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Clip description
Dot (voiced by Barbara Frawley) has become lost in the forest, but a large red kangaroo (Joan Bruce) takes pity on her. The kangaroo gives her some roots to eat. This allows her to understand animal language. Dot enjoys the delicious 'food of understanding’ but the female kangaroo, who has lost her own joey, warns her not to eat too much of it. Knowing too much will only make you miserable, she tells Dot.
Curator’s notes
These are unexpected sentiments in a children’s animation, but completely understandable in the context of Yoram Gross’s own history, as a child who lived from age 13 to 18 in the shadow of the Nazi Holocaust – where knowing too much could certainly be a form of misery. The idea comes from the original text, but with a significant change. In the book, the kangaroo tells Dot not to eat too much, lest she get an upset tummy, which will make her miserable.
