Dreaming stories vary throughout Australia and there are different versions on the same theme. For example the story of how the birds got their colours is different in New South Wales and in Western Australia.
Stories cover many themes and topics. There are stories about creation of sacred places, landforms, people, animals and plants. There are also stories of language or the first use of fire. In more recent times there are stories telling of the arrival of the first Europeans on ships or stories about trading with Macassan fisherman in Northern Australia.
Stories cover many themes and topics. There are stories about creation of sacred places, landforms, people, animals and plants. There are also stories of language or the first use of fire. In more recent times there are stories telling of the arrival of the first Europeans on ships or stories about trading with Macassan fisherman in Northern Australia.
How the Kangaroos got their Tails!
In the early days, in the Dreamtime, there were two kangaroos who loved in this country.
One came from the hills, the other came from the plains.
The plains kangaroo was a big kangaroo with long arms and long legs. The hill kangaroo was a small kangaroo with short arms and short legs.
One day the short-armed kangaroo was walking around hunting for sugarbag (wild bush honey).
You can find sugarbag by watching the bees, and following them to their hive where they make the honey.
He really liked sugarbag, that short-armed kangaroo, so he kept on looking and looking, until he found some in a hole in a rock.
He reached just inside that hole and pulled out a handful of sugarbag and ate it. Mmmm! It was good tucker.
Now, that big kangaroo was hungry for sugarbag himself.
He sat down next to the shoort-armed kangaroo.
"Hey, what are you eating?" he said
"I'm eating sugarbag" said the short-armed kangaroo.
"You've got long arms, you can reach right down and get some too!"
So the big kangaroo put his long arm deep into the hole and pulled out... a handful of spiders!!!
"Try again" said the short armed kangaroo.
"Put your arm right down into the hole- that's where the sugarbag is!"
So the big kangaroo put his hand into the hole again... but only pulled out more spiders.
The short-armed kangaroo kept reaching just inside the hole and pulling out more and more sugarbag. Pretty soon he'd eaten it all himself.
The big kangaroo was wild!
That short-armed kangaroo had tricked him!
He went over to a white gum tree and broke off a big stick.
The short-armed kangaroo thought he's better get a stick too. He went and broke one off a red bloodwood tree.
And then they started to fight. They hit each other over the head with those sticks until the big kangaroo ran away.
Well, that short-armed kangaroo threw his stick and it stuck right into the big kangaroo. That made the big kangaroo even more wild so he turned around and threw his stick. It stuck right into the short-armed kangaroo.
Then they each hopped away to their own country. The big kangaroo went back to the low country where the sugar-grass grows, and the short-armed kangaroo hopped away up into the hills.
And they are still there today. When you see them you will know how they got their tails.
One came from the hills, the other came from the plains.
The plains kangaroo was a big kangaroo with long arms and long legs. The hill kangaroo was a small kangaroo with short arms and short legs.
One day the short-armed kangaroo was walking around hunting for sugarbag (wild bush honey).
You can find sugarbag by watching the bees, and following them to their hive where they make the honey.
He really liked sugarbag, that short-armed kangaroo, so he kept on looking and looking, until he found some in a hole in a rock.
He reached just inside that hole and pulled out a handful of sugarbag and ate it. Mmmm! It was good tucker.
Now, that big kangaroo was hungry for sugarbag himself.
He sat down next to the shoort-armed kangaroo.
"Hey, what are you eating?" he said
"I'm eating sugarbag" said the short-armed kangaroo.
"You've got long arms, you can reach right down and get some too!"
So the big kangaroo put his long arm deep into the hole and pulled out... a handful of spiders!!!
"Try again" said the short armed kangaroo.
"Put your arm right down into the hole- that's where the sugarbag is!"
So the big kangaroo put his hand into the hole again... but only pulled out more spiders.
The short-armed kangaroo kept reaching just inside the hole and pulling out more and more sugarbag. Pretty soon he'd eaten it all himself.
The big kangaroo was wild!
That short-armed kangaroo had tricked him!
He went over to a white gum tree and broke off a big stick.
The short-armed kangaroo thought he's better get a stick too. He went and broke one off a red bloodwood tree.
And then they started to fight. They hit each other over the head with those sticks until the big kangaroo ran away.
Well, that short-armed kangaroo threw his stick and it stuck right into the big kangaroo. That made the big kangaroo even more wild so he turned around and threw his stick. It stuck right into the short-armed kangaroo.
Then they each hopped away to their own country. The big kangaroo went back to the low country where the sugar-grass grows, and the short-armed kangaroo hopped away up into the hills.
And they are still there today. When you see them you will know how they got their tails.