ButIfindnone，noranyvestigeofany;andstrangestofall，notracks.Ithastoliveontheground，itcannothelpitself;
therefore，howdoesitgetaboutwithoutleavingatrack？Ihavesetadozentraps，buttheydonogood.Icatchallsmallanimalsexceptthatone;animalsthatmerelygointothetrapoutofcuriosity，Ithink，toseewhatthemilkistherefor.Theyneverdrinkit.
ThreeMonthsLaterThekangaroostillcontinuestogrow，whichisverystrangeandperplexing.Ineverknewonetobesolonggettingitsgrowth.
Ithasfuronitsheadnow;notlikekangaroofur，butexactlylikeourhair，exceptthatitismuchfinerandsofter，andinsteadofbeingblackisred.Iamliketolosemymindoverthecapriciousandharassingdevelopmentsofthisunclassifiablezoologicalfreak.
IfIcouldcatchanotherone——butthatishopeless;itisanewvariety，andtheonlysample;thisisplain.ButIcaughtatruekangarooandbroughtitin，thinkingthatthisone，beinglonesome，wouldratherhavethatforcompanythanhavenokinatall，oranyanimalitcouldfeelanearnesstoorgetsympathyfrominitsforlornconditionhereamongstrangerswhodonotknowitswaysorhabits，orwhattodotomakeitfeelthatitisamongfriends;
butitwasamistake——itwentintosuchfitsatthesightofthekangaroothatIwasconvincedithadneverseenonebefore.I
pitythepoornoisylittleanimal，butthereisnothingIcandotomakeithappy.IfIcouldtameit——butthatisoutofthequestion;themoreItry，theworseIseemtomakeit.Itgrievesmetothehearttoseeitinitslittlestormsofsorrowandpassion.Iwantedtoletitgo，butshewouldn\'thearofit.Thatseemedcruelandnotlikeher;andyetshemayberight.Itmightbelonelierthanever;forsinceIcannotfindanotherone，howcouldit？
FiveMonthsLaterItisnotakangaroo.No，foritsupportsitselfbyholdingtoherfinger，andthusgoesafewstepsonitshindlegs，andthenfallsdown.Itisprobablysomekindofabear;andyetithasnotail——asyet——andnofur，exceptonitshead.Itstillkeepsongrowing——thatisacuriouscircumstance，forbearsgettheirgrowthearlierthanthis.Bearsaredangerous——sinceourcatastrophe——andIshallnotbesatisfiedtohavethisoneprowlingabouttheplacemuchlongerwithoutamuzzleon.Ihaveofferedtogetherakangarooifshewouldletthisonego，butitdidnogood——sheisdeterminedtorunusintoallsortsoffoolishrisks，Ithink.Shewasnotlikethisbeforeshelosthermind.
AFortnightLaterIexamineditsmouth.Thereisnodangeryet;ithasonlyonetooth.Ithasnotailyet.Itmakesmorenoisenowthaniteverdidbefore——andmainlyatnight.Ihavemovedout.ButIshallgoover，mornings，tobreakfast，andtoseeifithasmoreteeth.
Ifitgetsamouthfulofteeth，itwillbetimeforittogo，tailornotail，forabeardoesnotneedatailinordertobedangerous.
FourMonthsLaterIhavebeenoffhuntingandfishingamonth，upintheregionthatshecallsBuffalo;Idon\'tknowwhy，unlessitisbecausetherearenotanybuffaloesthere.Meantimethebearhaslearnedtopaddlearoundallbyitselfonitshindlegs，andsays\"poppa\"
and\"momma.\"Itiscertainlyanewspecies.Thisresemblancetowordsmaybepurelyaccidental，ofcourse，andmayhavenopurposeormeaning;buteveninthatcaseitisstillextraordinary，andisathingwhichnootherbearcando.Thisimitationofspeech，takentogetherwithgeneralabsenceoffurandentireabsenceoftail，sufficientlyindicatesthatthisisanewkindofbear.Thefurtherstudyofitwillbeexceedinglyinteresting.MeantimeI
willgooffonafarexpeditionamongtheforestsoftheNorthandmakeanexhaustivesearch.Theremustcertainlybeanotheronesomewhere，andthisonewillbelessdangerouswhenithascompanyofitsownspecies.Iwillgostraightway;butIwillmuzzlethisonefirst.
ThreeMonthsLaterIthasbeenaweary，wearyhunt，yetIhavehadnosuccess.Inthemeantime，withoutstirringfromthehomeestate，shehascaughtanotherone！Ineversawsuchluck.Imighthavehuntedthesewoodsahundredyears，Inevershouldhaverunacrossthatthing.
NextDayIhavebeencomparingthenewonewiththeoldone，anditisperfectlyplainthattheyarethesamebreed.Iwasgoingtostuffoneofthemformycollection，butsheisprejudicedagainstitforsomereasonorother;soIhaverelinquishedtheidea，thoughIthinkitisamistake.Itwouldbeanirreparablelosstoscienceiftheyshouldgetaway.Theoldoneistamerthanitwas，andcanlaughandtalkliketheparrot，havinglearnedthis，nodoubt，frombeingwiththeparrotsomuch，andhavingtheimitativefacultyinahighlydevelopeddegree.Ishallbeastonishedifitturnsouttobeanewkindofparrot，andyetIoughtnottobeastonished，forithasalreadybeeneverythingelseitcouldthinkof，sincethosefirstdayswhenitwasafish.Thenewoneisasuglynowastheoldonewasatfirst;hasthesamesulphur—and—raw—meatcomplexionandthesamesingularheadwithoutanyfuronit.ShecallsitAbel.
TenYearsLaterTheyareboys;wefounditoutlongago.Itwastheircominginthatsmall，immatureshapethatpuzzledus;wewerenotusedtoit.
Therearesomegirlsnow.Abelisagoodboy，butifCainhadstayedabearitwouldhaveimprovedhim.Afteralltheseyears，IseethatIwasmistakenaboutEveinthebeginning;itisbettertoliveoutsidetheGardenwithherthaninsideitwithouther.
AtfirstIthoughtshetalkedtoomuch;butnowIshouldbesorrytohavethatvoicefallsilentandpassoutofmylife.Blessedbethechestnutthatbroughtusneartogetherandtaughtmetoknowthegoodnessofherheartandthesweetnessofherspirit！