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A long time ago, deep in the red centre of the Australian desert, lived the Kangaroo tribe. By: 6 WG Bald Face Public School .
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A long time ago, deep in the red centre of the Australian desert, lived the Kangaroo tribe. By: 6 WG Bald Face Public School
The men spent their days hunting emus and goannas, while the elders taught the young children of their proud ancient heritage and culture, and most importantly, of all the legends of the land. The women and children spent their days collecting berries, weaving baskets and preparing meals for the tribe.
The Bunyip was usually shy and retiring. It spent most of its time hiding in the squishy brown mud at the bottom of the billabong. But, as the elders knew, if it was disturbed it would unleash its anger by creating bad luck.
So, from the earliest time, all the children of the kangaroo tribe were warned to stay away from the billabong, especially towards dusk — or face the consequences!
Late one afternoon however, two cousins, Jaya and Brilla, decided that they were sick of helping the women with gathering the food. They wanted instead to go hunting with the men.
While the women were occupied, the two boys quietly snuck away using the cover of the prickly acacia bushes to hide their actions.“Quick, let’s go,” whispered Jaya. “Nobody’s looking.”
As they made their way through the dense scrub, Jaya and Brilla chattered happily to each other without paying attention to where the path was taking them.“Oi, Jaya!” called Brilla. “Are you sure this is the right way? I can’t see the path anymore.”“Don’t be a galah Brilla,” replied Jaya. “The path is right …”
Jaya and Brilla stopped dead in their tracks and milled around searching for the path that should have been right in front of them.“Oh …,” sighed Jaya eventually. “I think we might be lost.”“Now who’s the galah!” teased Brilla.
The boys started to argue about what to do. They finally decided to follow the setting sun along the ridge of the old river bank. By now it was getting late and the creatures of the night were beginning to stir in the undergrowth.
After several long hours of constant walking, the boys stumbled upon a billabong.“I can’t wait to have a drink,” moaned Jaya as he approached the muddy edge of the billabong. He leaned down, ready to take a deep slurp of cool fresh water when ...
“Hold your blue tongue!” yelled Brilla.Jaya stopped instantly. “What are you on about?”“Remember what the elders told us—about the legend of the Bunyip? I reckon this is the billabong.”‘You really are a galah!” said Jaya scornfully.“No, I’m a smart fellah and I listen to the elders instead of day dreaming about chasing emus.”“Who cares about what the elders say! They’re just a bunch of wrinkly old goannas. I’m thirsty and I’m having a drink!”
So, disregarding his cousin’s caution, Jaya bent down to the billabong and had a long, cool drink. Just as he finished, the boys heard shouts coming from the distance. “Jaya, Brilla, where are you?” It was a group of adults from the tribe, searching for the two lost boys. Realising that they were in big trouble, the boys left the billabong and reluctantly headed back to camp.
Meanwhile …Gurgle … slurp … squelch!A patch of murky bubbles was rising to the surface of the billabong. From the mud and slime emerged a dark, shapeless creature. “Aaarrrggghhh!”
Slowly it stood, revealing its gruesome facial features. Surely it was a face only a mother could love. It had two gleaming green eyes, the colour of slime, and a fanged evil grin like a hungry sabre toothed tiger.The Bunyip of the billabong had awakened!
Over the next several days, the tribe became aware of an unsettling change in the local area. The hunting game, once abundant, became scarce. The roots the women dug up were rotting in the ground. But worst of all, the provisions the tribe had set aside for the lean winter months had been attacked and eaten by vermin.The elders were sensitive to these unprecedented omens and they knew that something was terribly wrong. But what?
Jaya and Brilla knew the answer.“See what you’ve done!” accused Brilla. “I told you not to drink from the billabong. It’s your fault all this is happening. We’ve got to tell.”
Reluctantly Jaya agreed..Together they approached the elders and guiltily confessed to waking up the Bunyip.
The elders met to discuss this dramatic turn of events. After much deliberation, they decided that the tribe was left with no alternative—they had to leave.Once a Bunyip was disturbed, it would take a long time before it settled back down to its nest at the bottom of the billabong. The tribe could not afford to wait for this to happen or they would certainly starve.
The tribe’s journey was a long and difficult one. Despite their open and friendly nature, they were quickly shunned by neighbouring tribes once that they heard what had happened. No one else wanted anything to do with those who had brought bad luck by awakening a Bunyip.
Times became even more desperate as the dry season surged on relentlessly. Jaya and Brilla were tortured daily by the knowledge that they had brought such hardship and bad luck to their loved ones.
But just when they thought that their migration would never end, the tribe approached a rocky outcrop. As they peered over the edge, they saw a mob of kangaroos bounding across the plain. The elders took this as a sign from their spirit totem that the Bunyip was no longer angry with them and that this land should become their new home.Their journey was complete!
