"Joey! Where are you?" called Mother Kangaroo, searching for her son. She looked under bushes but couldn't find him. "That boy has too much energy," she mumbled. "He's always hopping off."
"Here I am!" yelled an excited voice behind her. Mother Kangaroo jumped in surprise. "Joey, you frightened me!" she said. "You shouldn't hop off alone. It's dangerous."
"But it's boring just eating grass," Joey replied.
Mother Kangaroo told him to stay close, but when she looked up, Joey was gone again. She sighed and resumed her search. Seeing leaves shake ahead, she hopped over quickly—and bumped into a fat old wombat.
"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" yelled Wombat.
"I'm very sorry," said Mother Kangaroo.
"Help me find some good grass to eat," grumbled Wombat.
Though worried about Joey, kind Mother Kangaroo agreed. "Grab my tail," she said.
As they hopped along, Joey bounded by and leaped right over Wombat. "Kids! No respect!" grumbled Wombat.
Soon, Wombat stumbled. "Stop! I need to rest." Then he complained, "Now I'm thirsty. Take me to water."
Mother Kangaroo led him to the waterhole, with Wombat grumbling all the way. There, they found Joey asleep under a gum tree.
Suddenly, Mother Kangaroo saw hunters with spears approaching. "Quick! Hide!" she urged. They rushed into the bushes, with Wombat bouncing on her tail.
Joey dug his paws into his mother's fur. "I'm scared," he whispered.
"Shh, it will be all right," she soothed.
After the hunters passed, Mother Kangaroo looked for Wombat, but he was gone. In his place stood the Father of All Creatures.
He explained, "I disguised myself as a wombat to find the kindest animal. And that is you, Mother Kangaroo. Even while worried for Joey, you helped a grumpy old wombat."
He gave her a piece of bark. "Tie this around your waist." She did, and it transformed into a pouch.
"Now you have a place to keep Joey safe," he said.
Joey climbed in. "This is cool! Can friends visit?"
Mother Kangaroo thanked him but said, "I feel sad for other animals without pouches."
"You are truly the kindest," said the Father of All Creatures. Because of her kindness, all marsupials received pouches to carry their young.