by Pat Clarke
Landing unannounced on Monkey Island was a big mistake. The monkeys reacted violently to the invasion of their territory by a complete stranger, and although Elvira tried to explain, they just wouldn’t listen. They yelled and screeched and pelted her with fruit and vegetables until she took off again.
The next spot wasn’t much better. Elvira landed in a tree in the African wild dogs’ compound. This set the dogs off, making them race around wildly, fighting amongst themselves, making eerie yapping noises and creating a great hullabaloo.
Before long, the whole population of the zoo was in on the act, all the animals complaining about this intruder. The elephants trumpeted, the lions roared, the Siamang apes went absolutely crazy and the meerkats were beside themselves, frantically running up and down their burrows, trying to work out where the danger was coming from.
It wasn’t the kind of welcome Elvira had expected and she was quite upset at the hostile reception Trying to make herself heard above the dreadful din, she shouted as loudly as she could: ‘Please be quiet for a moment while I explain!’ … but as no one took any notice, she soon gave up.
For awhile she was tempted to give up the whole idea of a great adventure and return to Sydney right away. But Elvira was not a quitter. It would take a lot more than this to make her give up her dream. She decided to forget the Dubbo Zoo and head directly to the Goonoo Forest instead. Surely the birds and animals there would be friendlier than this lot!
CHAPTER SIX
Elvira decided to rest before going much further that day. She spied a farm near the edge of the Goonoo Forest, found herself a nice, leafy gum tree and was just nodding off when she was jolted awake by a dreadful racket.
She peered over the branches to see what all the commotion was about. Perched on a tree stump just below, crowing so loudly that Elvira thought her eardrums would burst, was a rooster!
‘Be quiet down there,’ Elvira yelled, ‘I’m trying to sleep.’
She was still smarting from the rude reception she had received at Dubbo Zoo and lack of sleep was making her irritable.
‘What on earth do you think you’re doing, crowing at this time of the day? You’re only supposed to crow first thing in the morning, not in the afternoon when some people are trying to have a rest!’
The rooster was shocked into silence but unfortunately it didn’t last very long. He was so surprised by the interruption that he stopped crowing too quickly, causing first a coughing fit and then a bout of hiccups.
‘I’m sorry about waking you (hic) ... but why (hic) ... did you pick this place to sleep? This is my special place (hic) ... where I can crow to my heart’s content (hic) ... and not bother anybody (hic).’
‘Well, I’m very sorry, too,’ Elvira said, ‘but I’d like you to stop that noise so I can continue with my afternoon nap, if you don’t mind. Then I’ll be on my way and you can crow as much as you like.’ She closed her eyes and gave a big yawn in the hope that the rooster would take the hint and leave.
But, no, it seemed he was in for a chat. Thankfully, his hiccupping seemed to have settled down.
‘I’m Eggie the Rooster, by the way. My real name is Egbert, but no-one ever calls me that. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?’
‘My name is Elvira, and as you can see, I‘m a wedge-tailed eagle.’
‘Elvira. That’s a very pretty name.’ ‘Thank you.’ ‘Wouldyou like to know the reason I crow so much?’ Eggie asked.
Elvira didn’t really care, but nodded just to be polite.
‘It’s because crowing makes me happy. The more I crow, the happier I get. You should try it sometime. Then maybe you wouldn’t be so cranky.’
Elvira was annoyed at being called cranky. She sat up as straight as possible and looked down her beak at the rooster.
‘Eagles do not crow. It’s not their job. Besides, I wouldn’t know how.’
‘That’s not a good enough reason.’
Elvira shrugged. ‘I guess not.’
‘You’re not from these parts, are you?’ said the rooster, changing the subject.
‘Well, no, I’m from Sydney.’
‘What are you doing so far from home?’
‘I’m trying to find out about my father. He was born in the Goonoo Forest and my plan is to visit there tomorrow. I’m hoping to find someone who may have known him.’
‘Oh, really? What was his name?’
‘Elvis.’
‘You’re kidding me!’ grinned the rooster. ‘Elvis was your father? He was a good mate of mine! So what do you want to know about him?’
Elvira was stunned. After a lifetime of wondering about her father, she had stumbled across someone who actually knew him!
‘Is … is he still alive?’ she breathed.
‘Well … I can’t say for sure. He left some time ago and nobody’s heard from him since.’
The eagle’s head drooped in disappointment and Eggie felt sorry for her.
‘Elvis was a terrific bird and very much admired,’ he quickly added. ‘There’s plenty I can tell you, but unfortunately I don’t have time just now. I have to round up the hens so they’re tucked away safe and sound before dark.’
Then his face lit up.
‘But I’ve got an idea! Why don’t you come up later and spend some time with us in the hen house? The girls love a good yarn and the story about Elvis and his friend Sheila the One-Eyed Chook is one of their favourites.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time Eggie the rooster had finished his tale, Elvira wasn’t the only one crying. The last part of the story, where Elvis and his friend Sheila the One-Eyed Chook set off on their journey to the stars was a real tear-jerker and the hen house was awash with the sound of sobbing hens.
‘We were sad they were leaving, but happy and excited for them at the same time,’ explained Eggie. ‘They were heading off on the adventure of a lifetime and we were all a little bit envious.’
Elvira took a deep breath, determined not to give in to sadness.
She remembered Eggie saying that crowing cheered him up, so she decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, the sound that came out was more of a screech than a crow, and some of the young chicks buried their heads under their mothers’ wings in fright. Elvira crowed again but it wasn’t much better. No matter how hard she tried, it just wouldn’t come out right. Now even the mothers tucked their heads under their wings, trying to blot out the awful noise. After a few more tries, they begged the eagle to stop.
‘Having to put up with Eggie’s crowing is bad enough,’ complained one old chook. ‘It can scramble your brain and send you completely crackers. Now, I hope you don’t think I’m rude, but we’d all be eggs-tremely happy if you’d go away and eggs-periment somewhere else.’
Although the crowing hadn’t made Elvira happy, just trying to do it had taken her mind off things. What gladdened her heart was the possibility that her father and his friend Sheila may have reached the stars and were looking down at her from above.
Maybe they got to the moon, turned around, and were now on their way home!
The very idea made her smile.
After saying goodnight to her new friends, Elvira returned to her spot in the gum tree. She was disappointed at this early end to her great adventure, but now that she had found out all she needed to know about her father, she regretfully decided there was no point staying any longer. Besides, they would be missing her at Taronga Zoo and it was probably time for her to return home.
The long day’s activities had left her exhausted and she was looking forward to a good night’s rest before setting off early the next morning.
Looking up at the splendour of the evening sky, she was comforted by the thought of her father up there somewhere.
‘Good night, Dad,’ she whispered.
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘Help! Help!’
Elvira had only just dozed off when her sleep was interrupted yet again.
‘Can’t I ever get any rest?’ she gr
umbled. ‘I‘ve never known such a noisy place! I thought the countryside was supposed to be peaceful and quiet!’
She opened her eyes to find a tiny furry mouse racing up the branches towards her. It was shaking all over, its whiskers quivering and its eyes round with terror. Following closely behind, snarling and spitting and ready to pounce, was its pursuer — a feral cat!
Elvira hated these creatures. They were killers, and responsible for wiping out many species of wildlife, especially birds.
The cat, busy concentrating on the mouse, saw the eagle much too late. As fast as lightning, Elvira swooped upon it, wrapped her mighty claws around its body and took off into the skies. She circled for a while until she spotted a dam with a few reeds and bushes in the middle. It seemed the perfect spot. Elvira dropped the feral cat into the bushes, made a huge U-turn and flew back to her resting place, hoping she’d be able to resume her interrupted sleep.
To her great surprise, the mouse was still there.
‘Are you hurt, little fellow?’
she asked.
‘No,’ replied the mouse. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’
‘Shouldn’t you find some safer place to hide? You look like you’d make a very tasty morsel for someone.’
‘No. I’m quite happy to stay up here with you.’
‘Aren’t you afraid I might eat you?’
The mouse shook his head. ‘Not really. If you were going to, it would be all over by now. Anyway, if you were hungry you would have eaten the cat.’
Elvira couldn’t help but laugh at the cheeky little creature.
The tiny mouse had greyish-brown fur on his back and his underbelly was white. His most striking feature, though, was the bright pink inside his ears. Elvira had never seen a mouse like him before. She wondered what kind he was.
The mouse eyed the eagle up and down. ‘Would there be any chance of you giving me a lift?’
Elvira was taken aback by the question. She hesitated. ‘It depends on where you want a lift to.’
‘It’s important that I get to the Pilliga Forest. It’s not all that far from here.’
‘What’s so urgent?’
The mouse drew himself up to his full height (which was very, very tiny) and announced importantly: ‘First of all, I need to introduce myself. I am Pookie the Pilliga mouse.’ He gave a little bow and added, ‘At your service.’
Elvira found this so amusing that she burst out laughing.
The little mouse was most indignant.
‘I don’t know what you think is so funny. Is it my name — Pookie — that you’re laughing at?’
‘No, no, I’m terribly sorry,’ gasped Elvira, ‘I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that a tiny creature like you would hardly be able to help someone as big as I am.’
‘Size isn’t all that matters,’ Pookie said with a frown. ‘To you, I may seem just a tiny creature of no particular value, but you’re wrong, you know!’ Then he paused, puffed out his chest and announced importantly: ‘I’ve been led to believe that I am most likely the very last Pilliga mouse in existence and … possibly the only mouse of my kind in the whole wide world!’
Pookie waited expectantly for a response to this grand declaration and Elvira, very much taken by the little fellow, was anxious not to offend him.
‘I’m very happy to meet you,’ she said politely, ‘and if I can be of service to such an important creature as yourself, I am only too happy to oblige. Where is this Pilliga Forest that you wish to visit?’
‘Not to visit, I wish to return!’ the mouse insisted. ‘I had a series of misfortunes that took me away from the forest and it is very important that I get back there as soon as possible. Many people are out looking for me and if I don’t get back in time they may declare the Pilliga mouse to be an extinct species.’
‘Are you sure you’re the only one left?’
Pookie let out a big sigh.
‘Looks like it,’ he said. ‘I do hope and dream that there’s a female mouse somewhere out there, waiting for me, but so far it appears that I’m the only one.’
‘That’s very, very sad,’ said Elvira. ‘I‘d like to help in any way I can and I’m happy to take you home. As long as you know the way, that is. I’m new to this area and don’t know my way around.’
‘All we have to do is aim for the Warrumbungle Mountains and it’s not far from there. It’s near a town called Baradine. We could leave now, if you don’t mind flying at night.’
‘Well, we may as well,’ chuckled Elvira. ‘With all these interruptions, I don’t think I was meant to get any sleep tonight!’
And so the two companions set off; one an eagle, the giant of the skies, and the other a teeny tiny mouse, possibly the last of his kind in the whole wide world.
CHAPTER NINE
Pookie didn’t fancy being carried by Elvira’s sharp talons. Claiming he would have a much better view, he insisted on riding perched on top of her head. The mouse quickly worked out how to steer the eagle by leaning left or right and shouting out directions. The whole experience was so thrilling, he felt he could have spent the rest of his life up there, gliding high above the treetops and looking down onto the world.
It was still dark when they arrived in the Pilliga Forest.
Elvira landed in a clearing and gave a big yawn. Her muscles were aching and she was glad of the rest, but much too excited to sleep. Pookie wasn’t a bit sleepy, either. He was bursting with energy. Being a nocturnal animal, he spent his nights being active and slept during the day. The two of them sat around talking, waiting for the sun to come up.
‘Why did you leave the forest when you thought you were the last Pilliga mouse in the world?’ Elvira asked. ‘Wasn’t that kind of irresponsible?’
Pookie sighed. ‘Well, you see, I didn’t know that I was rare or endangered, only that I was different from the other mice in the forest. I certainly didn’t know I might be the last of my kind.’ He was silent for a while and then continued. ‘My main problem has always been curiosity. You know the old saying “curiosity killed the cat”?’
Elvira nodded.
‘Well … I don’t know too much about cats, but being curious about things has always got me into trouble. As a young mouse, I questioned everything and rarely did what I was told. Then my family was wiped out in a fire and I was left to fend for myself. Because I was different, the other forest mice were really mean. They wouldn’t let me join in their games or share their food and made fun of me. I was very unhappy and life was very hard.’
Remembering those dismal days, Pookie’s voice began to quiver and his eyes filled with tears. He soon pulled himself together, though, and went on.
‘Now, this is the part where curiosity was my undoing: I was out hunting one morning when I came across an object I had never seen before. It was a small wooden box covered on all sides except for an opening at the front. I don’t know how many times I had been warned about going into strange places, but as I told you before, I never took any notice. So I poked my nose in and was encouraged to enter because of a delicious smell coming from something small and yellow right at the back of the box. I found out later this was a food called cheese and it’s a favourite food of house mice.’
‘It sounds like a trap,’ said the eagle.
‘Yes,’ said Pookie. ‘That’s exactly what it was. I know all about traps now, but at the time I had no idea. All I knew was that something smelled so delicious, I just had to have it. Once I was inside the box, the trap was sprung and the door slammed shut behind me.’
‘So it wasn’t a trap to kill you?’
‘No. Luckily for me it was set by a human who was interested in animals that live in the Pilliga Forest. Of course, I didn’t know this at the time. I thought my days were numbered.’
‘How did you happen to be at the farm where I met you?’ quizzed Elvira.
‘Well, I ended up in a place called a laboratory. It was there that I found out I was a Pilliga mouse, and possibly the last of my kind.’
‘That’s a very big responsibility for such a little fellow,’ Elvira said.
‘There you go again!’ said Pookie crossly. ‘Always pointing out that I’m little. I keep telling you, size has got nothing to do with anything! It’s numbers that count. Many little creatures working together can overcome a giant creature any day.’
‘I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,’ said Elvira. ‘Please go on with your story. I’m anxious to find out what happened next.’
‘Okay, then. Where was I?’
‘You found out how rare you are.’
‘Right. I was photographed and measured and poked and prodded until I was completely sick of the whole business, I can tell you. All I could think about was how to get out of there.’
‘Well? How did you get out?’
‘I played dead,’ said Pookie.
‘How on earth did you do that?’ asked Elvira.
‘Just pretended. I lay flat on my back on the floor of the cage, all stretched out and with my feet sticking up in the air. I didn’t move a single muscle.’ Pookie gave a chuckle at the memory. ‘The lab assistant was so shocked, she dashed off to get the other worker and left the cage door unlatched. By the time she got back, I was well and truly out of the cage, out of the laboratory, and hiding in the kitchen.’
Just imagining the woman’s face upon finding the ‘dead’ mouse gone, made the two companions burst into laughter.
A kookaburra in a nearby river gum who was listening to the tale, joined in. He repeated the story to his friends and they, in turn, told it to others, who also passed it along. Soon the whole forest was aware of the Pilliga mouse’s return, together with his friend Elvira, a wedge-tailed eagle from the city.
Dawn was breaking and all around them the forest was coming to life.
It would soon be time to go, but Elvira badly wanted to hear the rest of the story, even if it meant delaying her departure yet another day.
