On the edge of a large, dense forest lived a family of possums — Mum, Dad, four possum daughters, and one little possum son. They lived in a large, spacious hollow that Dad had built in a big old gum tree. It was very warm and cosy there, and each little possum had their own little wooden bed.
The gum tree where the family lived was very old, and it had lots of seeds and nuts. The little possums loved to climb out onto the branches and play chasey. The four possum girls were older, and the youngest was the little possum son.
Every morning, his sisters would wake him up, calling out:
Oi, little brother possum, wake up! How long are you going to sleep? It's gorgeous outside, the sun's shining, the birds are singing! Come out and play with us, stop sleeping!
Don't want to!!! I'm going to sleep some more! Leave me alone, go and play by yourselves, I can't be bothered getting out of my warm little bed!
The little possum would reply.
Kids, don't squabble! You're brothers and sisters. If our son doesn't want to go out, let him sleep. He's the youngest of you lot, he needs his sleep to grow big and strong!
Dad would say.
The girls would get upset and run off to play in another tree, whilst the little possum kept sleeping soundly. And this happened nearly every day.
The little possum was also very timid — he was even scared of his own shadow. And once, when a strong wind kicked up outside and thunder rumbled, he burst into tears and hid in the most tucked-away corner of the hollow, from where Dad could barely drag him out.
It was sweltering hot outside; it was August. The family often ventured out of the house together to find food. But the tastiest treats were the seeds and nuts that grew on the gum tree. But lately there'd been no rain at all, and the hot rays of the sun had gradually dried out the leaves on the trees. The seeds had fallen, and by autumn the possums had nothing left to eat.
Mum and Dad gathered all the kids and said:
Our little possums! All summer it's been absolutely scorching, and all our supplies on our tree have dried up. Now we've got nothing to eat, and we need to go and find another forest where we can live and gather seeds and nuts. Our tree is old now, and we probably won't be able to gather any harvest from it at all.
Awesome! This'll be our new adventure! We'll all get together and set off to find a new home and new big trees where lots of seeds grow. We'll walk together, sing cheerful songs, and meet lots of new friends!
The possum sisters cheered.
Unfortunately, Dad won't be able to come.
Mum said.
It turned out that the other day, Dad had got into a fight with a goanna who wanted to steal the nuts that a wombat had given him for the little ones. In the fight, Dad had badly injured his paw, and now he wouldn't be able to walk far.
I'll go!
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the little possum son said.
Hahahaha! You?! You're scared of your own shadow! How are you going to wander through the bush on your own? What if the wind blows and thunder rumbles — you'll forget where you were going from fright!
The possum sisters laughed loudly.
I won't forget anything! When Mum and Dad were talking once, I heard Dad tell Mum that in a family, the bloke should provide the food, and a bloke should also look after his family. You're girls, you shouldn't have to. And who's the bloke in our family, sisters — you? No! So you'll stay home with Mum, and I'll go and find a new forest for our family.
The little possum announced decisively.
After packing him a little bundle of food, Mum and Dad sent their son on his way.
The little possum trudges through the bush, looking around. It's scary walking here alone — a crow caws, the wind blows, the leaves rustle in the breeze… But the little bloke knows he must look after his family, because Dad's crook and the sisters can't be left without Mum.
The little possum walked for ages, and suddenly, in the distance, he saw a new forest. It was so beautiful, and even the leaves on the trees hadn't yellowed as much as in their forest.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an enormous wild boar appeared in the little possum's path.
He bared his tusks and growled loudly:
Who's walking around here without my permission? I'm the boss around these parts, and only I decide who lives here and who doesn't.
At first, the little possum was terrified — he couldn't even speak, as if a huge lump had appeared in his throat.
I… I… wa…nt…
The little one tried to whisper something.
Speak up, or I'll eat you right now.
The boar snorted.
And then the little possum remembered that at home, four sisters, Mum, and Dad were waiting for him and counting on him.
I'm looking for a new home for my family! There's been a drought in our forest, and all our supplies have dried up. Now my sisters are hungry, and I've gone looking for a new home and food.
The little possum said loudly and clearly.
The boar looked at the little one and said:
You're so small and so brave. You weren't scared at all to come to our parts, even though everyone knows I'm the boss here and I don't like strangers coming around. I've never seen such a brave little possum before, so I'll let you mob live here.
The little possum was so happy that he didn't notice how he'd bounded home. He told everyone at home how he'd made his way to the new forest, how along the way he'd been scared of the crows' cries and the rustling leaves. But when he told his sisters and parents the story about the boar, they all exclaimed together:
You're such a legend! Not everyone could've negotiated with a boar — everyone knows he's terrifying and really mean!
The little possum felt so proud, because he — a timid little thing — wasn't scared of anything anymore.
