Ten Canoes Page #3

I think she ran away.

Yeah, I think she took off...

...she took off.

She took off.

Many moons...

...passed through the night...

...after the day that...

...Ridjimiraril's second wife...

...Nowalingu, disappeared.

Me did not forget her,

but was now more watchful...

...of Banalandju and Munandjarra's...

...whereabouts.

Life without Nowalingu became normal,

even to Ridjimiraril.

Time passed...

But then everything changed again.

An old uncle came to visit.

I came from far away

over the hills past the stone country.

Malfway I burnt the grass

and cooked a bandicoot

and killed a goanna.

I thought I saw Nowalingu at a camp there

in a bark shelter

with a stranger.

I don't know who that other person is.

I left Nowalingu there and walked away.

I came here.

That's all.

Ridjimiraril was right!

Nowalingu was with that stranger,

the uncle's eyes had seen it themselves.

The uncle's eyes had seen it themselves.

The men decided to get Nowalingu back.

This story is a proper tall tree now.

You like that business the

ancestors are getting into?

I like them to go fighting.

You want them to go to war?

To fight and spear them?

I see.

They'll attack them.

Yes, attack them and spear them.

You young people like that.

Always the same.

Nothing changes.

So the ancients made everything ready

to send out a war party.

Everybody was ready for war.

The men talked about the planning.

We should just walk in and take her!

No! That's no good!

That's a terrible idea!

There are better ways!

We'll sneak in during the night!

It's safer to grab her

when the women are alone.

We should take...

...one of their women as well.

We should take ALL their women!

Who's going to look after them?

You?

Why didn't they think of getting

a wife for Yeeralparil?

Mang on... wait.

He'll probably get...

...a wife...

...sometime...

...or other.

When?

As soon as the story... is ready for it.

Maybe.

And what was Yeeralparil

thinking about?

Let me see...

He wasn't thinking about a woman.

He wanted to go to war...

...to wear white clay.

Yeeralparil wanted to throw spears.

I'm coming too.

You can't.

You could get killed.

We could both get killed.

One of us has to stay alive.

I have to tell you something more

about my people.

If a man gets killed, or dies,

his wives become the wives

of his younger brother.

That's why Yeeralparil could not go.

Only the young boys were left

in the single men's camp.

Yeeralparil's mind began to wander.

Pretty soon, his body followed.

There he goes, to see his girl.

He was thinking,

with all the men gone,

maybe he could get closer to Munandjarra.

But he didn't reckon with Banalandju.

Go away!

Go away!

Why do you always come around?

Go play with a female crocodile.

Get lost!

Dayindi thinks about Yeeralparil

and Munandjarra.

Their destinies were like

butterflies in the air...

... they could go here, they could go there.

Even a soft wind could change

their direction forever.

woman waited for woman

man looked for woman for man

woman waited for man

to get married

Ya, beloved woman

man disappointed for woman

man waited for woman

The men must sleep on the swamp

while they're hunting.

It's too far to go back all the time.

But normal camp is not possible.

There are too many crocodiles

and not enough dry land.

The men must cook and eat

and sleep in the trees,

on platforms they are building.

Up there in the branches

they will be safe.

Dayindi will soon find out what

happened to the war party...

Everyone came back safe...

... not one angry spear was thrown.

Nowalingu wasn't at that camp.

Someone different must have taken her.

That's right.

This uncle must have mistaken her

for someone who looked like her.

I did.

Maybe Uncle just got confused.

- I must have.

- Maybe that's what Uncle's problem is.

- Uncle can't see one thing from another.

- Where?

- Uncle can't see one thing from another.

- Uncle's probably going blind.

- I am.

- Uncle's probably going blind.

That old uncle was right,

he has good eyes!

But no.

What happened to her?

Maybe they killed her.

Maybe he saw her spirit.

It wasn't someone else.

What have they done to her?

Who took his wife?

Nowalingu, where did she go?

She was his wife.

Who was the person who took her?

There was nothing Ridjimiraril could do.

No one believed him any more.

He became quiet, and angry,

and sad...

He was possessed by a bad spirit,

like his proper soul

was taken away from him.

The trouble Ridjimiraril had

was only just beginning.

The bad spirit that lived

in his head, escaped.

That bad spirit

made the biggest trouble of all.

I wonder if those kids...

...have found any honey.

Any honey up there?

Nothing.

You'll have to find some yourself.

What, they expect me to climb a tree?

That stranger's back Grandpa!

Near the waterhole.

I'll have to tell Ridjimiraril.

That stranger might steal another wife.

Melp!

Fearless One!

The stranger's back!

Down near the waterhole.

What are you going to do?

Just talk to him.

Ask him why he's here...

Do you know where my wife is?

No I don't,

but I'll help you find her.

Thank you so much.

Is that all?

Trust me.

I'll come with you then.

What's he up to?

Wait for me!

Wait!

Why have you got all those spears...

...if you're just going to talk to him?

Me's having a sh*t.

No-o-o-o!

It's the wrong stranger.

Mis sh*t still stinks.

Wrong stink from wrong stranger.

What are we going to do?

I don't know.

We could carry him back to camp.

Take him back to camp?

Why would we do that?

Quick, let's hide him.

Mide him where?

Anywhere, anywhere!

What happens if they find him?

We hope they don't.

If they do, deny everything.

They won't.

Any honey up there?

No.

Did you find him?

That stranger?

- You?

- No! I didn't see anyone!

- You didn't see anyone?

- No one!

- Me neither!

- Nope!

- Me neither!

Nothing!

What does all this have to do with

Munandjarra and Yeeralparil?

Dayindi is impatient to hear

what will happen to the young ones.

But this story is growing into a large tree

now, with branches spreading everywhere.

All the parts of the story have to be told

for proper understanding.

Minygululu keeps going,

on the same branch.

Those two ancestors,

Ridjimiraril and Birrinbirrin,

did the wrong thing when they

tried to hide the body.

They didn't hide that body well enough...

You killed my brother.

You made this.

That's right.

It's from your spear.

You made this.

And you killed my brother.

When they'd found the body,

they pulled out the spearhead.

They said, who owns this stone spearhead?

They said that?

That's what they said, whose spearhead?

Then they recognised it.

They knew whose work it was.

It had been Birrinbirrin's spear.

Me had traded it to his friend

for the thing he liked most...

honey.

You're the one who speared my brother!

Say something Fat Man!

Speak up!

Me speared him! Me speared him!

I speared him.

Fat Man speared him.

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