The Bunyip

Long, long ago, far, far away on the other side of the world, some young men left the camp where they lived to get some food for their wives and children. The sun was hot, but they liked heat. As they went, they ran races and competed to see who could hurl his spear the farthest or was cleverest atheat, and as they went they ran races and tried who could hurl his spear the farthest, or was cleverest in throwing a strange weapon called a boomerang, which always returns to the thrower. They did not get on very fast at this rate, but presently they reached a flat place that was full of water in times of flood. But now, in the height of summer, it was only a set of pools, each surrounded by a fringe of plants, with bulrushes growing inside.in time of flood was full of water, but was now, in the height of summer, only a set of pools, each surrounded with a fringe of plants, with bulrushes standing in the inside of all. In that country the people are fond of the roots of bulrushes, which they think as good as onions. Oneonions, and one of the young men said that they had better collect some of the roots and carry them back to the camp. It did not take them long to weave the upper branchestops of the willows into a basket. Theybasket, and they were just going to wade into the water and pull up the bulrush roots when a youth suddenly called out: ‘After all, why should we waste our time in doing work that the women and children could do themselvesis only fit for women and childrenExplanation: The young man still refuses the work and leaves it to the women and children. His disparaging claim that the work is only fit for them is softened in the modernized version for children.? Let them come and get the roots for themselves; but we will fish for eels and anything else we can get.’

This delighted the rest of the party, and they all began to preparearrange their fishing lines, made from the bark of the yellow mimosa, and to search for bait for their hooks. Most of them used worms, but one, who had put a piece of raw meat for dinner into his leather pouchskin wallet, cut off a little bit and baited his line with it, unseen by his companions.

For a long time they cast their lines patiently, without receiving a single bite. Thecast patiently, without receiving a single bite; the sun had grown low in the sky, and it seemed as if they would have to go home empty-handed, not even with a basket of roots to show. Then the youth who had baited his hook with raw meatshow; when the youth, who had baited his hook with raw meat, suddenly saw his line disappear under the water. Something, a very heavy fish he supposed, was pulling so hard that he could hardly keep his balance. Forfeet, and for a few minutes it seemed either as if he must let go or be dragged into the pool. He cried to his friends to help him, and at last, trembling with fright at what they were going to see, they managed between them to pull on toland on the bank a creature that was neither a calf nor a seal, but something of both, with a long, broad tail. They looked at each other with horror, cold shivers running down their spines. Though they had never seen it, every man among them knewspines; for though they had never beheld it, there was not a man amongst them who did not know what it was—the cub of the awful Bunyip!

All of a sudden the silence was broken by a low wail, answered by another from the other side of the pool. Thepool, as the mother rose up from her den and came towards them, rage flashing from her horrible yellow eyes. ‘Let it go! Letlet it go!’ whispered the young men to each other; but the captor declared that he had caught it, and was going to keep it. ‘I promised my sweetheart,’ he said, ‘that IHe had promised his sweetheart,’ he said, ‘that he would bring back enough meat for her father’s house to feast on for three days. Though we cannotdays, and though they could not eat the little Bunyip, her brothers and sisters shallshould have it to play with.’ So, flinging his spear at the mother to keep her back, he threw the little Bunyip on to his shoulders, and set out for the camp, paying no attention tonever heeding the poor mother’s cries of distress.

By this time it was getting near sunset, and the plain was in shadow, though the tops of the mountains were still quite bright. The youths had all ceased to be afraid when they were startled by a low rushing sound behind them. Looking round, they saw that the pool was slowly rising and the spot where they had pulled out the Bunyip was completelyafraid, when they were startled by a low rushing sound behind them, and, looking round, saw that the pool was slowly rising, and the spot where they had landed the Bunyip was quite covered. ‘What could it be?’ they asked one another. There was not a cloud in the sky, yet the water had already risen higher than they had ever seen it rise before.of another; ‘there was not a cloud in the sky, yet the water had risen higher already than they had ever known it do before.’ For an instant they stood watching as if they were frozen. Thenfrozen, then they turned and ran with all their might, the man with the Bunyip running faster than all. When he reached a high peak overlooking all the plain,plain he stopped to take breath, and turned to see if he was safe yet. Safe! Why,why only the tops of the trees remained above that sea of water, and these were fast disappearing. They must run fast indeed if they were to escape. So on they flew, scarcely feeling the ground as they went, untiltill they flung themselves on the ground before the shelters dugholes scooped out of the earth where they had all been born. The old men were sitting in front, the children were playing, and the women chattering together, when the little Bunyip fell into their midst. Almost every child there knewmidst, and there was scarcely a child among them who did not know that something terrible was upon them. ‘The water! The water!’ gasped one of the young men. And there it was, slowly but steadily climbingthe water!’ gasped one of the young men; and there it was, slowly but steadily mounting the ridge itself. Parents and children clung together, as if that could drive back the advancing flood. The youth who had caused all this terrible catastrophe seized his sweetheartby that means they could drive back the advancing flood; and the youth who had caused all this terrible catastrophe, seized his sweetheart, and cried: ‘I will climb with you to the top of that tree, and there no waters can reach us.’ But, as he spoke, something cold touched him, and quickly he glanced down at his feet. Then with a shudder he saw that they were no longer feetfeet no longer, but bird’s claws. He looked at the girl he was clasping, and sawbeheld a great black bird standing at his side. Heside; he turned to his friends, but a flock of great awkward flapping creatures stood in their place. He put up his hands to cover his face, but they were no longer hands, only the ends of wings. Whenmore hands, only the ends of wings; and when he tried to speak, a noise such as he had never heard before seemed to come from his throat, which had suddenly become narrow and slender. Already the water had risen to his waist, and he found himself sitting easily upon it, while its surface reflected back the image of a black swan, one of many.

Never again did the swans become men. Butmen; but they are still different from other swans, for at nightin the night-time those who listen can hear them talk in a language that is certainly not swan’s language. Therelanguage; and there are even sounds of laughing and talking, unlike any noise made by the swans wewhom we know.

The little Bunyip was carried home by its mother, and after that the waters sank back to their own channels. The side of the pool where she lives is always shunned by everyone, as nobody knows when she may suddenly put out her head and draw him into her mighty jaws. But people say that underneath the black waters of the pool she has a house filled with beautiful things, such as mortals living on earth cannot even imaginewho dwell on the earth have no idea of. Though I cannot tell you how they knowhow they know I cannot tell you, as nobody has ever seen it.

[From Journal of Anthropological Institute.]