aroo," she said, gracefully bowing; "will you not
come a little nearer to see the dance?" Then the Native Companion saw
Dot in the Kangaroo's pouch, and made a little spring of surprise.
"Dear me!" she said, "what have you in your pouch?"

"It's a Human," said the Kangaroo, apologetically; "it's quite a
little, harmless one. Let me introduce you."

So Dot alighted from the pouch, and joined in the conversation, and the
Native Companion was much interested in hearing her story.

"Do you dance?" asked the Native Companion, with a quick turn of her
head, on its long, graceful neck. Dot said that she loved dancing. So
the Native Companion took her down to the creek, and all the other
Companions stopped dancing and gathered round her, whilst she was
introduced, and her story told. Then they spread their wings, and with
stately steps escorted her to the edge of the water, whilst the
Kangaroo sat a little way off, and delightedly watched the proceedings.

Dot didn't understand any of the figures of the dance; but the scenery
and the pink sunset were so beautiful, and the Native Companions were
so elegant and gay, that Dot caught up her ragged little skirts in both
hands and followed their movements with her bare brown feet as best she
could, and enjoyed herself very much. To Dot, the eight birds that
took part in the entertainment were very tall and splendid, with their
lovely grey plumage and greeny heads, and she felt quite small as they
gathered round her sometimes, and enclosed her within their outspread
wings. And how beautiful their dancing was! How light their dainty
steps as their feet scarcely touched the earth; and what fantastic
measures they danced--advancing, retreating, circling round--with their
beautiful wings keeping the rhythm of their feet! There was one figure
that Dot thought the prettiest of all--when they danced in line at the
margin of the water; stepping, and bowing, and gracefully gyrating to
their shadows, which were reflected with the pink clouds of evening on
the surface of the creek.

Dot was very sorry, and hot, and breathless, when the dance came to an
end. The sun had been gone a long time, and all the pink shades had
slowly turned to grey; the creek had lost its radiant colour, and
looked like a silver mirror, and so desolate and sombre, that no one
could have imagined it to have been the scene of so much gaiety shortly
before.

Dot hastily returned to the Kangaroo, and all the