Filthy's wagon yard, up on the northern edge of Koalatown adjoining the forest, was busier than usual. They had four wagons there, two of average size, one a bit larger, and one that was so big that at least two king-sized anteaters were needed to pull it. Of course, Filthy and his helpers had made more wagons over the years, but they had all been sold. These days, however, he wasn't even trying to find buyers, since he knew that in the space of only a couple of weeks, he was going to be able to make a pretty profit by renting out his four wagons to koalas in Koalaville who would need them for their migration. To be sure, his Koalaville competitor, Handy, also had wagons to rent, yet only three. Filthy wished he had ten more, for there was no doubt that even that many could be rented out during the weeks of the migration.
'Hey, Mofoo, have you fixed the wheel on that wagon yet?' Filthy wanted to know.
'It's just about finished, boss. I had to completely replace one of the spokes. That crack in it couldn't have been repaired anyway,' Mofoo replied.
'Well, as long as we have the wagons ready in six days, 'cause that's when we'll have to get them over to Koalaville. Speaking of Koalaville, is Grubby back from there yet? He was supposed to go over again today and round up some more customers. We already have twenty-two on our list, but if we're lucky, we should be able to get maybe ten or fifteen more in the next few days.'
'Yeah, we're gonna be rollin' in nuts and berries once that migration is over. And I hear they have a good honey supply over there, too. Make sure some of them pay us in honey. Hmmm, I just love to dip my eucalyptus leaves in honey when I eat 'em!' Mofoo raved.
'First things first. And first, we must get all the wagons ready and collect a bunch of customers, then we do the work, then we get paid, and only then do we enjoy,' Filthy, conscientious by nature, reminded his helper.
'Oh, I know, but I can dream, can't I?' Mofoo replied as he finished replacing the spoke.
'There. The wheel's as good as new now. Any more repairs to be made on the other three wagons, boss?'
'Not that I could see. Believe it or not, we might already be all set, which would mean that we can have some rest these next few days, something we're gonna need before those two weeks of work that are ahead of us.'
'I sure could use it. I've only been gettin' ten hours sleep a day this past week.'
'I haven't even gotten that. What you say we call it a day, and have a nice long nap?' Filthy suggested.
'Hey, boss, that doesn't sound like you at all, but I think I'll take you up on the offer before you change your mind,' Mofoo responded, cleaning off his hands with a wet cloth.
'I'll be back in the morning to take one final check of all the wagons. Then maybe I can go over to Koalaville to help Grubby find new clients.'
'Great idea. Time for a nap… oh, no!' Filthy suddenly remembered something. 'You go take your nap. I just realized I have an appointment with Scruffy, to pick out the anteaters we're gonna need for the wagons. Well, see you tomorrow, then.'
'Bye boss! See ya!' Mofoo called as he walked off towards his tree.
Filthy left the wagon yard, closing the gate in the fence that surrounded it behind him, and turned left to walk eastwards down the path along the grove's northern sector towards Scruffy's anteater corral, that was just next to the path entering the forest in the northeast.
Arriving a few minutes later, he found Scruffy cleaning the fur of one of the larger anteaters with a brush made out of the bristles of a wild boar. Not that a boar had been killed for that purpose; the koalas killed no creature, except in self-defense. The boars, all of whom lived in boar forest, collected bristles that had fallen out of their hides, and then traded them to the koalas in return for tasty mushrooms that the koalas picked in the forest above Koalatown.
'How you doin', Scruffy? My, that looks like a sturdy creature!' Filthy began the conversation.
'Hi Filthy. Sure is. This fellow is perhaps the strongest one I've got,' he replied, and then pointed to another anteater on the opposite side of the corral, which measured about thirty by forty feet. 'That one over there is almost as strong. You can use these two to pull that big wagon of yours. Even if it's fully loaded, these two critters won't have any trouble pulling it.'
'Great. Then I'll definitely take those two. I'll also need two others for the other big wagon, and four more – two each – for the two small wagons,' Filthy calculated.
'Right. I've got 'em all ready. But maybe you'll want another one to use to ride around on.
After all, you and your workers will be taking quite a few trips over to Koalaville in these next few weeks,' Scruffy suggested.
'Yeah, you may have a point, but I was thinking maybe we could stay over in Koalaville for a few weeks, since we'll be working there every day, driving the wagons to Eucalyptus Grove and back. In that case, we wouldn't need to return here till the migration is over,' Filthy explained.
'Whatever you want, but if you would like one to ride, I suggest that fellow there,'
Scruffy pointed to a medium-sized anteater with brown and white fur. 'He's really tame, yet frisky, so he can walk for hours without getting tired.'
'Hmm, you know, even though I might not need him during the migration, it might not be bad to have an anteater of my own. With all I'll be earning these next few weeks, I might consider purchasing one. Is he for sale?' Filthy inquired.
'Well, he's one of my favorites, to tell you the truth,' Scruffy hesitated.
'Tryin' to up the price, huh?' Filthy chuckled.
'No, seriously. I've raised him since he was born.'
'Yeah, yeah, I know, and he's only been ridden by a little old koala female who always took excellent care of him,' Filthy joked.
'Huh, what are you talking about?' Scruffy was confused.
'Just kidding. But if you would consider selling him, do let me know. After all, you could come over to the wagon yard and visit him any time you want. It's only a couple of hundred yards away,' Filthy offered.
'Well, I'll think about it. Oh, should we sign the rental contract now? I have it all ready,'
Scruffy walked over to a little table just outside the corral, and lifted up a stone which had been placed on the contract to keep it from blowing away. 'Here it is. Contract for the rental of eight healthy anteaters, two large, two a bit smaller, and four medium-sized ones. Payment to be made in berries, nuts, and honey, amounts of each listed here below. Of course, I also accept mushrooms.'
Filthy took the contract and studied it. 'Looks just like what we agreed on. I have some baskets of nuts over at my place now. I could have them brought to you tomorrow, if you wish.'
'No need to pay in advance, Filthy. I trust you, of course,' Scruffy replied.
'Well, I'd rather give them to you tomorrow, so they're out of the way. Who knows, if I keep 'em stored at my place, somebody might steal 'em when I go over to Koalaville.'
'Yeah, I've heard crime is on the rise even here in the north,' Scruffy commented. 'When I moved up here a few years ago from the southwest, it was to get away from all those criminals. But the other day, Mabo told me he arrested some lowlife who was having a wild brawl with three others right over there,' Scruffy pointed to the tree at the beginning of the forest path where Bumpy had been attacked.
'Aren't you afraid somebody might rustle your anteaters some day?' Filthy asked.
'Naw, not really. All my creatures know me well. They wouldn't go off with some stranger without putting up a fight. But I have to watch where I keep my nuts, berries and other delicacies. Wouldn't want anybody to get any ideas about stealin' 'em.'
'Well, we'd better see to it that those rowdy koalas from the southwest don't wander up here too often, I say. And if they do, we should chase them back south right away.'
'I'm with you there,' Scruffy agreed.
'Okay, I'll get back to you in six days to pick up the anteaters, though I will need them pretty early, at sunrise, as a matter of fact,' Filthy knew that no koala liked to get up that early, but he wanted to start out as soon as he could to make the trip to Koalaville.
'No problem at all,' Scruffy responded. 'I'll get them ready the night before, and then come down when you knock on my tree, and we can take them over to your place to hitch them to the wagons. When we're finished, I can always come back to my tree and get some more sleep.'
'I wish I could do that!' Filthy laughed. 'But once they start that migration over there, my workers and I are going to be putting in some long hours for a few weeks.'
'I don't envy you at all,' Scruffy said, 'but you will be earning quite a bit, so I guess it's worth it.'
'No doubt about that. I believe I'll invest most of what I earn. I was thinking I could hire the carpenters over in Koalaville to make some fine details for one of my wagons. Sort of turn it into a luxury model, with ornately carved decorations around the sides of the seats, for example. Oh, and they could also make some water barrels that I could attach to the sides of the wagons, so that they can be used for long-distance travel. I've heard rumors that Mayor Koala would like to establish stronger relations with Koala City, up in the north of Koalaland,' Filthy told him.
'Yeah, I've heard the same thing. That's quite a distance from here, though. It'd take almost two days to get there, even by wagon with a couple of strong anteaters, the way I see it,' Scruffy added.
'That should be about right. On the one hand, it seems like a long way to travel, but on the other hand, if we can establish trade relations with Northern Koalaland, things will really start booming here in the south. Why, I've heard they have products there we've never even heard of. They dress differently from us, too. I hear they wear long robes instead of overalls.
Imagine!' Filthy said.
'Sounds crazy to me,' Scruffy scoffed. 'Suppose part of the robe gets caught in a branch, and you fall off. You could be dangling there for hours before someone figures out a way to get you down!'
'Yeah, right. I'll take overalls any day. Much more practical. But I'll bet some of our females would love to buy some colorful gowns to wear,' Filthy figured.
'As long as it's pretty, females will buy it, no doubt,' Scruffy laughed. 'But if I put on something like that, I think even my anteaters would laugh at me!'
'Well, Scruffy, nice doin' business with you. I'm gonna go get some sleep. I'll get back to you six days from today, the second day of the second week of spring, around sunrise, as I said.'
'Just be sure you knock on my tree loud enough, so I wake up,' Scruffy told him.
'Will do. Bye now!' And with that, Filthy walked back to his tree next to the wagon yard, climbed up to his favorite branch, and was soon sound asleep.