LITTLE BLACK BALLS (8)

LITTLE BLACK BALLS (8)

I turned and walking towards the Paper Man's hut.

What was he going to say ?
I had no opal. And no two hundred dollars.
And the poor kangaroo was dying and needed an operation.

Soon I was on top of cliff, walking along a twisting track.
I walked slowly. I didn't really want to get there.

It was the worst day of my life.
"Baa " said Billy. he was still following me.

" It's all your fault, " I said. " Stupid goat."

I grabbed his chain and looked around for somewhere to tie him up. I'd had enough goats for one day.

I found a tree by a small pond and this time fixed the chain very carefully.
" There's enough for you to eat here until I come back, " I said to Billy.

He stared back without saying anything. Try to make me feel guilty. The way dogs do when you won't take them for a walk.

I trudged along the cliff with my head down.
The poor little kangaroo.
Now it coudn't have the operation because we didn't have two hundred dollars.
What if it died ?

I had ninty five cents in the bank. That was no good.
I could ask for my pocket money in advance. I tried it out in my mind.
" Dad," I could say. " Will you let me have the next one hundred week's pocket money right now? "

The answer would be " No " with a long lecture to follow.

By now I could see Paper Man's shack in the distance.
I stopped. I just couldn't tell him. My feet refused to move.

" Excuse me, " said a voice.

I just about jumped through the roof. Except there wasn't any roof.
I turned around and saw a man with a worried look and a bald head.
" Have you seen a goat ? " he asked.

" A goat ? " I replied.

" Yes, a kashmir goat. With long hair. I brought it out from india. But it's run off. It's worth fifteen thousand dollars. "
He hung his head and shook it in despair.

Then he looked up and said something that was music to my ear.

" There's two hundred dollars reward for whoever finds it. "
He took out two one hundred dollar notes and waved them in the air.

I gave an enormous smile. Then I grabbed the money.
" Follow me, " I said.

Well, that's just about the end of the story.
I took the bald-head man to Billy and the little kangaroo to the vet's for the operation.

The paper Man was rapt.
I've never seen anyone as happy as he was when the kangaroo came back. She made a complete recovery.

(つづく　8/9)