THE GOOKIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 508, 10 November 1928, Page 29

THE GOOKIN

The Gookin is a distant relation of

the Stumple. that dark and dreary beast that used to stump through the jungle and frighten all the peaceful creatures, but, as the last of the Stumples died many years ago. it is really with the Gookin that this tale is concerned. (This is a nonsense story and, if you are very seriousminded, it would not. of course. be wise to read any further.) Well, the Gookin had a favourite word in his very limited vocabulary. .He had picked it up from a hunter who was passing through the jungle, and the word was “Preposterous.” He was looked on as the oracle of the jungle folk, but his annoying habit of rolling this long word over his tongue soon made him very unpopular. For instance, if you said “Do you think it looks like rain?” he would answer “Preposterous,” even though the first drops were beginning to fall. Or if you said to him, “A cow has four legs, a head at one end and a tail at the other,” he would merely blink and repeat that foolish exclamation. Well, at last the jungle creatures grew so impatient with him that they held a meeing to see what could be done. All night they sat in council, and by dawn they had formed a plan. It was arranged that all the lions should visit the Gookin. and, if he answered ‘ Preposterous,” to what tin had to say, the jungle would echo t<> his voice no more. Now, when the deputation arrived, the Gookin was sitting in fronj. of his cave, sunning himself, and his spectacles were on his nose, just as if he knew that something was expected of him. The lions arranged themselves in a semi-circle about him and, at a given signal from their leader, said sternly, “We have come to rid the jungle of your preposterous presence.” Then they all sat back on their haunches, awaiting his answer. The Gookin blinked three times, thought hard for four minutes, set his spectacles more firmly on his nose and. at the end of five minutes, made this startling announcement. “I am deeply grieved to hear that, for, in many ways,, I can be of much use to you.” Those were all the words in his vocabulary but the lions did not know that. Roaring with surprise and delight, they immediately acknowledged him as their king. “The Gookin is the greatest oracle we have ever had,” they cried. And perhaps, after all, he was. —W.S.T.