The poem is about two friends, a Duck and a Kangaroo, who want to go on a long journey together. The Kangaroo can travel easily, but he is worried about the Duck’s wet feet.
“Said the Duck to the Kangaroo,”
→ The Duck starts talking to the Kangaroo.
“Good gracious! how you hop!”
→ The Duck is surprised and impressed by how well the Kangaroo hops.
“Over the fields and the water too,”
→ The Kangaroo can move easily over land and water.
“As if you never would stop!”
→ He seems tireless and never gets tired.
“My life is a bore in this nasty pond,”
→ The Duck is bored of living in the dirty pond.
“And I long to go out in the world beyond!”
→ She wants to see places outside the pond.
“I wish I could hop like you!”
→ The Duck wishes she could travel like the Kangaroo.
“Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.”
→ Repeats that the Duck is speaking.
“Please give me a ride on your back!”
→ The Duck politely asks the Kangaroo to carry her.
“Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.”
→ Again shows who is speaking.
“I would sit quite still, and say nothing but ‘Quack,’”
→ She promises to behave quietly.
“The whole of the long day through!”
→ She will stay calm for the entire journey.
“And we'd go to the Dee, and the Jelly Bo Lee,”
→ They would travel to far-away places.
“Over the land, and over the sea;”
→ They would travel everywhere.
“Please take me on a ride! O do!”
→ She begs him again.
“Said the Duck to the Kangaroo.”
→ Repetition for rhythm.
“Said the Kangaroo to the Duck,”
→ Now the Kangaroo replies.
“This requires a little reflection;”
→ He wants to think about it carefully.
“Perhaps on the whole it might bring me luck,”
→ He thinks the trip could be good.
“And there seems but one objection,”
→ There is only one problem.
“Which is, if you'll let me speak so bold,”
→ He asks permission to speak honestly.
“Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold,”
→ The Duck’s feet are wet and cold.
“And would probably give me the roo-”
→ He is worried they may harm him.
“Matiz!’ said the Kangaroo.”
→ He fears he might get rheumatism (joint pain).
“Said the Duck, ‘As I sat on the rocks,”
→ The Duck explains her plan.
“I have thought over that completely,”
→ She has already thought about the problem.
“And I bought four pairs of worsted socks”
→ She bought warm woollen socks.
“Which fit my web-feet neatly.”
→ The socks fit her feet perfectly.
“And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak,”
→ She also bought a coat.
“And every day a cigar I’ll smoke,”
→ She will smoke to stay warm.
“All to follow my own dear true”
→ All this is for her love.
“Love of a Kangaroo!”
→ She truly loves and admires the Kangaroo.
“Said the Kangaroo, ‘I’m ready!”
→ The Kangaroo agrees.
“All in the moonlight pale,”
→ They start their journey at night.
“But to balance me well, dear Duck, sit steady!”
→ He asks her to sit carefully.
“And quite at the end of my tail!’”
→ She must sit on his tail.
“So away they went with a hop and a bound,”
→ They begin their journey happily.
“And they hopped the whole world three times round;”
→ They travel all over the world.
“And who so happy, – O who,”
→ The poet asks who could be happier.
“As the Duck and the Kangaroo?”
→ No one is happier than them.
The poem shows friendship, adjustment, love, and joy in sharing adventures.
The poem is about a Duck who is bored with her life in a pond and wants to see the world. She admires the Kangaroo, who can hop easily over land and water, and asks him to give her a ride on his back.
The Kangaroo agrees but is worried that the Duck’s wet and cold feet might make him ill. The Duck solves this problem by wearing warm socks, a cloak, and promising to keep herself warm.
Satisfied, the Kangaroo agrees, and they set off together on a joyful journey. They travel all over the world and are very happy. The poem shows friendship, cooperation, and how caring for each other makes adventures enjoyable.
Worsted socks – woollen socks, made of warm yarn.
Look at the words at the end of the lines. Five pairs of rhyming words:
pond – beyond
hop – stop
through – too
cold – sold
tail – pale
(Read each pair aloud – you will hear the rhyming sound.)
Duck: Dear Kangaroo! Why don’t you take me on a ride?
Kangaroo: With pleasure, my dear Duck, though I have one small worry.
Duck: That won’t be a problem. I will wear socks and a cloak to keep my feet warm.
Rheumatism is the word in stanza 3.
It is split into “roo-Matiz” in the poem for rhythm and rhyme.
The second part begins with a capital letter to show it is a new part of the word in the rhyme.
This is called a poetic split, often done to make the poem sound funny or fit the meter.
Some funny or laugh-worthy lines:
“Your feet are unpleasantly wet and cold, And would probably give me the roo-Matiz!”
“And every day a cigar I’ll smoke, All to follow my own dear true Love of a Kangaroo!”
The idea of a Duck wearing socks and smoking a cigar is very funny!
The poem describes trees waking up after a snowfall.
The trees seem surprised and shake off the snow.
It gives a funny, lively image, as if the trees are surprised humans.