The animals were few,
and apparently came late. There was a little timid Wallaby, a Bandicoot,
some Kangaroo Rats, a shy Wombat who grumbled about the daylight, as also
did a Native Bear and an Opossum, who were really driven to the gathering
by a bevy of screaming parrots.
Dot was wide awake at once with delight. Nearly every creature she had
ever heard of seemed to be present, and the brilliant colours of the
parrots and parrakeets made the scene as gay as a rainbow in a summer
noonday sky.
"Oh! you darlings!" she said, "how good of you all to come and see me!"
This greeting from Dot caused an instant silence amongst the creatures,
and she could not help seeing that they looked very uncomfortable. There
was soon a faint whispering from bird to bird, which rose higher and
higher, until Dot made out that they were all saying, "She ought to be
told!" "You tell her!" "No, you tell her yourself, it's not my business!"
and every bird--for it was the birds who by reason of their larger numbers
took the lead in the proceedings--seemed to be trying to shift an
unpleasant task upon its neighbours.
Presently the solemn Pelican waddled forward and stood before Dot, saying
to the assemblage, "I will explain our presence." Addressing the little
girl it said, "We are here to place you on trial for the wrongs we Bush
creatures have suffered from the cruelties of White Humans.
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