Elvira and the Pilliga Mouse Read online

CHAPTER TEN

  ‘You still haven’t explained how you got to the farm where I found you. You were up to the part where you were hiding in the kitchen,’ persisted Elvira.

  ‘Yes, that was pretty scary, I can tell you. I was looking for somewhere to hide, when I realised I was in mortal danger. Curled up on a chair near the open window was a cat. The biggest, fattest, hairiest looking monster I had ever seen. He’d been asleep, but was awakened by the shouts coming from the laboratory.

  ‘I raced across the kitchen floor, heading for a small hole in the wall on the far side of the room, which looked big enough for me to fit through. The cat was hot on my tail when the other worker, a large man with a reddish-coloured beard, joined in the chase. Shouting for the lady assistant to get the cat, he grabbed a butterfly net and took after me, chasing me up and down the kitchen, swinging it wildly and finally throwing the net in a last attempt to catch me. Somehow he missed and I was safely inside the hole.’

  Elvira had been holding her breath. Now she let out a huge sigh.

  ‘My goodness!’ she exclaimed. ‘That was a close call.’

  ‘Yes, wasn’t it?’ replied the mouse. ‘My heart was beating so hard, I thought it would burst.’

  ‘Well, go on, Pookie! What happened next?’ said Elvira.

  ‘The hole led to a small, dark passageway and I followed it as far as I could. There was hardly any light, so it was slow going. I was still adjusting my eyes to the darkness when I heard a little voice, saying “That was close! I thought for sure he’d catch you!”’

  ‘“I thought so too,” I replied.

  ‘“Well then,” said the voice, “You should rest a bit. Would you like to come in to my parlour? It’s the second hole on the left. You’re just in time for morning tea. I do hope you like crumpets, but if not, there’s some left-over Christmas pudding too.”

  ‘Well, of course, I could hardly believe it. One minute I was being chased by a giant with a red beard, and the next I was sitting down to tea with the owner of the voice I had heard in the passageway! And then—’

  Elvira interrupted him to ask, ‘But who ... or what was it?’

  ‘It was a house mouse,’ explained Pookie. ‘Naturally, I had heard of them, but I’d never met one before. Her name was Millie. She invited some of the neighbours in to meet me. They were all very welcoming. Not like forest mice at all. I had just finished a huge piece of plum pudding and was getting stuck into a buttered crumpet when one of Millie’s friends turned up with some disturbing news: the humans were busily planting traps throughout the building.

  ‘It was time to move on. I asked if we were anywhere near the Pilliga Forest and explained that I needed to get home urgently.

  They said the nearest forest was the Goonoo and assured me I’d have no difficulty getting a ride from there to the Pilliga. Apparently kangaroos are very obliging and even if they have a joey, will always make room in their pouch for an extra passenger.

  ‘“Okay,” I said. “But how will I get to the Goonoo Forest in the first place?”

  ‘“Piece of cake,” Millie told me. It just so happened that the man with the red beard lived on a farm near the Goonoo Forest, so I could hide in his car and hitch a ride.’

  ‘Very clever,’ Elvira said with a nod.

  ‘Yes, I thought it was too. So, anyway, that’s exactly what I did. My new friends helped smuggle me out of the laboratory and into the man’s car. Once we arrived at the farm, I waited until he had gone into the house and the coast was clear.

  ‘I then bolted for the bush, thinking all my troubles were over.’ Pookie’s face broke into a wide grin. ‘The last thing I ever expected was to encounter a feral cat and be rescued by a Wedgie!’

  He shook his head in wonder. ‘Life is full of surprises. You never know what will happen next!’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  News of Pookie’s return was greeted with great excitement in the forest. Soon a large crowd had gathered in the clearing to welcome the little fellow home.

  Perched on a tree stump, Pookie addressed the crowd in a voice that was loud and confident, even if somewhat squeaky. He began by welcoming everyone and then explained the reason for his return.

  ‘While I was out adventuring in the big, wide world, I heard a rumour that the Pilliga Mouse was extinct. This came as an awful shock because, as you can see, I’m certainly not extinct! Endangered, yes. In these past few days and weeks I’ve been captured, tested, tormented and chased, but while I’m still alive and kicking, I’m here to prove the rumour of my demise is untrue!’

  ‘If there’s only one of you left then you might as well be extinct,’ claimed a male eagle named Byron. He was a wedge-tail just like Elvira, but with darker, almost black, feathers.

  This interruption annoyed Pookie.

  ‘I am painfully aware of that fact already, Byron. It’s why I have come home — to keep searching for others of my kind.’

  ‘Well, I may have some good news for you,’ said the eagle. ‘I’ve come across a family of mice living in a remote part of the forest. I can’t be sure if they are Pilliga mice, though. They don’t let me get close enough to see for sure. Now that you’re home, I’ll be glad to show you where they are and the rest will be up to you.’

  Pookie was so excited, he could hardly wait to follow up Byron’s claim. He rushed through the remainder of the speech he had rehearsed.

  ‘… well, my friends,’ he concluded, looking around at the native birds and animals, ‘I’ve heard it said that the Pilliga Forest is a Noah’s Ark for many of Australia’s threatened species. Most of us hide away in order to remain safe, but I think the time has come for us to let the world know about the amazing wildlife of the Pilliga Forest.’

  Cheers and whistles greeted this speech and the crowd slowly trickled away. Soon there were just the three of them — Pookie, Elvira and Byron.

  ‘Well,’ said Elvira, ‘I suppose I’d better be on my way. There’s no need for me to stay any longer.’

  Pookie was about to agree with this when he caught a look from Byron, who was shaking his head and mouthing the word ‘stay’. The little mouse smiled and nodded. He could think of only one reason — Byron had obviously taken a shine to Elvira!

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Elvira was happy to stay a bit longer. After all, if she returned to Sydney now, she would never know the end of the story. Was there going to be a happily- ever-after for Pookie? She certainly hoped so.

  And, to be truthful, there was another reason — she had never met an eagle quite like Bryon before. In actual fact, he was the very first male of her species she had ever come across and she was interested in learning more about him.

  So, with Pookie once more riding on top of her head, Elvira followed Byron from tree to tree as he headed for a secluded part of the Pilliga Forest.

  ‘It was somewhere around here that I spotted them,’ Byron explained after they landed near a clump of fallen trees. ‘But we’ll have to be patient. Sometimes I’ve watched for hours with no luck whatsoever, and then, just when I’ve been about to give up, one of them has poked its nose out and others have followed.’

  Pookie now took charge.

  ‘I’ll set out on foot and start looking. Being close to the ground will make it easier to spot their trails. But I’d be grateful if the two of you would stick around close by, just in case I need you.’

  The eagles agreed to keep an eye on Pookie, while staying high enough to be out of sight. They didn’t want to frighten off the mice if they appeared.

  The afternoon passed quickly and it was almost dark by the time Pookie finally called it a day.

  ‘I’ve found myself a nice little burrow that looks like it has recently been occupied. All this daytime activity has made me rather sleepy, so I’ll curl up there for a nap and maybe the owners will return. I’m sure I’ll have better luck tomorrow. I know there are mice somewhere close by but maybe they don’t want to show themselves just yet.’

  Elvira and By
ron made the most of their time together and spent the rest of the day getting better acquainted. They swapped stories until late in the night and by morning felt like old friends.

  During breakfast, Byron suggested that Elvira stay in the Pilliga. She was very tempted. Elvira had never thought about having a family of her own before. The likelihood of her finding a mate at Taronga was just about zero. Now, here she was being given this wonderful opportunity — to live a life in the forest with Byron and have baby eaglets of her own someday. The idea seemed so fantastical that at first she dismissed it.

  But Byron persisted.

  ‘Didn’t you tell me the zoo only keeps birds that can’t survive if returned to the wild?’ ‘Well … yes, I did.’ ‘But you have lived in the wild for some time now, Elvira, and had no problem. Don’t you think the zoo people would be happy for you to keep doing that?’

  Elvira thought about this. She agreed with Byron’s reasoning but felt rather sad too. She loved her life at Taronga — the bird handlers (particularly Shelly), and all the other workers and birds and animals at the zoo.

  But she also realised that Byron was right. A new and wonderful life filled with possibilities had opened up for her. A very different life from the one she had known until now, but one that would have purpose and meaning. The Pilliga Forest was at risk. It was up to its inhabitants to do their utmost to protect their environment and the unique wildlife it contained. For Elvira, it was finally a chance to give something back.

  She looked into Byron’s dark eyes, took a deep breath and smiled.

  ‘Okay, I’ll stay.’

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ‘Wake up! Wake up!’

  The two eagles looked down at the forest floor to see what was going on. At the base of their tall gum tree was a very excited Pookie, jumping up and down to attract attention. Lined up beside him were six tiny mice that, to Elvira’s amazement, were even smaller than Pookie himself.

  ‘We are awake,’ laughed Byron. ‘How can you expect anyone to sleep with that racket going on?’

  ‘Great news!’ shouted the mouse excitedly. ‘It seems I’m not the only Pilliga mouse in the forest after all! A big relief, I can tell you. But … how about coming down to my level? I’m getting a sore neck from having to look up at you.’

  Elvira and Byron joined Pookie on the ground. Elvira was curious about the baby mice. She bent forward to inspect them.

  ‘Where did you find these babies, Pookie?’

  ‘They turned up at the nest chamber last night with their mother. They’d been too afraid to come home. A feral cat had killed their father and was still skulking around.’

  ‘Those dreadful creatures! said Elvira angrily.

  ‘So their mother is still alive?’ asked Byron.

  ‘Yes, and she wants me to help her raise these little ones.’

  Pookie patted one of the baby mice on the head and smiled.

  ‘I’ve decided to stay until they grow up a bit and can look after themselves. After that, I’m not sure. But in the meantime, I’ll start working on this great plan I’ve come up with.’

  Elvira was curious. ‘Sounds interesting. What kind of plan?’

  ‘Well, it’s really more of a mission than a plan. My idea is to organise all the mice in the forest into a mouse army that can be called upon whenever our lives are threatened. Then animals like feral cats and foxes would have to watch out!’

  Pookie looked directly at Elvira. ‘Remember what I told you about size? That many little creatures all working together can bring down creatures larger and stronger?’

  Elvira nodded. ‘I remember.’

  ‘Well, this will be my chance to prove it,’ said Pookie.

  He then turned to the noisy little family gathered around him.

  ‘These eagles are your friends,’ he told them solemnly. ‘If you are ever in trouble and need help, then you can call on them. But now you must hurry back home to your mother. Tell her I will be along soon.’

  As they scurried away, Pookie turned to Elvira and Byron.

  ‘Thank you both for all your help. Not only did you bring me home, Elvira, but both you and Byron have proved to be good friends and as a result may have saved my species from extinction.’

  He added somewhat regretfully, ‘You may not see much of me from now on, but let’s keep in touch. Who knows? Hopefully we’ll go adventuring again sometime.’

  And with that, Pookie the Pilliga mouse gave a final wave and disappeared into the undergrowth.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Time passed quickly. Elvira loved her new life and wasn’t sorry she had decided to stay in the country. Byron was a wonderful companion and great tour guide, proudly showing her the rugged beauty of the landscape that surrounded the Pilliga Forest and the Warrumbungle Mountains. With their enormous wings spread wide, the two birds floated high above the mountains and treetops and followed glistening rivers that snaked through the countryside. Every day was an adventure!

  Only one thing bothered her.

  Although she had no regrets about her decision to stay in the wild, there were times when Elvira missed her old life and the friends she had left behind in Sydney. She wished there was some way of letting them know she had survived the storm and was well and happy. How worried they must be!

  An idea occurred to her. What was to stop her from paying them a visit? Byron could come with her. He had never been to Sydney and it would be great showing him her old territory.

  When she suggested it to Byron, he was thrilled. He was keen to see all the wonderful sights of the city.

  ‘We could fly to the top of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge!’

  ‘Well, I don’t know about doing tourist things like that,’ said Elvira. ‘I thought I’d show you Taronga Zoo and introduce you to some of my old friends there.’

  Byron looked so crestfallen, she quickly added, ‘But there’s no reason we can’t do those other things if that’s what you want. We can always fly up to the top of the Skywalk, too. I’m sure you’d enjoy that. I did it once and it was fun.’

  ‘Skywalk?’ asked Byron. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘It’s at the top of a really tall building called the Sydney Tower,’ Elvira explained. ‘And people can walk out onto this glass platform and have a bird’s-eye view of the city below. Isn’t that hilarious? It’s the only way humans can see things the way we do every day!’

  Byron chuckled. ‘I bet they were surprised when you came gliding in out of nowhere!’

  ‘They sure were!’ Elvira laughed.

  The pair set off the very next morning. Their first stopover was the Dubbo Zoo to get directions. Elvira planned to ask the elephants the best way to Sydney because they had lived at Taronga before being sent to Dubbo.

  ‘They say that an elephant never forgets,’ she said. ‘I’m counting on them to remember me, as well as the roads they travelled on their journey here.’

  To make sure their reception was better this time around, she asked Byron to wait in a tree just outside the entrance. Elvira was quick to return. She had a big smile on her face.

  ‘Yes, they did remember me! They also apologised for what happened last time. They said it would have been different if they’d known it was me.’

  ‘Did you get the directions?’

  ‘Yes, it’s all pretty straightforward. I think we could get there easily by nightfall. There’s just one thing, though. I’d like to make a small detour when we get to the Blue Mountains.’

  ‘No problem, Elvira. But what for?’

  ‘Remember that lost boy I told you about? His name was Tom Turner. I’d love to see for myself that he’s all right now. And I know the school he goes to because of the uniform he was wearing.’

  ‘But you can’t just go flying into a classroom! Think of the panic it would cause!’

  ‘No, that’s not what I had in mind. Don’t worry. I just thought that if we waited somewhere near the front gate when the bell goes, we might spot him on h
is way out.’

  ‘Sounds like a good plan,’ said Byron.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The afternoon bell rang and within moments, the school yard was swarming with boys. There were boys of all sizes; pushing, shoving, fighting, yelling and laughing as they raced towards the main gate.

  Elvira realised the impossible task she had set herself.

  ‘Well, that wasn’t one of my best ideas,’ she said gloomily. ‘There’s no way I’d be able to pick out Tom from this mob.’

  Byron nodded in sympathy. ‘Well, it was worth a try.’

  As the numbers seemed to be thinning out a bit, they decided to wait until the very last, just in case. Suddenly, Elvira saw the boy she was looking for. He stood out because of the plaster cast on his leg and the crutches he was using to hobble across the yard.

  ‘That’s him,’ she yelled excitedly. ‘That’s Tom!’

  A car pulled up at the front gate and Tom got in.

  ‘Come on,’ said Elvira, ‘let’s follow them.’

  They kept the car in sight until it pulled into the driveway of a rambling farmhouse, and watched as a woman carefully helped Tom inside. Elvira and Byron settled themselves in a large gum tree at the back of the house and waited. Surely the boy would come outside sometime. It was much too nice a day to stay indoors.

  They didn’t have to wait long.

  Tom appeared at the back door and limped across the lawn to a chair in the shade of the gum tree. His mother propped a stool and some cushions under his cast to make him comfortable, then brought him a jug of lemonade and a plate of biscuits. After chatting to him for a while, she went back into the house.

  ‘I thought she was never going to leave,’ groaned Elvira.

  ‘Well, now’s your chance.’

  Not wanting to startle the boy, Elvira flew down and landed some distance from where Tom sat reading a book.

  The noise made by the flutter of her wings made him look up. He dropped his book in astonishment when he saw the huge eagle. Was this a dream?