Chapter 3: Footprints in the Dirt
Liam peered over the fence. The ground on the other side was soft, red Australian dirt. He spotted what he was looking for right away: a faint line of tiny, three-toed footprints leading away from the fence. They were too small for a cat, and they looked very different from a bird’s track.
“They look like little hands,” Liam murmured.
He climbed carefully over the fence and started to follow the tracks. He knew he had to be quick, or he’d be late for school.
The footprints wound through the tall, spiky kangaroo grass and around a huge, twisting eucalyptus tree, also known as a gum tree. This part of the bush was very quiet, except for the buzzing of flies.
Suddenly, the trail of footprints stopped at a large, shadowy pile of dead bark and fallen leaves. Liam looked around nervously. He felt like he was close, but the tracks were gone. He carefully kicked at the pile of bark.
THUNK!
Underneath the bark, the ground was hollow. Liam knelt down and moved a big piece of gum bark out of the way. He saw a small, dark hole—a tiny tunnel leading into the earth. It was too small for the lunchbox to fit through, but something had definitely been hiding there.
The thief was clever. They had covered their tracks!
Think About It!
- How did Liam describe the tiny footprints?
- What is another name for a eucalyptus tree?
- Why did Liam feel nervous when he found the pile of bark?
Word Power!
- Murmured: Said something in a low or soft voice.
- Kangaroo Grass: A type of native Australian grass that grows tall and green.
- Eucalyptus: A large group of trees native to Australia, famous for their oil and bark. (Also called a gum tree).
- Hollow: Having a hole or empty space inside.
Activity Time!
- If you were going to hide your tracks, what would you use to cover them up? List two things.
- What do you think is hiding in the small, dark tunnel?