Whilst all
this took place, the little brown bird stood on one leg, with its head
cocked on one side, watching the Kangaroo's recovery with a comic
expression of curiosity and conceit. When it spoke to Dot, it did so
without any attempt at being polite, and Dot thought it the strangest
possible creature, because it was really very kind in helping to save the
Kangaroo's life, and yet it seemed to delight in spoiling its
kind-heartedness by its rudeness. Afterwards the Kangaroo told her that
the little Bittern is a really tender-hearted fellow, but he has an idea
that kindness in rather small creatures provokes the contempt of the big
ones. As he always wants to be thought a bigger bird than he is, he
pretends to be hard-hearted by being rough; consequently, nearly all the
Bush creatures simply regard him as a rude little bird, because bad manners
are no proof of being grown-up; rather the contrary.
"How do you feel now?" asked the Bittern, as the Kangaroo presently
struggled up and squatted rather feebly on her haunches, looking about in
a somewhat dazed way.
"I'm better now," said the Kangaroo, "but, dear me, how everything seems
to dance up and down!" She shut her eyes, for she felt giddy.
"That was rather a good jump of yours," said the Bittern, patronizingly,
as if jumps for life like that of Dot's Kangaroo were made every day, and
he was a judge of them!
"Ah, I remember!" said the Kangaroo, opening her eyes again and looking
round.
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