All the koala-roos hopped high and hung from tree branches for sport. They played games. They had contests. All except Cally. Cally sat sadly and watched. He wished he could hop high enough to be able to hang from the highest branches. But poor Cally wouldn't even try. He was sure he wouldn't make it. At first his friends tried to convince him to do it. "Cally, come on. You can do it!" they yelled.
Then they teased him. "Cally, you're a "fraidy cat." Pretty soon Cally was so convinced that he couldn't do it that he couldn't even try. He thought that if he missed, the other koala-roos would laugh at him.
Days passed, and Cally was missing all the fun with the other koala-roo kids. They hopped and hung from tree branches and paid no attention to Cally.
Cally did try a few times to hop, but he missed even the lowest branch. So he gave up and just sat and watched the others.
One day Cally was sitting on a large rock wishing he could be like his friends. His Aunt Kanga-Lou came hopping by on her way to pick berries. She stopped to talk with Cally.
"Why do you look so sad?" she asked. "Gosh, Auntie Kanga-Lou," said Cally, "I want so much to hop and hang like the other kids. I've tried, and I can't do it. Won't you please help me? Show me how! I want to do it, too."
"I'm so proud of you. Cally," she said, "because you asked for help. That's the first step. It shows you want to learn." Auntie Kanga-Lou gave Cally a big smile. "Come with me," she said, "and we'll go to a quiet part of the forest and practice each day."
Cally went with his aunt every day to a quiet part of the forest. First he learned to hop low jumps. He practiced that many times. Then he practiced higher jumps.
He also practiced exercises that gave his tail strength. He gripped onto tree trunks harder and tighter. After many days, Cally told his Aunt Kanga-Lou. "I want to try to hop and hang from a low branch. I think I can do it now."
Cally took barely missed the tree. He tried again. This time he took a great running leap.
His tail wrapped around the branch, and he hung on. He did it! Cally beamed with joy. "I can do it, Auntie Kanga-Lou, I can do it!" he cried.
Cally practiced several more days with his aunt until he could hang on every time. One day Cally saw the koala-roo kids out hopping and hanging onto trees. He joined right in, hopping and hanging along with them. They were so surprised and so happy for him! They all thumped their tails with glee and yelled, "You can do it!"
When they asked Cally how he had learned to hop and jump so well, he told them about his hard work and practicing. Then he said. "I can do it if I try, and try, and try some more." They were so proud of him that they called him Koala-Roo Can-Do from that day on.