Chapter 4: The Cheeky Culprit
Liam took a deep breath. He looked up, tracing the trunk of the massive gum tree. That’s when he saw it.
Resting on a thick, low branch, about as high as his head, was his bright blue koala lunchbox!
“There you are!” he shouted, feeling a rush of relief.
But the lunchbox wasn’t closed. The lid was open and tipped to the side. The apple was gone. The sultanas were scattered on the branch like tiny brown beads. And the Vegemite sandwich? Just a few crusts remained.
As Liam reached up to grab the box, a small, furry, grey face poked out from behind the branch. It had enormous, dark, shiny eyes and little pink hands that were gripping the last piece of sandwich crust. It looked fluffy and a little bit guilty.
It was a common brushtail possum!
The possum chattered a little chiff-chiff-chiff noise, quickly stuffed the last crust into its mouth, and then scampered up the tree faster than Liam could blink. It was the cheeky thief!
Liam looked at the empty lunchbox. The possum had probably been hiding in the bottlebrush tree when he packed his lunch. It must have sneaked down, dragged the box over the fence, and climbed the tree for a quiet breakfast. The pink feather he found? Possums sometimes have pink skin and can lose a bit of their undercoat fur!
The mystery of the missing lunchbox was finally solved. He hadn’t been robbed by a clever spy; he had been robbed by a very hungry, very bushy-tailed possum!
Think About It!
- What did Liam feel when he finally saw his lunchbox?
- Which items in the lunchbox did the possum eat?
- What is a “brushtail possum?”
Word Power!
- Relief: A feeling of comfort when something difficult or unpleasant has ended.
- Poked out: Quickly pushed or jutted out from behind something.
- Scampered: Ran with quick light steps, especially through fear or excitement.
- Culprit: A person or animal responsible for an offence or problem (in this case, the theft).
Activity Time!
- Possums are nocturnal (active at night). Why do you think this one was awake during the day?
- Write two sentences describing the possum’s face and eyes.