Mother used to ask them if they had met Dad?
None ever did until an old grey man came along and said he knew Dad well--he had camped with him one night and shared a damper.

Mother was very pleased and brought him in.

We had a kangaroo-rat (stewed) for dinner that day.
The girls did n't want to lay it on the table at first, but Mother said he would n't know what it was.

The traveller was very hungry and liked it, and when passing his plate the second time for more, said it was n't often he got any poultry.
He tramped on again, and the girls were very glad he did n't know it was a rat.

But Dave was n't so sure that he did n't know a rat from a rooster, and reckoned he had n't met Dad at all.
The seventh week Dad came back.