Produced by Walter Moore from page images generously
provided by the HathiTrust
THE LITTLE BLACK PRINCESS
By Jeannie Gunn
CONTENTS
Chapter 1.- Bett-Bett
Chapter 2.- Shimy Shirts
Chapter 3.- Shut-Him-Eye Quickfellow
Chapter 4.- Me King Alright
Chapter 5.- Goodfellow Missus
Chapter 6.- The Debbil-Debbil Dance
Chapter 7.- Mumma A And Mumma B
Chapter 8.- A Walkabout
Chapter 9.- The Coronation Playabout
Chapter 10.- Looking-Out Lily-Root
Chapter 11.- Newfellow Piccaninny Boy
Chapter 12.- Goggle-Eye Sung Deadfellow
Chapter 13.- Bett-Bett Is Bush-Hungry
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Frontispiece. Old No-More-Hearem Fishing
Page 3. Bett-Bett And Sue
Page 5. The Homestead
Page 6. Belts Of Red Feathers To Please
Mr. Thunder-Debbil-DebbilBett-Betts Shimy-Shirt
BagSticks For Procuring Fire
Page 17. Goggle-Eye Turned To Laugh
Page 27. Dilly-Bags Used By Blackfellow Women In The Bush
Page 33. Bett-Betts Favourite Quart PotHank Of Hair
For A Son-In-Laws Use Hobbles For The Horses
Page 37. Dressing For The Debbil-Debbil Dance
Page 39. Making His Legs Look Exactly Like The Figure 4
Page 41. Goggle-Eyes Belt And TasselHeads Of Bull-Roarers
Or Corrobboree Sticks
Page 43. The Great-Great-Greatest Grandfather Of The Kangaroo Men
Page 45. The Great-Great-Greatest Grandfather Of The Iguana Men
Page 60. Sea-Going Crocodiles Are Cheeky-Fellow
Page 63. A Few Old Men At Home
Page 73. A PoolooloomeeJimmys Union-Jack ApronHis
Gammon Letter-Stick
Page 79. Coolamuns
Page 81. Murraweedbee At Home
Page 82. Blackfellows Spears And Boomerangs
Page 87. Topsy
Page 89. Tonalds Cradle
Page 91. Boomerang And Throwing-Stick
Page 95. My Word, Missus! You Cheeky-Fellow Alright
Page 101. All Goggle-Eyes Possessions, Which Were Buried With Him
Page 103. Tree-Burial, South Of The Roper
Page 107. Bett-Betts Wonderful, Lonely Palace
Page 109. Map
THE LITTLE BLACK PRINCESS
Chapter 1 Bett-Bett
Bett-Bett must have been a Princess, for she was a Kings niece, and if
that does not make a Princess of any one, it ought to do so!
She didnt sitlike fairy-book princesseswaving golden sceptres over
devoted subjects, for she was just a little bush nigger girl or lubra,
about eight years old. She had, however, a very wonderful palacethe
great lonely Australian bush.
She had also: one devoted subjecta little speckled dog called Sue; one
big troublelooking out tucker; and one big fearDebbil-debbils!
It wasnt all fun being a black Princess, for nobody knew what terrible
things might happen any minuteas you will see!
Once, when Bett-Bett and Sue were camped with some of the tribe on the
Roper River, they were suddenly attacked by the Willeroo blacks, who
were their very fiercest enemies. Everybody ran bush at once to hide,
with the Willeroos full chase after them. In the fright and hurry-scurry
Bett-Bett fell into the river, and at once decided to stay there, for in
spite of crocodiles it was the safest place she could think of. She swam
under the water to the steep banks, and caught hold of the roots of
an old tree. Standing on this, she stuck her nose and mouth out of the
water, in the shelter of a water-lily leaf, and there she stood for a
long, long time without moving a muscle, her little naked black body
looking exactly like one of the shadows.
When all was quiet and it was getting dark, she crept out, thinking she
would be safe for the night. Sue at once came out from her hiding-place,
and licking Bett-Betts hand, seemed to say:
My word, that was a narrow escape, wasnt it! Bett-Bett spoke softly
to her, and the two of them then hunted about to see if any tucker had
been left behind.
Sue very soon found a piece of raw beef, and Bett-Bett made a fire in
the scrub, so that nobody could see the smoke; then, while the supper
was cooking, they crouched close to the warmth, for they felt very cold.
Page 3
By and by the steak caught fire, and Bett-Bett picked it up between two
sticks, and tried to blow it out. Finding she could not manage this, she
laid it on the ground and threw a handful of earth on it, and at once
the flames died away. She and Sue then grinned at each other as if to
say, Arent we clever? we know how to manage things, dont we? and
were just settling down to enjoy their supper, when a dreadful thing
happenedsomebody grabbed Bett-Bett from behind and shouted out, Hallo!
what name you?
Did you ever see a terribly frightened little black princess? I did,
for I saw one then. I was the Missus from the homestead, and with the
Boss, or Maluka (as the blacks always called him), was out bush,
camping near the river. We had arrived just about sunset, and seeing
nigger tracks had decided to follow them, and found Bett-Bett! Big Mac,
one of the stockmen, was with us, and it was he who had caught hold of
her, but if it had been an army of Debbil-debbils she could not have
been more frightened.
Nang ah! piccaninny, I said, meaning come here, little one. I spoke
as kindly as I could, and Bett-Bett saw at once that I was a friend.
She spoke to Sue and came, saying: Me plenty savey Engliss, Missus!
This surprised us all, for she looked such a wild little nigger. I asked
her where she had learnt her plenty savey Engliss, and she answered,
Longa you boys, meaning she had picked it up from our homestead boys.
After a little coaxing she told us the story of the Willeroos, and said
Dank you please, Missus, very earnestly when I asked if she would like
to sleep in our camp.
As we went up the bank I was amused to see that she was munching her
beef. It takes more than a good fright to make a blackfellow let go
his only chance of supper. After a big meal of damper and honey
sugar-bag she called itshe went to a puddle and smeared herself all
over with mud, and when I asked why she did this she said: Spose skeeto
come on, him bite mud, him no more bite me meself, and I thought her a
very wise little person.
As soon as it became dark, she and Sue curled themselves up into a
little heap near the fire, and fell asleep for the night.
In the morning I gave her a blue and white singlet that I had taken from
one of the boys swags. She dressed herself in it at once, and looked
just like a gaily-coloured beetle, with thin black arms and legs, but
she thought herself very stylish, and danced about everywhere with Sue
at her heels. All nigger dogs are ugly, but Sue was the ugliest of them
all. She looked very much like a flattened out plum-pudding on legs,
with ears like a young calf, and a cats tail!
As we sat at breakfast I asked Bett-Bett if any mosquitoes had bitten
her in the night, No more, she said, and then added with a grin: Big
mob bin sing out, sing out. She seemed pleased to think how angry they
must have been when they found a mouthful of mud, instead of the juicy
nigger they expected.
When we were ready to start for the homestead I asked Bett-Bett if she
and Sue would like to come and live with me there. Dank you please,
Missus! she answered, grinning with delight.
So Bett-Bett found a Missus, and Iwell, I found a real nuisance! !
The Homestead