|
The Kangaroo Thief
|
 |
|
An urban legend
|
(A version of this urban legend appears as part of the plot of "Kangaroo Jack," a Warner Brothers film scheduled for U.S. release in January 2003.)
As told by 'PrettyBeef,' 20 July 2000:
My friend told me this story, and although it's not easy to swallow,
it's funny to imagine. I called a friend the next day and started
telling
them the same story; they finished it for
me.
The guy who told me the story believes the guys who told him about the
events...
These two guys my friend knows work for Chase Bank. Every year they
go to
Australia for a big, bank-sponsored golf tournament. This past year,
these
guys and their team won the entire tournament and went on to drink lots
of
beers and celebrate while wearing their newly-won green tournament
jackets.
After drinking up a storm, they plopped into their rented car and were
driving on deserted roads nearby when they accidentally hit a large
kangaroo.
Getting out of the car, they realized that the kangaroo had died in the
accident.
Roo'd Awakening
In one variant of this cautionary tale the revived creature makes off with an expensive Gucci jacket; in other versions the jacket also happens to contain its owner's wallet and passport.
Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand notes that there are also American versions of the story, one he calls 'The Deer Departed' and another dubbed 'The Bear Kidnapper,' in which a family vacationing in Yellowstone Park encounters a seemingly docile bear by the side of the road. Excited by the photo opportunity, the parents place their baby on the bear's back. As they fiddle with the camera, the bear gets up and ambles into the forest... along with the baby.
Further reading:
J.H. Brunvand, 'The Mexican Pet' (W.W. Norton, 1986)
|
|
Being so drunk, though, they propped up the kangaroo, its lifeless head
bouncing from one side to the other, dressed it in one of their new green
jackets, and took pictures of themselves with their arms around it.
After a few minutes of picture-taking, the guys were shocked
when
it seemed that the kangaroo came back to life! It turns out that the
poor
kangaroo wasn't dead, but it had passed out, and when it came back to
consciousness started to box with the drunken guys! It actually broke
one
guy's jaw!! It then hopped away into the landscape.
The men couldn't drive their rented car, as the keys were in the
green
jacket, which was still on the kangaroo, so they had to walk back to the
tournament. A little while later, a pack of kangaroos was seen in the distance,
one
of them wearing the green jacket.
Previous Legends of the Week:
Skinned Tom
Ghastly specter of a man skinned alive still haunts Lovers' Lane
The Heavenly Bodyguards
Testament to the power of prayer and the brawn of angels
The Bridegroom's Revenge
The groom makes a shocking announcement during a wedding ceremony
The Barrel of Bricks
Stupid bricklayer tricks
Have you heard an outlandish story you'd like to share in your own words? Just click here to contribute a Legend of the Week (or compose it in an email with "Legend" in the subject line). All submissions are welcome!
