why+kangaroos+have+pouches

Why Kangaroos Have Pouches

There once was a kangaroo named Jill, and she would soon be a mother. On a sunny afternoon Jill gave birth to a baby boy. She called him Rufus. Rufus was cute, and everyone loved him, but rarely anyone saw him. He was always getting lost, but Jill usually found him before it got too dark outside. One day, it got to a point where Jill couldn’t find Rufus. “Rufus?!” Jill yelled out his name. She was worried that something terrible happened. She searched behind bushes and trees, but no Rufus. Jill started to cry and the animals around her tried to comfort her and said that they would help look for Rufus. Jill and the search party behind her were scouting every inch of land until the sun fell down and the day turned to night and it started to rain. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed in the distance. “It’s useless. We can’t see a foot in front of us. We’ll have to wait till morning,” one of the searches said. “No. We have to find him! He won’t survive the night,” Jill exclaimed. “I’m going back!” someone said. The rest followed. Jill was left out in the pouring rain searching for Rufus all by herself. She stumbled about in the mud and tripped over fallen branches until she spotted a lifeless lump. “Rufus, is that you!??” There was no reply. Jill rushed over to the lump to discover that it was in fact her baby boy. “Artemis; goddess of the animals, please help my baby. I am desperate.” The rain started to disappear and Artemis descended from the quickly lightening clouds. “You wish for your son to be brought back to life, to live a healthy life?” Artemis exclaimed. “Yes. I love him, and he is the only thing I have to love,” Jill wept. “Alright,” the goddess said. Artemis lifted her fingers and light trickled out of them, flowing nicely onto Rufus’s body. Nothing happened at first, but after the warm light swirled inside him for a minute, he stirred, “Mom?” Rufus said dryly. “Rufus!” Jill grabbed her son and engulfed him in a tight hug. “I will never leave you again.” Rufus exclaimed. “Artemis, can you do something so Rufus will never get lost again?” Jill asked. Artemis snapped her fingers and an extra piece of skin attached itself to Jill’s stomach. It was just perfect enough for Rufus to fit inside. “It is called a pouch, and every kangaroo after your generation will have one.” “Thank you so much, Artemis, goodbye,” Jill happily squealed. “Goodbye, Jill. Goodbye, Rufus.” Artemis said.