A tale as told by Moonman, (Man in the Moon)

This is a tale of a time when I was a young fellow employed as a "tailer" behind a bullock team.

It was a time when freight was transported by horse or by bullock teams.

My job was to handle the replacement stock and take care of any lame or injured animals.

This tale commences on a very hot summer day in February.

We had to take a bullock out of the team, as it had become lame. Because of its lameness, it was slow, So I let it run free.

I was intending to go back and bring it up towards evening when we stopped to set up camp.

Going back to get the animal, I could not find it anywhere. Searching high and low, I was about to give up for the day.

It was nearing dusk and I had to go back and look after the other animals.

Suddenly! I heard a sound coming through the pine trees.

Thunk! Thunk! Accompanied by Growls and Hissing. Curious about the sound I went to investigate.

It took a while to locate the sound, as sounds reverberate among the thick forest of trees.

Eventually I located the sound and…………. Guess what I found! J

The children had been listening with mouths and eyes wide open in fascination with the tale. However they were unable to even hazard a guess at what was coming next.

"Wellllll……" he said. "You would not believe it. I saw the largest goanna I had ever seen in my life. He had already swallowed the bullock and there was only his legs sticking out of its throat".

The noise.... "Well it was the goanna smashing the legs of the bullock against a large pine tree to force it down its throat".

Throwing caution to the wind, I got out of there as fast as I could, because my horse was not as big as the bullock. I did not fancy becoming another meal for it or perhaps feed one of his mates.

And that I tell you is the gospel truth, I have never seen such a big goanna. I have seen a few big ones but this one really "took the cake".

Worldwide Copyright John W. 1998,2001

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