'The blue gum had rooted itself in the black loamy soil hundreds of years before. Its thick girth was crusted with bark that sheltered ants and beetles. In summer it spread its long arms over the lawn, casting cool shale. In the evenings my brother, sister and I sprinted around its trunk in our thin cotton pyjamas, chasing the dogs. Occasionally we stabbed a bare foot on a twig and hopped, howling.' (Introduction)