Jonathan Meres - Koala Calamity - Surf’s Up!

“The little feller’s right, mate,” said Dude. “You did.”

Bro shot Dude a look. “Whose side are you on?”

“I’m just saying, mate,” said Dude.

“Well, don’t, mate,” said Bro.

“Stop squabbling, you two!” said Squirt. “We’ve got to find her! Now!”

Dude and Bro looked at each other.

“He’s right again, mate,” said Dude.

Bro nodded. “I know he is, mate.”

Dude and Bro turned round again. But Squirt had disappeared down below.

“Let’s go,” said Dude, almost sounding urgent.

Bro sighed deeply. “Coming.”

Squirt was smaller than Dude and Bro. He was also much quicker at climbing down trees. By the time Dude and Bro got to the bottom, Squirt was scampering across the ground just as fast as his little legs could carry him.

“Stop!” yelled Bro.

“Totally!” yelled Dude.

Squirt stopped until Dude and Bro caught up with him.

“Where are you going?” panted Bro.

“To the highest tree!” said Squirt. “That’s where you told Squeak to go, remember!”

“Aw, yeah,” said Bro, remembering.

“You said, ‘Climb to the top of the tallest tree and get a leaf ’,” said Squirt.

“And then?” said Bro.

“‘Bring it back’,” replied Squirt.

“And then?” asked Bro.

“You said you’d think of something else,” said Squirt, beginning to get exasperated.

“I did?” said Bro.

Squirt sighed. “You did!”

“Heh-heh-heh,” chuckled Dude.

“What are you laughing at?” said Bro.

Dude thought for a moment. “I’ve got no idea, mate.”

Squirt looked up. From down on the ground all the trees in The Acacia Koala Sanctuary looked pretty tall to him, but which one was the tallest? It was hard to say. And then he saw it. One tree just a little bit higher than all the rest.

“Look,” said Squirt. “Over there!”

Dude and Bro both looked.

“Do you think that one’s the tallest?” said Squirt.

“Could be,” said Dude.

“Ya reckon?” said Bro.

“Don’t start that again!” said Squirt, scurrying towards the tree to get a better look.

“Does that look like a eucy tree to you, mate?” said Bro, setting off after Squirt again.

“Nah, mate,” said Dude, following. “Wish it was!”

“That makes two of us,” said Bro.

“Two?” said Dude. “Who’s the other one?”

“Me, ya wombat!” said Bro.

“Oh, right, yeah,” said Dude.

By the time Dude and Bro reached the tree, Squirt was already halfway up it.

“Squeak? You up there?” called Squirt. “Squeak?”

But there was no reply. Squirt began to get more and more worried. What could have happened to Squeak? He had to keep climbing. He had to get to the top of the tree as soon as possible!

Squirt climbed and climbed and climbed. Far below, the everyday sounds of the sanctuary faded first to a whisper and then to nothing at all. The only sound to be heard was the sound of Dude and Bro puffing and panting (and grumbling, in Bro’s case) as they followed him up the tree.

Then, all of a sudden, Squirt could climb no further. Not because he’d finally run out of puff, but because he’d finally run out of tree. He’d reached the very top of the very highest tree in The Acacia Koala Sanctuary. The view was quite simply breathtaking. In one direction, Squirt could see the sprawling city. In the other direction, he could see green mountains and a splash of bright blue ocean. But Squirt couldn’t see the one thing that he really wanted to see – his baby sister, Squeak.

“She up here?” puffed Bro as he and Dude eventually appeared at the top of the tree.

“No,” said Squirt.

“Oh,” said Bro.

“Bummer,” said Dude.

There was nothing much else to be said. Well, there was one more thing to be said. It was just a question of who was going to say it first.

Dude, Bro and Squirt looked at each other.

Each knew what the other two were thinking.

“Well?” said Bro.

“Well?” said Dude.

“Well?” said Squirt.

There was a moment’s pause. The wind began to stir the leaves. The branches began to sway ever so slightly. Somewhere even higher above, an aeroplane drew a thick white line across the sky.

“What now?” said Dude, Bro and Squirt together.

re you thinking what I’m thinking, mate?” said Dude.

“I’ve no idea, mate,” said Bro.

“What do you mean?” said Dude.

“How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?” said Bro.

“Uh?” said Dude.

“Think about it,” said Bro.

“Think about what?” said Dude.

“What I just said,” said Bro.

Dude thought about it. Or at least he tried to. “Sorry, mate. Can’t remember.”

“You can’t remember what?” said Bro.

Squirt sighed with exasperation. Here they were, at the very top of the very highest tree in The Acacia Koala Sanctuary – on a mission of the utmost importance – and Dude and Bro were making even less sense than usual. And that was saying something.

“Can I ask a question, please?” said Squirt.

“Go for it,” said Bro.

“Totally, mini-dude,” said Dude.

“What on earth are you two talking about?”

Dude and Bro turned to each other and shrugged. Even they had no idea what they were talking about any more.

“I’m off!” said Squirt, making his way back down the tree again.

“Where to?” said Bro.

“Well, she’s obviously not up here,” said Squirt. “So she must be somewhere else!”

“Who?” said Bro.

“ Who do you think? ” yelled Squirt, disappearing from view. “Squeak!”

“All right, all right,” said Bro, following. “Keep yer fur on!”

Dude thought about chuckling, but decided not to. It was probably best just to concentrate on climbing back down the tree. They were so high up, one false move could spell disaster. Not that Dude actually knew how to spell disaster, or any other word for that matter.

“Which way now?” said Squirt to himself, when he eventually reached the ground again.

“Which way to where?” said a familiar voice.

Squirt looked around, but couldn’t see where the voice was coming from.

“Wah, ha ha ha ha!” screeched the voice. “Up here!”

Squirt looked up to see Kylie the kookaburra sitting on the branch of a neighbouring tree.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said.

“Are you sure?” said Kylie.

“Am I sure what?” said Squirt.

“Are you sure it’s me?” said Kylie, before bursting out laughing like it was the best joke ever.

But Squirt was in no mood for jokes. He only had one thing on his mind. To find his baby sister as soon as possible, before she came to any harm. And – before his mum and dad came back and he, Dude and Bro got into big, big trouble!

“Have you seen my sister?” asked Squirt.

“Who?” said Kylie.

“Squeak!” said Squirt.