9. THE GWINEEBOOS THE REDBREASTS

Gwineeboo and Goomai, the water rat, were down at the creek one day,

getting mussels for food, when, to their astonishment, a kangaroo

hopped right into the water beside them. Well they knew that he must be

escaping from hunters, who were probably pressing him close. So

Gwineeboo quickly seized her yam stick, and knocked the kangaroo on the

head; he was caught fast in the weeds in the creek, so could not

escape. When the two old women had killed the kangaroo they hid its

body under the weeds in the creek, fearing to take it out and cook it

straight away, lest the hunters should come up and claim it. The little

son of Gwineeboo watched them from the bank. After having hidden the

kangaroo, the women picked up their mussels and started for their camp,

when up came the hunters, Quarrian and Gidgereegah, who had tracked the

kangaroo right to the creek.

Australian Legendary Tales: folk-lore of the Noongahburrahs as told to the Piccaninnies · 第 20 / 50 题