Ten Canoes Page #2

But maybe Banalandju's eye

would be too sharp.

That day, near the camp, was haircut day.

All off, take it all off.

- You sure?

- Everything...

- You sure?

...I want to look like a young warrior,

so the girls don't run away.

How are you boys?

Yeeralparil thought maybe he could see

Munandjarra from the distance.

Do you want a haircut?

Not right now.

Maybe he's looking for my mother!

The one who said that, is Birrinbirrin,

who lived in the same camp as Ridjimiraril.

Birrinbirrin had two wives,

and a belly as big as a mountain.

He was always eating too much,

but his favourite thing of all

was honey.

He would search for it...

... beg for it...

... sometimes even steal it.

Make sure you burn all the hair

It could be bad for me,

if the sorcerer finds any.

Ah yes, I nearly forgot that sorcerer...

The sorcerer was old

and very powerful.

He had good magic and bad magic.

He lived by himself

to keep his magic secret.

Now watch carefully,

because on this day I'm talking about,

something happened...

Someone's coming!

There was a stranger...

Maybe that stranger had a right

to visit these lands.

Maybe he had a sacred waterhole there.

I don't know anymore,

the story is too old.

But that stranger had not signalled

that he was coming.

He had the smell of someone

very dangerous.

See how his prick is covered?

Maybe it's a small one.

Never trust a man with a small prick.

The stranger spoke language

Ridjimiraril could not understand very well.

Me says...

...he came from the stone country

to trade objects,

objects of sorcery!

When they knew this stranger

was part of magic,

the bones of the men were shaking.

They did not trust the stranger

with the covered prick.

He was not carrying anything to trade.

Now you can see

the canoes are nearly done.

Only one bark is left to do.

Now Dayindi can learn

what happened with his ancestors.

Some of the ancients

wanted to kill this stranger

but Ridjimiraril didn't want to start a war.

The stranger was given food,

to show respect.

Soon he would be gone,

but the bad feelings about him

stayed behind.

Far away, the sorcerer

was listening in his mind.

He heard the men talking

about that stranger.

The sorcerer came through the bush

to the men.

He made them listen to him.

He warned them about the magic.

I hope he doesn't find your sh*t.

It's not wise to leave sh*t

just lying there...

... a sorcerer can do things with it.

When the branches rub in the wind,

it makes a sore throat.

Soon you'll feel like

you're being choked to death.

Do you feel pain in your throat?

I don't. Mow about you?

Be careful...

...that stranger...

...doesn't burn your sh*t.

What'd happen if he cooked my turd?

Whoever laid the turd

will get a bloated belly,

blow up,

and eventually die.

Sick and dying.

Morrible stomach aches.

This is not good.

We'll have to watch out.

Worse than dying...

...that stranger could try to steal your soul.

And worst of all,

your soul could be stolen,

without you knowing about it.

Me's probably lurking out there now!

Waiting for a soul.

We better look after one another.

It could be too late.

One of your souls

might already be stolen.

Then that sorcerer got himself ready.

He looked all round the camp.

He looked everywhere for any magic

that stranger left behind.

After a long time he was finished.

All is well...

...the camp is safe.

Safe.

The men are happy to go on the swamp.

It's hard for Dayindi...

it's his first time to pole the canoe.

!no emoC

To the geese!

Listen to the men honking like geese...

Dayindi, scared of crocodiles...

At first, nothing bad happened to Ridjimiraril

and his people after the stranger left.

Life for the ancient ancestors

passed as it always did.

Ridjimiraril's wives behaved

like wives always do.

Who are you making that for?

For you.

Don't lie, you're making it for yourself.

What's wrong with that?

I hate those things.

So what?

Your tongue is very cruel you know.

Yes...

Mow are you my darling husband?

Good.

Birrinbirrin behaved like himself.

Poor thing, collecting wood.

Darling wife,

I've run out of honey.

Get lost you lazy slob! Get your own!

Who's going to get honey for me?

Can you please, dear wife,

get some honey for me?

Enough of your grovelling!

You fat bellied frog!

Go and get some yourself!

I'm sick of all the

humbugging round here!

Ridjimiraril went hunting...

I'll be late!

Where are you all?

Where have you all disappeared to?

... and the women went to get food,

chattering like magpie geese.

The single men suddenly went bush.

They saw Birrinbirrin coming.

Hoy!

If anyone gets me some honey...

...I'll be waiting right here.

Where did the women go?

They're off digging for swamp nuts.

Bring me some honey, some honey!

Ridjimiraril's wives were still behaving

like wives always do.

Nowalingu went with her friends

to be away from Banalandju.

It's hard to know what you

were even fighting about.

They just don't get along.

You should be friends.

They can't.

When those two are together,

one stares and the other gets jealous.

Imagine what it would be like

if your husband had many wives

instead of only a few.

And Birrinbirrin was making spearheads,

singing a happy honey song.

Yeeralparil was trying to be tricky.

Listen.

Whenever we dig for swamp nuts

she has to go and piss.

We've got some honey!

Over here boys!

You've made my day a good one.

Where did you get this?

- Back there.

- Where?

- Back there.

Waterhole.

Mmm... I'm wetting myself.

This is lovely.

Can I have some... Grandpa?

You should have got your own.

Go! Go! Go!

You'll get me into trouble.

With all his family behaving

like they always do,

now we know why Ridjimiraril went hunting.

I got one.

But that Ridjimiraril was still

a hard worker for his three wives.

I'll cook it.

We'll eat it.

A wallaby.

He was always trying to be fair

and nice to all of them...

Mmm... this meat is very tasty.

Nice and fatty.

... even sometimes to the younger one.

Can you hear all the gumang,

those magpie geese?

The men have poled

a long way into the swamp.

Soon they will go their own way,

to hunt geese and collect the eggs.

Dayindi will go with Minygululu,

to learn the swamp and hear more story.

And this story is now growing like a young

tree that is flowering for the first time.

Let's go.

Back in that long ago time,

maybe someone had done the wrong thing.

Or maybe the spirits were angry

for no reason.

Whichever way it was,

the lives of the ancients

were about to change...

Nowalingu!

Nowalingu is gone.

That second wife of Ridjimiraril

just disappeared

like she flew away with the geese.

The men sat down to talk about

what might have happened to her.

I wonder what happened to Nowalingu?

Don't expect me to know...

Maybe that cross-river mob took her.

Maybe a crocodile ate her.

I think she ran away.

She didn't run away.

She wouldn't do that.

That stranger took her.

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