Certainly, she was bruised after her bump on the ground; but what’s a bump or two, and now, there she stood as cheeky as ever …

“It’s time to start the lucky-dip,” called out Blinky, and trotted over to his stall.

The lucky-dip was a wonderful attraction. A burnt-out stump of a great gum-tree was filled with marvellous things, all tied up in gum-leaves. Everyone who wanted a dip had first to place a present at Blinky’s feet, and a row of bull ants kept guard over these.

The first customer was Miss Silver-eye.

“Please may I have a dip?” she inquired.

“Where’s your present?” asked Blinky.

“Here it is!” she piped as she placed a beautiful red berry at his feet.

“Hurry up and have your dip,” Blinky commanded. So Miss Silver-eye dipped her beak into the lucky-dip.

“What’s in it?” everyone demanded.

“A feather!” said Miss Silver-eye delightedly. “Just what I want for my nest.”

“Next please!” shouted Blinky.

Up came Mrs Lizard.

“Where’s your present?” Blinky asked.

“Here it is,” she said, and placed a dead fly at his feet. Crawling into the bin she came out with a parcel between her teeth.

“Here it is!” she said, and placed a dead fly at his feet.

“Open it!” they all cried, craning their necks to see what treasure it held.

“Poof! It’s only a stone,” said Mrs Lizard disgustedly. “I think the dip’s a take-down.” And tossing her head in the air she wriggled away.

There seemed to be an air of dissatisfaction at once among the customers who waited their turn as each had come with a present that had taken quite a deal of thinking about, to say nothing of the hunting for it.

“No remarks are allowed in future,” said Blinky. “Take the good with the bad. Now who is next?”

“Me!” called out a tiny voice.

“I can’t see you. Stand in front please,” Blinky shouted in his bassest voice.

“I’m here!” came the reply. Looking down Blinky saw Master Trapdoor Spider at his feet.

“Where’s your present?” he asked.

“I haven’t brought one,” Master Trapdoor said boldly. “But if you don’t let me have a dip I’ll poison you.”

“A nasty fellow! Let him have his dip,” whispered Mrs Possum.

“I’ll get your prize out for you,” said Blinky, in a generous voice, and Master Trapdoor’s eyes glistened with excitement.

Blinky pulled out a parcel, unwrapped the leaf and a huge frog jumped out.

In a twinkling he had gobbled up Master Trapdoor.

“That’s what comes through being rude!” said Blinky, as he eyed the rest of the customers sternly.

Several very quietly crawled or flew away, as they evidently did not want the same thing to happen to them.

“Come on, who’s next?” Blinky called.

“I am!” cried Madam Hare.

“Where’s your present?” Blinky asked.

“Here it is, and a very valuable one too!” Madam Hare replied, as she placed a whisker at his feet.

“Looks as though it’s been used,” muttered Blinky. “Take your dip quickly please.” He had good cause to remember Madam Hare, and thought it best to be polite.

With a bound Madam Hare sprang right on top of the dip. Blinky bit his lip and clenched his paws, he was feeling so savage.

Madam Hare gave a kick with her hind legs and sent dozens of parcels flying out of the dip.

“Hey! Stop that!” cried Blinky angrily. But Madam Hare only gave another kick. Out came more parcels.

“Stop it! Stop it at once!” cried Blinky, and pounced on Madam Hare, biting her ear.

She turned suddenly and sprang out of the bin with two parcels in her mouth.

“Catch her! Catch her!” Blinky called, as he raced away after the thief.

Madam Hare was too quick for him. Away she bounded, over the stalls, knocking things down as she went and not caring a button for the shouts and screams behind her. Into the bush she raced and didn’t stop until she came to her home. There she untied the parcels, and savagely kicked them about when she saw what they contained. One was a bundle of straw and the other the leaf of a stinging-nettle.

“The robbers!” she cried, as she kicked them again and again.

Losing no time, Blinky raced back to the lucky-dip, just in time to find all the customers opening the parcels that Madam Hare had kicked out.

“Put them down! Put them down!” he roared. The customers scampered away, each carrying a prize. As Blinky stood and gazed at the empty lucky-dip, feeling very sorry about it all, and still very angry, his friends the butcher-birds hopped round.

“Was it a success?” they inquired.

Blinky said nothing.

“Where are all the presents?” they asked.

“Go away, or I’ll eat you both,” Blinky growled.

“He’s in a bad temper!” whispered the butcher-birds, and flew off while it was safe.

Curling himself up in a corner Blinky decided to have a sleep, as chasing Madam Hare and fighting Mrs Flying Fox had made him very tired.

Nodding his little head, and curling his toes up he was soon dreaming again of Mrs Koala and Mrs Grunty. He did not wake until daylight, and looking around he was surprised to find all the bush folk had vanished. The presents and goods had all gone too, and only an old owl gazed at him from a nearby tree.

“It’s time you made a start for home,” said the owl.

“I’m not going home,” replied Blinky.

“Wise little bears won’t stay here too long,” said the owl.

“Why?” asked Blinky.

“This is Mr Smifkins’s favourite shooting-place,” replied the old owl. “He has a gun and a big dog, and when they come along and find you here you’ll be rabbit pie in two twos.”

“Where does Mr Smifkins live?” Blinky inquired.

“Down behind the moon! Whoo! Whoo!” answered the owl.

“Whoo! Whoo!” echoed Blinky. “I’m not afraid of Mr Smifkins. I’m going to see where he lives.”

“You’ll be rabbit pie in two twos,” said the old owl.

“Whoo! Whoo!” cried the owl,

“I beg your pardon?” said Blinky.

“Whoo! Whoo!” the old owl called again, his great round eyes gazing at Blinky.

“Will you show me the way to Mr Smifkins’s, please, Mr Owl?” Blinky pleaded.

“Follow me, Whoo! Whoo!” the owl answered and flew away to another tree.

Blinky trotted along, his funny little legs going wobbly, wobbly as he went.

“Little bear,” he cried softly, “it is too light for me to see farther.”

The old owl waited patiently until his little friend was under the tree, then crying “whoo, whoo,” off he flew again to the next tree.

Here he waited for Blinky and flew to the ground to meet him.

“Little bear,” he cried softly, “it is too light for me to see farther, we must sleep now until the sun goes down. I am as blind as a bat in the day time and here is a tree with nice young gum-leaves on it waiting for you to taste.”

“I’m very hungry,” said Blinky. “They never think to have food for bears at bazaars. Only nasty flies and frogs and mosquitoes.”

“Well, come up into the branches and I will show you gum-leaves made specially for young bears,” said the kind old owl.

Blinky climbed up the tree and sat next to his friend chewing young tender leaves until he could eat no more.

“Whoo! Whoo! It’s time to sleep!” said the owl.

“I feel tired, too,” replied Blinky.