Fur And Feathers
The emus formed a football
Up Walgett way;
Their dark-brown sweaters were a
But kangaroos would sit and
To watch them play. "Now, butterfingers," they would call,
And such-like names;
The emus couldn't hold the ball- They had no hands - but hands aren't
In football games.
A match against the
They played one day.
The kangaroos were forced to
Some wallabies and
That played in grey.
The rules that in the West
Would shock the town;
For when a kangaroo set
An emu jumped upon his
And fetched him down.
A whistler duck as
Was not admired.
He whistled so
The teams rebelled, and up a
He soon retired.
The old marsupial captain said,"It's do or die!"So down the ground like fire he
And leaped above an emu's
And scored a try.
Then shouting, "Keep it on the toes!"The emus came.
Fierce as the flooded Bogan
They laid their foemen out in
And saved the game.
On native pear and Darling
They dined that night:
But one man was an absentee:
The whistler duck - their referee -Had taken flight.
A B Banjo Paterson
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