Caveat Auditorius

1

Smokey the Bear was rejuvenated! Life had challenge again.2

His recent success in the Anti-Florist Fliers Campaign, coupled with his lifetime accomplishments in the “Only You can Prevent Forest Fires” Campaign, had taught him several valuable lessons. 3

Firstly, he’d learned that being a “Consultant” paid a great deal better than being a government employee, because “Out Sourcing” had been invented by about-to-retire senior bureaucrats to provide themselves with future income. 4

Secondly, he’d learned that his particular talent as a spokesperson had a wide variety of applications, and that the halo-effect of his many decades of public exposure actually made him a hot property; especially with regard to conservation issues. Smokey therefore took his fees from the FAA contract, and hired himself an agent; Will E. Fox. Mr. Fox set out to make Smokey a household name again. 5

The first speaking engagement he was able to arrange was set in Australia. The AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE of HERPETOLOGISTS was going to hold its triennial national conference; but their keynote speaker was suddenly unavailable. Smokey was invited to fill the vacancy. Smokey couldn’t have been happier.6

The trip would allow him to have a little paid holiday, and enable him to visit his marsupial cousins, the Koala Bears at Taronga Park Zoo. What he didn’t look forward to was the very long flight across the Pacific; especially when he would be caged in the cargo hold of a jumbo jet. But the opportunity to speak to an august body of scientists about conservation issues was worth the inconvenience. As he was packing for the trip ‘down-under’, his old friend Sammy Squirrel dropped by to see how Smokey’s retirement was coming along.7

“Hey, Smokes, whatcha doin? You sure look happy,” Sammy chattered excitedly.8

“I’m packing for a trip, Sam. And, yes, I am happy,” Smokey answered with a wide grin.9

“Where ya goin Smokes?” Sammy chattered away, as squirrels tend to do.10

Smokey unfolded the map that he was about to pack, and pointed at a continent. “I’m off to see the lizards, the wonderful lizards of OZ!”11

- END -12