They set off at once, and, after a brisk walk, came to a small house with a signboard on it saying, 'Henderson Hedgehog, Horticulturist'. Henderson himself was in the garden, horticulturing a cabbage, and they asked him if he had chanced to see a singed possum that morning. 'What's that? What, what?' said Henderson Hedgehog, and when they had repeated the question, he said, 'You must speak up, I'm a trifle deaf.' 'Have you seen a singed possum?' shouted Bill. 'I can't hear you,' said Henderson. 'Have you seen a SINGED POSSUM?' roared Bill. 'To be sure,' said Henderson, 'but the turnips are backward.' 'Turnips be stewed,' yelled Bill in such a tremendous voice that he blew his own hat off. 'HAVE YOU SEEN A SINGED POSSUM?' 'Good season for wattle blossom,' said Henderson. 'Well, yes, but a very poor season for carrots.' 'A man might as well talk to a carrot as try an' get sense out of this runt of a feller,' said Bill, disgusted. 'Come an' see if we can't find someone that it won't bust a man's vocal cords gettin' information out of.' They left Henderson to his horticulturing and walked on till they met a Parrot who was a Swagman, or a Swagman who was a Parrot. He must have been one or the other, if not both, for he had a bag and a swag, and a beak, and a billy, and a thundering bad temper into the bargain, for the moment Bill asked him if he had met a singed possum he shouted back-- 'Me eat a singed possum! I wouldn't eat a possum if he was singed, roasted, boiled, or fried.' [Illustration] [Illustration] 'Not ett--met,' shouted Bill. 'I said, met a singed possum.' 'Why can't yer speak plainly, then,' said the Parrot. 'Have you got a fill of tobacco on yer?' He took out his pipe and scowled at Bill. 'Here you are,' said Bill. 'Cut a fill an' answer the question.' 'All in good time,' said the Parrot, and he added to Sam, 'You got any tobacco?' Sam handed him a fill, and he put it in his pocket. 'You ain't got any tobacco,' he said scornfully to Bunyip Bluegum. 'I can see that at a glance. You're one of the non-smoking sort, all fur and feathers.' 'Here,' said Bill angrily. 'Enough o' this beatin' about the bush. Answer the question.' 'Don't be impatient,' said the Parrot. 'Have you got a bit o' tea an' sugar on yer?' 'Here's yer tea an' sugar,' said Bill, handing a little of each out of the bag. 'And that's the last thing you get. Now will you answer the question?' 'Wot question?' asked the Parrot. 'Have yer seen a singed possum?' roared Bill. 'No, I haven't,' said the Parrot, and he actually had the insolence to laugh in Bill's face.