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Story from Australian Legendary Tales by K Langloh Parker.
When Wurrunna returned to his tribe he brought with him some weapons never before seen by men. These, he said, were made in a country where there were only women, and they had given them to him in exchange for his possum-skin rug, saying, "Go, bring us more rugs, and we will give you more weapons." They had told him there was no night; the sun shone always. Wurrunna would take his two brothers with him. By his magic, he could turn them into two large water birds. As there were no birds on the lake they would quickly be noticed. He told every man to take an animal with him, and, should the women interfere, to let the animal go. There were no animals on the plain, and the women's attention would be taken off again. When they reached where the darkness was rolled Wurrunna lit a fire, and his two brothers, were changing into large, pure white birds, the swans.
The men on the other side of the plain, having lit their fire, were smoking themselves in it.
The women saw the smoke curling up towards their plain and ran toward it, armed with spears.
On the lake they saw swimming two huge white birds. The smoke was forgotten; they ran toward the new wonders, while the men rushed to the deserted camp for weapons.
Then each man let go the animal he had. The men dropped the possum rugs and loaded themselves with weapons, then started toward Wurrunna's smoke signal, now curling up in a spiral column.
Failing to get their weapons, the women turned again to where the strange white birds had been. But they had gone.
The women were so angry that they began to quarrel, and from words they got to blows. Their blood flowed fast, and freely stained the whole of the western sky, where their country is. Ever since, when the tribes see a red sunset they say, "Look at the blood of the Wi-bulloos."
Wurrunna forgot all about his brothers, though they flew after him. The swans, tired of flying, stayed on a small lagoon. As the eaglehawks, were flying to deliver a spirit's message, they saw in their own lagoon two strange white birds.
In their rage they swooped down, drove their huge claws into the swans, and plucked out a handful of feathers. On flew the eaglehawks until they came to a large lagoon near to the big salt water. Just as they were tearing out the last feathers on the wings, they recollected that they had not delivered the message of the spirits, so, fearing their anger, the eaglehawks left the swans and flew back.
The poor Baiamul brothers crouched together, almost featherless, bleeding, cold, and miserable.
Suddenly, softly fell on them a shower of feathers, which covered their shivering bodies. High on the trees overhead they saw hundreds of mountain crows.
The black feathers covered all but on their wings, where a few white ones had been left. Also the down under the black feathers was white. The red blood on their beaks stayed on there forever. |
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