Saturday, November 8, 2008

Goolahwilleel, the TopKnot Pigeons, Quilt by Heidi Sandkuhle

Young Goolahwilleel used to go out hunting every day. His mother and sisters always expected that he would bring home kangaroo and emu for them, but each day he came home without any meat for them. They asked him,"What do you do in the bush each day, as it is obvious that you are not hunting?" Goolahwilleel said, "But I DO hunt each day." "Then why," they said, "do you bring us nothing to eat?" "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall not be disappointed--I will bring you a kangaroo."
But his mother and sisters did not know that everyday, instead of hunting, Goolahwilleel had been gathering wattle-gum, and with this he had been making a perfect model of a kangaroo--complete with tail, ears, and paws. So the next day he came towards the camp carrying this kangaroo made of gum. Seeing him coming and carrying the promised kangaroo, his mother and sisters said, "Oh, Goolahwilleel has kept his word, and now brings us a kangaroo--pile up the fire for tonight we shall eat meat!"

About a hundred yards away from camp, Goolahwilleel put down his kangaroo made of gum and leaves, and came up to the camp. "Where is the kangaroo you brought home?" his mother asked. "Oh, it is over there." And he pointed towards where he had left it. "Where is it?" his sisters cried. "We don't see any kangaroo." "It is right there." said young Goolahwilleel, again pointing to where he had put it. "But all there is is a kangaroo made of gum and leaves." "Did I not say that it was made of gum?" asked Goolahwilleel. "No, you did not." they said. "You said you were bringing us a kangaroo." "And it IS a kangaroo--a beautiful kangaroo that I made all by myself!" And he smiled quite proudly to think what a fine kangaroo he had made.

But his mother and sisters did NOT smile. They seized him and gave him a good beating for deceiving them. They told him that he should never go out alone again, for all he did was play instead of hunt, even though he knew they starved for meat. And so for ever more, the Goolahwilleels went together in flocks, never alone, in search of food.

No comments: