I Didn't Know

[deckardcanine]

You may have heard this story: In the 18th century,
James Cook and Joseph Banks became the first White men to see
A macropod and asked a nearby local for its name.
The local answered, “Kangaroo,” which rather is a shame,
Because the phrase meant “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand,”
But Cooks and Banks assumed it was the label in the land.
In element’ry school, I read the legend as a fact.
It turned out just a fib I wished the teller would retract.
We haven’t traced the start; it must have had an early date,
For Walter Roth corrected it in 1898,
But only in the ‘70s did anyone confirm
The Guugu Yimithirr used gangurru, a native term
Specific to the eastern grey variety of roo.
The origin of “Yucatán” has such a legend too.
These myths sure are tenacious, and I think that I know why:
They serve as an analogy that’s useful to apply
To other situations where communication fails.
They’re also kind of funny, but I hope the truth prevails.