The Grumpy Koala

Translator: Meldanur Bilir (11 years old) Author: Rabia Meryem Yılmaz (11 years old)

İllustrator: Nur Mehlika İnan (10 years old)

Hello, I'm Ersan. I'm a natural scientist, and today I'm going to talk to you about koalas. First of all, koalas are incredibly lazy animals.

– What are you talking about? You're misleading people. We don’t sleep too much, we’re just meeting our daily rest needs. Just a mere 20 hours a day, don’t exaggerate.

Ugh, stop interrupting me. I'm the author of this text, and I’m the one sharing the facts, so you just go back to sleep. Koalas—

– Hey, I woke up just now!

Then behave yourself. Now, where was I? Oh, right. Koalas feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and can eat up to one kilogram a day. They weigh between 4 and 15 kilograms. Don't they eat a lot?

– Excuse me, but are you trying to shame me or something? Also, eating a lot isn't my fault—it's what my stomach wants. You can’t blame me for that.

I’m not replying to you anymore, I’m moving on. Koalas have fingerprints just like humans. Their fur ranges between gray and brown.

– Ha! You all go and buy coats for who knows how much money, but we’ve had our amazing fur since birth. Jealous , Jealooous!

-I’ve had enough of this koala, will you just be quiet?! You've been jabbering in my ear for ages! Yap yap yap...

– Oh, really? So now you look me in the eye and call me a chatterbox? Fine, then take this! Hiyyaaah!!!

-Nooo! You spilled water all over my research paper! I spent days—weeks—working on that… Why would you do this? Why?!

– Oh, and you’re seriously asking why? If you hadn’t treated me like I was some motor-mouthed maniac, I wouldn’t have done it. Honestly, you deserved worse. I should’ve done something even more annoying.

-I can’t take this anymore, I’m ending this talk. We’re both on edge, and I’d rather not cause a real scene.

– Wow, the first sensible thing you’ve said in half an hour. I agree, let’s avoid drama. You’d better not get on my nerves again, though, because while we koalas don’t prefer it, we can run over 20 miles per hour when necessary. Plus, we’ve got sharp teeth and claws, you know.

-Uh… right. Best I leave before this “sweet” koala breathes fire on me…

– Ah, finally, he's gone! Don’t let what I just said scare you—we're actually peaceful and calm animals. We only use our secret weapons for protection. Maybe I acted a bit grumpy and annoying today, but that’s only because I couldn’t stand that arrogant scientist. Anyway, see you next time! Oh, and if you’re ever looking for me, you’ll find me in the eucalyptus forests of southeastern Australia.