Chap name- The Duck and The Kangaroo
By- Edward Lear
The poem ‘ The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lee is a humorous and conversational poem between a duck and a kangaroo. The duck is amazed by the impressive qualities of the kangaroo. The duck praised the kangaroo for its hopping qualities. The duck tells the kangaroo that it can hop over fields and water bodies but her life is too boring as it remains in the pond always. The duck wishes to explore the world beyond the boundaries of a pond. It wished that it could also hop just like a kangaroo. The duck requests the kangaroo to give a ride on its back and promises to sit ideally, talk nothing, and would just quack all day long. The duck also tells the places they will visit like Dee and Jelly Bo Lee. She also said that they will hop over the sea as well as the land. The kangaroo liked her idea but said he had to think about it. He informed the duck that she has wet and cold feet and those feet can give him body aches. The duck said she had a solution for this. She told him that she had brought four pairs of woollen socks that would perfectly fit her webbed feet. She would also smoke a cigar every day and wear a shrug to protect herself from cold. She said I will take care of you from the cold. The kangaroo got satisfied with the duck’s response and got ready for the ride. In the night, the pale light of the moon covered the sky. The duck quietly sat on the kangaroo’s tail and he told her to hold it firmly during the whole ride.
They finally started their journey with a hop and the duck held the kangaroo’s tail tightly for its safety. They moved around the world three times and they enjoyed each other’s company.