o dance around, whilst the sham Kangaroo made believe to be dead.
"Well, I forgive their killing such a silly creature! There wasn't a
jump in it."

After more dancing to the singing and noise of the on-lookers, a black
fellow came from the little bower in the dim back-ground, with a
battered straw hat on, and a few rags tied round his neck and wrist, in
imitation of a collar and cuffs. The fellow tried to act the part of a
white man, although he had no more clothes on than the old hat and
rags. But, after a great deal of dancing, he strutted about, pulled up
the rag collar, made a great fuss with his rag cuffs, and kept taking
off his old straw hat to the other black fellows, and to the rest of
the tribe, who kept up the noise on the other side of the fires.

"Now this is better!" said the Kangaroo, with a smile. "It's very
silly, but Willy Wagtail says that is just the way Humans go on in the
town. Black Humans can act being white Humans, but they are no good as
Kangaroos."

Dot thought that if men behaved like that in towns it must be very
strange. She had not seen any like the acting black fellow at her
cottage home. But she did not say anything, for it was quite clear in
her little mind that black fellows, Kangaroos, and willy wagtails had a
very poor opinion of white people. She felt that they must all be
wrong; but, all the same, she sometimes wished she could be a noble
Kangaroo, and not a despised human being.

"I wish I were not a white little girl," she whispered to the Kangaroo.

The gentle animal patted her kindly with her delicate black hands.

"You are as nice now as my baby Kangaroo," she said sadly, "but you
will have to grow into a real white Human. For some reason there have
to be all sorts of creatures on the earth. There are hawks, snakes,
dingoes and humans, and no one can tell for what good they exist. They
must have dropped on to this world by mistake for another, where there
could only have been themselves. After all," said the kind animal, "It
wouldn't do for every one to be a Kangaroo, for I doubt if there would
be enough grass; but you may become an improved Human."

"How could I be that?" asked Dot, eagerly.

"Never wear kangaroo leather boots--never use kangaroo skin rugs,
and"--here it hesitated a little, as though the subject were a most
unpleasant one to mention.

"Never do what?" enquired Dot, anxious to know all that she should do,
so as to be improved.

"Never,