the PADDY-MELONS

For years I've loved Banjo Patterson's poem _Santa Claus In The Bush_. But I had no idea what a "paddy-melon" was. Now I've been told it's a smallish kangaroo. Is that true? The poem NEEDS a good tune from someone. But that'd have to be cleared with the publisher of _The Collected Verse Of A.B. Patterson_ (Angus and Robertson) Last I knew they were at 89 Castlereigh Street---Sydney Art Thieme