Matilda and Terra: The Unlikely Friendship that Brought Joy to the Outback

Deep in the heart of the Australian outback, Matilda the kangaroo was hopping along, minding her business, when she saw something strange in the distance.

At first, Matilda was unsure of what it could be. It was a creature she had never seen before, with stripes on its back and a long snout.

As she approached, the creature didn't move and simply stared at her with a curious look on its face. Matilda took a step closer, and the creature let out a soft growl.

Matilda was startled, but she didn't run away.

Instead, she thought to herself, "New friends might be around the corner!" and decided to say hello.

"Hi there! My name is Matilda, what's yours?" asked the kangaroo.

The creature didn't respond, but instead, it sniffed the air and licked its paw. Matilda took this as a sign that the creature was friendly and decided to make friends.

"I'll call you Terra, how does that sound?"

Terra, the thylacine or Tasmanian tiger, looked at Matilda and let out a small purr. The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the outback together, playing tag and jumping over rocks.

Terra was amazed at how graceful Matilda was while hopping, and Matilda was impressed with how fast and agile Terra was while running.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. The two of them became best friends and did everything together.

One day, Matilda asked Terra, "Why haven't I seen any other creatures like you around here?"

Terra looked down at the ground and sighed. "I'm the last one of my kind. All the other Tasmanian tigers have been hunted down by humans and declared extinct."

Matilda was shocked and saddened, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she smiled and gave Terra a big hug.

"Sometimes, the most unlikely of friendships can bring us the greatest joy," said Matilda.

Terra smiled and licked her paw once more. "You're right, Matilda. I never thought I would find a friend like you, but I'm so glad I did."

From that day on, the two of them continued to explore the outback together, looking for other new friends that might be around the corner.

And who knows, maybe one day they'll stumble upon another Tasmanian tiger and Terra won't be the last of her kind after all.

The end.