream. Once he reached his tree and climbed up to his favorite bough, he snuggled up in the fork where the branch met the trunk and, overcome with exhaustion, drifted off to sleep before he had time to reflect on the day, or on his future, which was now set on a path he never would have been able to even imagine a mere twenty-four hours earlier.