Mulga Bill's Bicycle by PB Paterson illustrated by Kilmeny and Deborah Niland

Last week I shared some Australian books that teachers or Teacher-Librarian could display or read to groups for Australia Day. Our schools here in Australia are always on their summer holidays when this public holiday is celebrated but you could still share the books I mentioned during the first few weeks of the term especially when new classes have not yet been formed. My previous school waited through the first week before forming their classes and this was always a difficult period for the students, keen to meet their new teacher, and the staff who would much prefer to meet their new class having already said goodbye to their previous students at the end of last year.

I realised when I posted about some terrific picture books with an Australian flavour that I had not talked about Mulga Bill's Bicycle here on this blog. I have read this version to many students in Grade 4 - it is good to share poetry by one of our very famous bush poets but as a bonus the story of this poem is so funny. The first steps though need to be an unpackaging of some of the words and phrases. I have added bold to the text of the poem below.

Here are some teaching ideas. I would share the poem, then the book and then you could perhaps use this video (it is not perfect but it is the best one I found).

Banjo Paterson wrote the poem in 1896, a time when cycling was a relatively new and popular activity. It tells the story of Mulga Bill who thinks he will have no problem riding his velocipede, you know, one of those bicycles that has a huge wheel in the front and a teensy weensy one at the back. After a hair-raising ride he crash lands in Dead Man’s Creek and decides that the bicycle “ it’s safe at rest in Dead Man’s Creek – we’ll leave it lying still; A horse’s back is good enough henceforth for Mulga Bill’. Storylinks

Publisher blurb: Mulga Bill's Bicycle was written by Banjo Paterson in 1896. It was written at a time when cycling was a relatively new and popular social activity. Cycles were ridden everywhere, including in the outback by shearers and other workers who needed to travel cheaply. Mulga Bill's Bicycle tells the hilarious story of Mulga Bill, who thinks he's much better at cycling than he turns out to be. A resounding crash sends him back to his original mode of transport - his trusty horse. Kilmeny and Deborah Niland's delightful illustrations catch the mood and humour of Paterson's verse with great spirit, and this book has become an enduring classic.

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;

He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;

He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;

He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;

And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,

The grinning shop assistant said, "Excuse me, can you ride?"

"See here, young man," said Mulga Bill, "from Walgett to the sea,

From Conroy's Gap to Castlereagh, there's none can ride like me.

I'm good all round at everything, as everybody knows,

Although I'm not the one to talk; I hate a man that blows.

But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight;

Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a wildcat can it fight.

There's nothing clothed in hair or hide, or built of flesh or steel,

There's nothing walks or jumps, or runs, on axle, hoof, or wheel,

But what I'll sit, while hide will hold and girths and straps are tight:

I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern right straight away at sight."

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that sought his own abode,

That perched above the Dead Man's Creek, beside the mountain road.

He turned the cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray,

But ere he'd gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away.

It left the track, and through the trees, just like a silver streak,

It whistled down the awful slope towards the Dead Man's Creek.

It shaved a stump by half an inch, it dodged a big white-box:

The very wallaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks,

The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper underground,

As Mulga Bill, as white as chalk, sat tight to every bound.

It struck a stone and gave a spring that cleared a fallen tree,

It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be;

And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek

It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dead Man's Creek.

'Twas Mulga Bill from Eaglehawk, that slowly swam ashore:

He said, "I've had some narrer shaves and lively rides before;

I've rode a wild bull round a yard to win a five-pound bet,

But this was the most awful ride that I've encountered yet.

I'll give that two-wheeled outlaw best; It's shaken all my nerve

To feel it whistle through the air and plunge and buck and swerve.

It's safe at rest in Dead Man's Creek, we'll leave it lying still;

A horse's back is good enough henceforth for Mulga Bill."

Image source Bike Ability UK

Happy 40th Birthday to The Hippo on the Roof!

Every, every, every year this is the FIRST book I read to new Kindergarten children as a part of their first visit to our school library.  I read it because it will be a familiar text, because it allows for fun and participation, because young children love the word hippopotamus (I do too) and because I own a really cute little hippo. He lives in my library bag and if the children are very calm and settled he might come out to meet them!

Our roof leaks. 
Drip! 
Drip! 
Drip!

What a perfect first page. The roof is leaking. Why? Turn the page to discover the answer. Dad says there is a hole in the roof but surely that cannot be the truth. Our little narrator knows so much more than her dad. The hole is connected with the hippopotamus who is on the roof right now and yes, he is eating a delicious slice of cake. I think it might be a cream sponge with jam.

This hippo is a wild and carefree character. He can do so many of the things that our little narrator longs to do but is perhaps not allowed to do. He takes showers not baths. Our narrator would love to do this. She does not look happy in her bath. When I read this book I like to sing with the hippo "I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling I'm happy again."

We know the hippo eats cake but what about the humans in the house. Poor mum is on a diet and has to eat bland things like lettuce, tomato and cheese. Her brother eats peanut butter sandwiches which is an interesting idea in this age of anaphylaxis and Epipens. And our narrator eats delicious honey sandwiches.  I love the build up of food here from lettuce etc. to peanut butter to honey and then cake!  "The hippopotamus on our roof eats cake all the time."

Now we need to think about this cake. It has been mentioned three times. Is it a birthday cake? The children can chorus NO. Is it a chocolate cake? By now the children are in on this game and loudly chorus NO again. Is it special cake? Well of course it is special - after all it is being eating by a large pink hippo on a suburban roof and what could ever top special cake.

So we have had a laugh or two now it is time for a little emotion. Our narrator has had a fall. She is a fabulous drama queen. Her cut knee has produced a "lot of blood" and lead to a hospital visit where "the doctor put three stitches in my knee."  Our narrator needs a sympathetic friend. Luckily her hippo understands her pain because he also has a sore knee.

Moving on from pain and sadness the next emotion is indignation. Every child relates to this. Our narrator is not allowed to watch television. "After dinner and a story I have to go to bed." That lucky hippo can watch his television for as long as he likes.

One more emotion. Getting into trouble with your parents. Our little narrator has drawn on a book that belongs to dad. This page is fun because the words have been changed. The original editions say "I drew on Daddy's best book. Daddy gave me a smack."  This is now considered child abuse!  Hazel Edwards was asked by her publisher to change these words in later editions to say "Daddy growled at me." When I read this book aloud I do not change the words. I do not think this little smack is something adults need to stress over but I guess opinions on this will vary.

Next - every story needs a gasp moment. 

"He wasn't there last night."

Where could a roof hippo go?  To the zoo of course. I love his job. He watches people. Of course when he is not working he comes back to the roof where he has the great freedom to ride his bike - anywhere. "Mummy won't let me ride on the road. There are cars on the road. There are no cars on the roof. He can ride anywhere." You can just hear the absolute injustice of this in our narrator's voice.

Now it is time to go full circle. The issue of the leaking roof needs to be resolved. Dad has bought in some men to make the repairs with their three hammer bangs we hear an echo of those three earlier drips. Luckily the men don't see the hippo because he climbs down their ladder while "the men had their lunch".

"But he'll be back tonight.
Then I can say -
There's a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake."

Looking at the pages side by side is interesting. Family life is presented on a stark white background with no extra details or background. The facing pages are filled with the hippo on his pink shingled roof eating cake and having fun.  He is even smiling when he shows off the bandage on his knee. You might also think about the title - it is "our" roof. This is an inclusive word. There could be a hippo on your roof too or perhaps a lion or a monkey or even an alligator.

In 2012 I talked about There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake. This book has long been a favourite of mine and I am happy to see it is still in print. In 2020 this delightful and imaginative story is turning 40. There are now seven books about this wonderful character. Here is an interview with Hazel Edwards where she explains her processes, inspiration and thoughts about changing the words.

I was interested to discover Hazel has written her memoir with the delightful title - Not just a piece of cake.

Why does a book appeal to an adult? It is a mystery.  And what about the way books appeal to children.  This is also a mysterious and almost magical process. I imagine someone has written a PhD thesis about this concept. I think of the appeal of books like the Spot series, Where is the Green sheep and today - There's a Hippopotamus on our roof eating cake.

Happy Birthday Hippo - now I will head off to eat some cake!