Saltbush Bill's Gamecock
Saltbush Bill's Gamecock by Andrew Barton Paterson is a novel set in the Australian outback during World War I. The story follows the adventures of a gamecock named Saltbush Bill and his friends, including a kangaroo named Kanga and a dingo named Dinky-Bird, as they navigate the challenges of war and friendship. With its blend of humor, adventure, and social commentary, the book has become a classic of Australian literature.
By Andrew Barton Paterson · First published 1909 · Genre: Poetry, Fiction, Bush Ballads · 1,231 words
First lines
'Twas Saltbush Bill, with his travelling sheep, was making his way to town; He crossed them over the Hard Times Run, and he came to the Take 'Em Down; He counted through at the boundary gate, and camped at the drafting yard: For Stingy Smith, of the Hard Times Run, had hunted him rather hard. He bore no malice to Stingy Smith -- 'twas simply the hand of fate That caused his waggon to swerve aside and shatter old Stingy's gate; And, being only the hand of fate, it follows, without a doubt, It wasn't the fault of Saltbush Bill that Stingy's sheep got out. So Saltbush Bill, with an easy heart, prepared for what might befall, Commenced his stages on Take 'Em Down, the station of Rooster Hall.
What this Textopian page supports
Saltbush Bill's Gamecock is listed on Textopian as a poem by Andrew Barton Paterson, dated 1909 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Andrew Barton Paterson
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Bush Ballads, Humor
- Length: 1,231 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Saltbush Bill's Gamecock by Andrew Barton Paterson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Genres
- Poetry — The book is a collection of poems by Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson, a notable Australian bush poet.
- Fiction — Though grounded on the realities of Australian rural and outback life, the narratives of the poems are fictional.
- Bush Ballads — The book features a series of ballads that depict life in the Australian bush, a common theme in Paterson’s works.
- Humor — Paterson’s poems are renowned for their humorous tone and wit, providing light-hearted insight into colonial life in Australia.
Tags
Australian literature · bush poetry · rural life · gamecock · humor · adventure · friendship · competition · folklore · outback · narrative · character study