"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."
Suddenly, an excited voice yelled behind her. "Here I am!" Mother Kangaroo jumped in fright. "Joey, you scared me!" she said. "You shouldn't hop off alone. It's dangerous."
"But Mother, there are so many exciting things to see," Joey replied. "I get bored eating grass."
Mother Kangaroo told him to stay close, but when she looked up, Joey had disappeared again. She sighed and began searching. Seeing leaves shake ahead, she hopped over quickly, only to bump into a fat old wombat.
"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" yelled Wombat.
"I'm very sorry," said Mother Kangaroo.
"You big animals never think about us with short legs," grumbled Wombat. "Help me find some good grass to eat."
"I'd like to, but I'm looking for my Joey," she explained.
Wombat complained more, so kind Mother Kangaroo agreed to help. "Grab onto my tail," she said.
As they hopped along, Joey bounded by and leaped right over Wombat.
"What was that?" yelled Wombat.
"That was my Joey!" said Mother Kangaroo, calling after him.
"Kids! No respect," grumbled Wombat.
Soon, Wombat stumbled. "Stop! You're going too fast. I need to rest." While he rested, Mother Kangaroo kept looking for Joey, worried but unwilling to leave the half-blind wombat alone.
"Now I'm thirsty," complained Wombat. "Take me to water."
"All right," said Mother Kangaroo, hoping Joey was safe.
They headed to the waterhole, Wombat holding her tail and grumbling all the way. There, they found Joey asleep under a shady gum tree.
"That's right. Just leave me here alone, unable to see!" yelled Wombat.
Just then, Mother Kangaroo saw hunters with spears approaching. "Quickly, we must hide!" she urged. They rushed into the bushes, with Wombat complaining as he bounced on her tail.
Hiding, Joey dug his paws into his mother's fur. "I'm scared," he whispered.
"Shh, it will be all right, dear," she soothed.
After the hunters passed, Mother Kangaroo looked for the grouchy wombat, but he was gone. In his place stood the Father of All Creatures.
He explained he had disguised himself as a wombat to find the kindest animal. "And that is you, Mother Kangaroo. Even while worried for Joey, you were kind to a grumpy old wombat."
He took bark from a tree and handed it to her. "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?" he asked.
Mother Kangaroo thanked him but felt 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.