A bushman recounts a tale about a farmer named Martin who faces a series of agricultural disasters due to pests. Initially, his potato crops are devastated by Grimble Grubs. In an attempt to combat this, Martin imports Wuzzle Swooks, beetles that consume the grubs. However, the Wuzzle Swooks then turn to his turnips, leading to further crop loss. Desperate, Martin learns about Guffer Birds, which prey on Wuzzle Swooks, and imports them. This initially seems successful until the Guffer Birds consume all the Wuzzle Swooks and then begin to strip Martin's apple trees. Frustrated, Martin discovers the Warty Swunk, a creature that eats Guffer Birds, and imports them as well. The Warty Swunks soon devour the Guffer Birds and start attacking Martin's chickens. In a final act of desperation, Martin imports Boggle Dogs, known for hunting Warty Swunks. However, the Boggle Dogs turn their attention to Martin's sheep. Ultimately, in a misguided attempt to control the situation, Martin imports a Gnad, a creature that preys on Boggle Dogs. The Gnad, however, does not target the Boggle Dogs and instead focuses on Martin himself. The story concludes with Martin being chased by the Gnad, leaving behind only his boots and gaiters, illustrating the folly of trying to control nature through the introduction of foreign species. The bushman finishes the tale with a sense of loss for Martin, who succumbed to the chaos of his own making.
By C.J. Dennis · First published 1925 · Genre: Poetry, Humor, Fantasy