Captain Kangaroo and The Panda
Captain Kangaroo sang happily to himself as he puttered around the Treasure House.
He wound the old grandfather clock, and dusted around with his big feather duster.
Then he went to the window.
“For goodness sake,” he cried in amazement.
Coming up the path to the Treasure House was his friend, Mr. Green Jeans. And tumbling along his side was the cutest animal that Captain Kangaroo had ever seen!
“Hello, Captain,” said Mr. Green Jeans. “This is Piff, a baby panda. And he’s coming to stay at the Treasure House.”
Sure enough, there was a note on Piff’s collar. It said:
Dear Captain Kangaroo,
Please look after this baby panda.
I found him in my saddle bag after I left the Land Where Pandas Live.
His name is Piff, and he eats bamboo shoots.
Thank you.
Great Hunter
“Bamboo shoots,” muttered Captain Kangaroo. And he felt in all his pockets.
He found a carrot, which he gave to the bunny rabbit.
And he found a lump of sugar for the lamb. But no bamboo shoots.
“Guess I’ll have to try the grocer’s shop,” he said.
And off they went.
“Bamboo shoots ?” said Mr. Grocerman, scratching his head. “No, I don’t have any. Try Miss Ruth,” he suggested.
Over to Miss Ruth’s pet shop went Captain Kangaroo, Piff romping along beside him on fat little legs.
“Why, no I don’t have any bamboo shoots,” said Miss Ruth. “Try the zoo!”
At the zoo they saw lions and tigers, elephants and monkey and seals.
The Zoo Man was feeding meat to the lions.
“Hello Mr. Zoo Man,” said Captain Kangaroo. “Do you have any bamboo shoots for my hungry little panda ?”
The Zoo Man had bananas for the monkeys.
He had fish for the seals, and he had peanuts for the elephants.
But no bamboo shoots.
“I think you’ll have to go to the Land Where Pandas Live for bamboo shoots,” said the Zoo Man.
“Well, that’s just what we’ll have to do,” said Captain Kangaroo.
He took the baby panda to the airport. There he bought two tickets for the airplane. It was just leaving for the Land Where Pandas Live.
Up, up they flew, over mountains and seas, over towns and villages and rivers.
At last the sun set, and Captain Kangaroo and Piff settled down to sleep.
When morning came the plane landed. Captain Kangaroo took a guide book from one of his big pockets. He looked at it.
“Come along Piff,” he said. “Now we have to get on that train.”
And they climbed aboard a small red train just as it was ready to leave.
At last the train chug-chugged to a stop.
“Every body out!” called the conductor. And they climbed out of the train onto a tiny station platform.
They were at the foot of a great tall mountain, and Captain Kangaroo knew that at the top of that mountain was the Land Where Pandas Live.
Captain Kangaroo saw a path leading up the mountain side. He hired a donkey, and they started to climb.
“Oh my, what an adventure this is,” he said.
Great blue and yellow butterflies fluttered among the trees, and a bright blue parakeet came and sat on Piff’s shoulder.
Soon they came to a rushing mountain stream, and the donkey waded across.
Captain Kangaroo looked down and saw a family of fishes clinging to the rocks. They were having a rest from swimming.
Piff began to wriggle with excitement.
On the banks of the stream tall plants were growing. They had leafy tops and thin woods stems.
“Bamboo plants!” cried Captain Kangaroo. And he broke off some shoots for Piff.
There were lots of small animals sitting among the bamboos. A mole peeped out of his hole.
And from behind a mossy rock peered two black and white heads with bright, shiny eyes.
“Why look, Piff” cried Captain Kangaroo.
Piff could hardly believe his eyes. For the two pandas were his very own mother and daddy! They hugged and kissed and chattered and danced for joy.
And from among the bamboos appeared other panda families.
The pandas clapped their paws and rolled on their backs and turned somersaults for joy.
“My, what a party there’s going to be in Panda Land tonight!” thought Captain Kangaroo.
He crept quietly back to his waiting donkey.
All the pandas waved goodbye, and Piff rant to give him a hug, bamboo shoots in bot paws.
Back over the stream and down the mountain went Captain Kangaroo. On his way he saw a shaggy moon bear, and a fat furry marmot.
He saw a snub-nosed leaf monkey, holding her baby tightly in her arms.
And he saw big wolly hares.
Then puff puff came the little red train, and took Captain Kangaroo to the airport.
Up, up soared the airplane, taking Captain Kangaroo far away from the land of pandas and bamboo shoots, moon bears and leaf monkeys and great big butterflies.
“My, it’s nice to be back,” said Captain Kangaroo as the plane landed in his own little town.
“Welcome home,” said Mr. Green Jeans, who was waiting at the Treasure House.
“Hello, Mr. Green Jeans! Hello! Lamb! Bunny Rabbit!” said Captain Kangaroo, as they greeted him.
“Well, I guess you looked after baby panda all right!” said Mr. Green Jeans, when Captain Kangaroo told him how Piff had found his mother and daddy.
Captain Kangaroo sat down in his rocking chair.
“My, that panda will have a lot to tell his pals!” he thought.
“I guess he’ll tell about the Treasure House, and told grandfather clock, and the Bunny Rabbit, and the lamb and yes about Captain Kangaroo’s big pockets!”
And Captain Kangaroo chuckled as he settled down for his nap.
