English Original
One night, blasts of wind lashed the kangaroo with raindrops that felt like icy needles. Mirram was so wet and cold, he couldn't take it any longer. He struggled onto his hind legs and, blown by the wind, hopped slowly towards the bark hut.
"It is me!" screamed Mirram, banging on the door. "Now, let me in!"
"No!" yelled Wombat. "There isn't enough room."
Mirram's teeth were chattering. He became very angry and pushed hard at the door until it opened. "I'm inside now - and you aren't big enough to throw me out!"
"H'mmph" snorted Warreen. "Well, sleep over there - in the corner. You're all wet and I don't want cold rainwater dripping on me." Wombat stretched out near the fire again and went back to sleep.
Mirram lay down in the corner, but there was a hole in the wall of the hut and the wind and rain came in. He couldn't dry himself or get warm. The fire went out, but Warreen didn't notice. He snored as he slept and laughed every now and again, enjoying a nice dream. This made Mirram more angry.
In the morning his body was stiff and sore. He hobbled outside and picked up a large rock. When he came back, Warreen was stretching and yawning as he woke up. Mirram dropped the rock on Warreen's head, flattening his forehead and making his nose curl around.
"This is for not helping me get warm and dry," said Mirram. "And from now on, you will always live in a damp hole. Your flattened forehead and cold home will remind you of last night."
After that, Warreen and Mirram didn't speak to each other or play together, and Warreen planned revenge.
He made a big spear and waited until Mirram was busy washing himself. Then he threw the spear with all his strength, and it hit the kangaroo at the base of his spine. Mirram yelled in pain and tried to pull the spear out, but it was stuck.
"From now on, that will be your long tail," yelled Warreen, "and you'll never have a home to live in!"
That is why wombats now have flat foreheads and live in dark, damp burrows underground, and why kangaroos have long tails and always sleep outside, under the stars.
中文翻译
一天夜里，狂风裹挟着雨点，像冰冷的针一样抽打着袋鼠。米拉姆又湿又冷，再也无法忍受。他挣扎着用后腿站起来，被风吹着，慢慢地跳向树皮小屋。
"是我！"米拉姆一边砸门一边尖叫。"快让我进去！"
"不行！"袋熊喊道。"没地方了。"
米拉姆的牙齿咯咯作响。他非常生气，用力推门直到门被推开。"我现在进来了——你可没本事把我扔出去！"
"哼，"瓦林哼了一声。"好吧，睡那边——角落里。你浑身湿透了，我可不想让冰冷的雨水滴到我身上。"袋熊又挨着火堆伸展开身子，回去睡觉了。
米拉姆躺在角落里，但小屋的墙上有个洞，风和雨都灌了进来。他无法弄干自己，也暖和不了。火熄灭了，但瓦林没注意到。他睡着时打着鼾，还不时笑出声，正做着美梦。这让米拉姆更加愤怒。
早上，他的身体僵硬酸痛。他一瘸一拐地走出去，捡起一块大石头。当他回来时，瓦林刚醒来，正伸着懒腰打着哈欠。米拉姆把石头砸在瓦林头上，砸扁了他的前额，让他的鼻子都卷了起来。
"这是为了你不帮我取暖弄干，"米拉姆说。"从现在起，你将永远住在潮湿的洞里。你扁平的前额和冰冷的家会让你永远记住昨晚。"
从那以后，瓦林和米拉姆不再交谈，也不再一起玩耍，瓦林计划着复仇。
他做了一支大矛，等到米拉姆忙着清洗自己时，用尽全力将矛掷出，击中了袋鼠脊柱的底部。米拉姆痛苦地大叫，试图把矛拔出来，但它卡住了。
"从现在起，那就是你的长尾巴了，"瓦林喊道，"而且你将永远没有家可住！"
这就是为什么袋熊现在有扁平的前额，住在地下黑暗潮湿的洞穴里；而袋鼠有长尾巴，总是睡在户外，星空之下。