KING OF THE BUSH
“…almost brushing my face with it’s wings…”
I have a story about a Kookaburra, the one and only, King of the bush!
A long time ago, I was a damsel in distress! Working all hours, raising a family as a solo parent and running a business in my spare hours! One morning I rose early and decided to go outside onto the front porch and just look at the early morning sky, watch the dawn and feel the soft early morning breeze on my face. While I was standing there, there came a ‘whoosh’ of wings and a Kookaburra landed on the rock wall just meters in front of me. ‘Ummm,’ I thought, ‘I wonder if this little guy might like a bit of nice raw, minced beef?’
In a flash, I was outside again with a small handful of fresh, raw meat. Taking a small piece, I rolled it into little balls and tossed it out onto the still, dew soaked grass. Down came the bird and picked up the morsel, gave a little ‘cluck’ sound, which I took for a sign of appreciation, or thank you, in Kookaburra language!
This early morning feeding went on for several weeks and sometimes my Kookie would actually call me if, by chance, I wasn’t outside to greet him/her, with this regular morning treat of fine minced steak! On several occasions, this bird made me chuckle. I recall one time especially when I threw the round morsel and it landed plop, right in the middle of Kookie’s beak! Kookie just stood there, eyes almost crossing and looking all the more comical for the lump of meat neatly balanced between his/her eyeballs! With a neat toss of the head, up went the meat and down again with total precision, into this bird’s open and waiting gullet.
Then came the most amazing, and wonderful experience I’d had with my Kookie! We had just finished the morning ritual of feed and cluck. Kookie and I, by this stage, were clucking madly at each other, and we, it would seem, fully understood what the other was saying! Or at least, whatever I was saying seemed acceptable to this bird. Kookie flew up onto the rock wall then, opened his/her wings, and with one powerful rush, flew directly toward my face. For a split second, and from a distance of not more than half an arm’s length away, the bird seemed to hover while I stood motionless and transfixed by the those huge dark black eyes that seemed to be looking straight into mine, and deep into my soul! Then, as if by some amazing feat of aerial improbability, the bird turned swiftly to the right and, almost brushing my face with it’s wings, Kookie was gone!
The very next day, Kookie returned. This time he/she was not alone, Kookies mate, who was, he/she came also! Then, a third, a baby Kookie flew after it’s parents and perched on the wall next to them. This wonderful visit by my friend and, his/her family, really amazed me! Instantly I was reminded of a bible story and felt great awe at the thought of God’s gift of His creatures to inhabit this planet and allow us the pleasure of their being. So now, I have a “Totem” and that is the Kingfisher bird, or the Kookaburra as we know it. A native to this great land we call Australia, and is undoubtedly, King of the Bush and ‘merry, merry fool,’ though loved dearly by myself who will remain nameless, because some of my friends might think I am just plain Cookoo!
As an aside, this really did happen!
-S.D.A., Sydney, AUSTRALIA.
