“Ru…beee…” a name drifted across the valley.
Again, “Ru…beee…”
Fearing a child might be missing, I made my way towards the sound. If I could help, I’d be there. My experience in bushwalking would be handy.
Once more, “Ru…bee…***”
There was something more I couldn’t hear.
I called ahead, “Is Ruby lost?”
As I stepped out from amongst the trees, a man turned, “Ruby? No, mate, I said ‘roo be still’. My kangaroo got his foot stuck in the fence. I’ve been trying to get him out but he won’t be still.”
I smiled and retreated back through the trees.
100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups – Wk#40 – Prompt: Ruby – “Lost Child?”
03
May
Ross's Writing Blog 
annahalford (@anhalf)
May 4, 2012 at 06:42
Ha ha, love this. From your title was expecting something bleak, so was very pleasantly surprised.
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 00:11
Thanks for the comment.
I was wondering how Ruby might be used a little differently. Aussies tend to call kangaroos just roos so ‘roo be still’ came to mind. 🙂
Sandra
May 4, 2012 at 17:18
Nice one. I liked the Aussie slant on this, though I wouldn’t fancy owning a kangaroo. Well done.
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 00:13
Thanks for the comment.
I did have care of a young orphaned kangaroo once. It was almost big enough to leave the pouch permanently. It used to greet me by running up and giving me a kick. 🙂 I found it a good home with a mob of kangaroos in the Western Plains Zoo.
Miriam
May 4, 2012 at 18:02
I like misunderstandings (as long as they’re not mine).
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 00:15
Thanks for the comment.
Play on words can be fun. I used to be amused by the accidental word play of children in my classes when they wrote. Children’s writing can be interesting as you see their growth over time.
Susan Mann (@susankmann)
May 5, 2012 at 02:15
lol nice work.
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 00:16
Thanks for the comment.
I saw the chance for adding an Aussie flavour to a 100WCGU entry. 🙂
snagglewordz
May 6, 2012 at 15:56
Hahaha – I bet the Roo really damaged that fence and the cobber trying to release him!
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 18:53
Thanks for the comment.
Fences and kangaroos don’t mix well. If you ever see kangaroos in full hop across country, they normally clear fences in their stride but some do get caught in a fence. Many can untangle themselves but not all are so lucky. The largest kangaroos, the red kangaroo, are massive animals easily my height (6’1″ or 185cm) and have been, I’ve been told but never witnessed, able to jump over a car in motion. That may be one of those old country tales but it is believable. 🙂
snagglewordz
May 6, 2012 at 19:15
Oh, I believe it. It would be scary to try and untangle a distressed kangaroo from a fence. It must be something to watch a troop of Red Roos passing by. I remember doing research for a scientist once and was amazed at the number of scholarly articles on vehicle crashes and kangaroos. I’ve only occasionally seen their smaller cousins, the wallabies, here in NZ. I liked your fresh take on the prompt. 🙂
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 19:59
Without doubt, kangaroos, especially the reds, can do a great deal of damage if they are hit by a car. The same goes for emus. They are magnificent birds when running across open ground. If the moa were still in New Zealand, we would hear of their encounters with cars.
Midlife SInglemum
May 6, 2012 at 16:43
Like that it ended on a light note and no child was missing. There has been a lot of dark stuff about blood this week.
Ross Mannell
May 6, 2012 at 18:57
Thanks for the comment.
I had to end in a light note. As in other countries, children can go missing in national parks anf from homes here. As a bushwalker, I’d volunteer if this happened locally as there is a great deal of bushland around my town I have come to know well. Many are found but it’s a tragedy when even one is lost,
Mike
May 7, 2012 at 18:48
Just made me smile! Thanks.
Ross Mannell
May 7, 2012 at 23:43
Thanks for the comment.
I was aiming at a lighter story. 🙂
Inside the Mind of Isadora
May 8, 2012 at 23:34
Fun approach to the challenge. Certainly, creative thinking.
Well done …
Isadora
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/ruby/
Ross Mannell
May 10, 2012 at 19:40
Thanks for the comment.
Because of my work with children’s blogs around the world. I keep these stories strictly G rated, sometimes with a message, and hopefully interesting for them to read.