'Oh, father, we have so much work to do! How are we ever going to get all this furniture over to Eucalyptus Grove?' Maki despaired. 'Most of it is only half finished; we'll have to be especially careful with it. And then there's our entire supply of wood!'
'Calm down, child,' Nory comforted her. 'We'll get it done, little by little. We will have a big wagon at our disposal, after all, and we can take a few weeks to move everything, if necessary.'
'I know, but that's a problem, too. If we move some of it and begin to live there, who will protect what we left behind for the next day? Somebody could just walk over here and take whatever they want!' Maki was worried.
'Well, you know there aren't many thieves in our grove. Most koalas here are decent and honest. But I know that there are some who have a doubtful reputation, to say the least. That's why I've talked to Handy about this, and he told me he or one of his helpers would keep a special watch on our things until we get it all moved. The furniture is the main thing. After all, nobody wants to steal simple pieces of wood,' Nory said.
'Oh, that is nice of Handy. It will be a help. When all of this is over, maybe I'll bake him a delicious eucalyptus pie to thank him.'
'That would be a nice gesture. And maybe we could give him one of these nice little boxes, too,' Nory added.
'Yes, that is a fine idea,' Maki replied. 'Father, do you think I might go take a nap now? I've been working for hours, trying to prepare all this stuff for the move, and I'm so tired,' she said, yawning.
'But of course. Go make us some lunch while I finish sorting these pieces of wood here, then we can both eat and have a nap,' Nory, who was also getting weary after five hours of work, suggested. Sitting in the little living room of their tree house, they ate a nourishing lunch consisting of leaves, mushrooms, a few berries, and then a few more leaves, this time dipped in honey, for dessert, after which both went to their bedrooms, where they settled down for a well-deserved two-hour nap.
***
'Hey, Scuzzy, are you all ready for the migration over to Eucalyptus Grove?' Doctor Koala asked when he saw the older koala sitting at the base of his tree, putting a few belongings into a small box.
'Huh? Oh, Doc, howdy do! Yeah, I'm ready, but I can't say I'm anxious to go.'
'Sentimental, huh?' the doctor asked. 'I know you've lived here since well before I was born. The older you get the less you like change, is that it?'
'Don't you go sayin' I'm old! Why, I'm in as good a shape as ever, except for my eyes. I do have a little trouble seein' up real close, but that doesn't keep me from gettin' around. It's just that I don't see the sense in all of this. We've been livin' here for more years than any of us can count, and now we're supposed to just up and move over to another grove? Nonsense, I say!'
Doctor Koala knew that old Scuzzy could be crotchety at times, and that he wasn't exactly what you'd call progressive. 'Well, Scuzzy, look at the bright side. The leaves are tastier over there, you know.'
'Yeah, the leaves are always tastier on the other side of the field, as they say. But so what? Leaves don't have to be tasty to fill your belly. And whenever we want those leaves, we can just mosey on over there and pick some. Good exercise. No need to live over there to eat 'em.'
'Well, I've heard that there are going to be more tree houses built, subsidized by the grove…'
'Subsi... what?' Scuzzy was confused.
'Oh, that means the grove will pay for them. Who knows, you might get one yourself.'
'Not if I have any say in it!' Scuzzy didn't like the idea at all. 'I've been livin' and sleepin' on a tree branch all my born days, just like my parents did, and their parents before 'em, and now you wanna put me in a house? You'll have to knock me over the head first. I don't want any part of it! If koalas were meant to live in houses, the Koala Sun would've made trees that had 'em built in already,' he said, pointing up to the sun, the koalas' principal deity.
'I guess that's one way of looking at it,' Doc enjoyed teasing Scuzzy, but didn't see any need to get him angry.
'And besides, they ain't good for your health,' Scuzzy added.
'Why not?' the physician wanted to know.
'All the time I hear about koalas that live in them tree houses fallin' off, sometimes in the middle of the night. They ain't used to keepin' their balance, you see, they kinda lose their climbin' skills, and their arm and leg strength. Easy livin', it is, sittin' around up on them there platforms instead of usin' their muscle power to climb around, like they should be doin',' Scuzzy explained.
'Oh, let's not exaggerate,' Doctor Koala responded. 'I've only had one case where a koala fell off of his platform, and it was because he had a stroke. He would've fallen off a branch, too.'
'Yeah, well, I've no need for one of them things. A branch is fine with old Scuzzy. They ain't gonna try to force me to live in one, are they?' Scuzzy asked, looking a bit worried.
'No, don't worry about that. You can have a tree with only branches, and live on whichever one you want. Nobody wants to force koalas to change their ways. But you know, the King does want us all to make the move,' the doctor was worried that Scuzzy, who always had been set in his ways, might refuse to join the migration.
'Oh, I know, and I'll do what the King expects. Nobody's gonna call old Scuzzy some kinda revolutionary,' Scuzzy replied.
'Good to hear. You know, I think you'll like it over there. Oh, I almost forgot. The Council wants to hire you for the celebration we're planning once the migration is over, and everybody is settled. It won't be till the beginning of summer, but you might want to think of what you'd like to make – that is, if you accept the job,' Doctor Koala knew that Scuzzy was the best cook in Koalaville, strange as that may seem. He had a knack for coming up with just the right combinations of ingredients.
'Accept? Why, I'd be honored, yes, I would. And it'll be fun, too. I found a new kind of berry the last time I was in the woods. First I thought it might be poisonous, but then I saw a deer eat a few of 'em, and when I went back a few days later, that very same deer was there again, nibblin' on a few more, so I took a bunch myself, and they are really somethin' special.
I'm thinkin' up a new recipe for berry pie. I could make a huge one for the celebration. Hey, if you hire a few helpers for me as well, I'll make a couple of giant pies, enough to fill the bellies of a couple hundred koalas!' Scuzzy was getting enthusiastic.
'Why, I think that could be arranged, Scuzzy. I'll talk to the other councilmembers about it when I get a chance. Oh, it's getting a little late. I'll have to be going now. I have a few patients to visit. Have a nice day!'
'You too, Doc. See ya later!' old Scuzzy replied, then climbed up his tree, took a few of those berries out of a little basket he had placed on his branch, and tasted them, one after the other, while trying to imagine just what other ingredients might go well with them in what could be the biggest pie he would ever made in his life.
***
It was the night before the migration was to begin, and both Nory and Maki, who had spent all day preparing the furniture, boards, tools, and other things that had to be transported, were exhausted.
'Bedtime, father. I think we've done as much tonight as we could.'
'Yes, we have dear. You go on up to bed, I want to finish up something here first,' Nory replied, arranging some tools in his toolbox.'
'Okay. Good-night, father!'
'Good night, Maki.'
When she had climbed up into the tree house and disappeared into her bedroom, Nory walked out to the western edge of the grove, then south about sixty yards, till he got to the graveyard. The Koala Moon was almost full, and it illuminated his fur as he knelt down in front of a grave that was marked by a board sticking in the ground vertically, with elaborately decorated leaves carved into the corners, a marker that he himself had made in the days following the burial. On the board were engraved the words:
'Here lies Fooey, my beloved wife and
best friend, and mother of Maki. We
thank you for sharing your life with us,
and will love you forever and ever.'
Nory placed his right hand on the top of the board, bowed his head, and prayed silently. Then he spoke very softly:
'We're moving tomorrow, my love, but I'm sure you know that already. Oh, how I wish that you were here with us now! You'd really love living over there. Remember how you and I used to walk over to Eucalyptus Grove before we were married, walk hand in hand through the forest? How we used to stop sometimes next to the big oak tree, and kiss? How we used to talk about how wonderful our future was going to be? Well, that future really was wonderful.
You gave me so many marvelous years – and our beautiful daughter, Maki! I thank you especially for Maki. She looks more and more like you every day,' he continued, with a smile, though tears were now filling his eyes and moistening his furry cheeks.
'She's going to be a better furniture maker than I am, you know. A father couldn't be more proud! Well, now, don't look for us here anymore. You'll have to come to Eucalyptus Grove, but I guess that won't be hard for you to do. And I know you do visit us. Sometimes, especially at night, I can feel you near me, feel you cuddling up to me in bed from behind, like a koala baby on its mother's back. Well, I'll be expecting you to visit me over there, too. And who knows? Maybe before long, the Koala Sun and Moon will see fit to take me from this earth, and then we'll be together again, up there beyond the clouds, in Emerald Grove, where all the good koalas go to spend an eternity of bliss with their loved ones. I'm sure it's even a lot more beautiful than Eucalyptus Grove, isn't it?' Nory paused a moment, trying not to sob aloud; then he continued: 'Good bye for now, my love. And wish us well in our new home!'
He slowly stood up, looked down at the grave for another minute, then calmly strolled back to his tree to get a good night's sleep.
Now turn the page and see what is awaiting you in the future…