GROOTE EYLAEDT FAMILY STORIES

SEPTEMBER 1971

PART 2

Waṉ ind ilyaugw a F am ily :Yiremba augwa Yegba P1S ea -gu ll and Pheasant P5

Wurramarrba F am ily :Dagwarrgwarrga P7Spider P9

Wurramara F am ily :Y in ig a rrg a P10Chicken-hawk P12

Waṉuŋwamalaŋwa F am ily :D iŋi n j äbäna P13Porpoise P15

Yiremba augwa Yegba

Yaginäga n i- y äŋb in a yiremba magaḏa la ŋwa. Änäja yegba n i-y äŋbina a rib a la ŋwa, Nän i- b äy in a gäm b irra aw iyämba.

N i-y äma nirem ba, "Nara neŋgagina a legaŋuma yaŋg u rra ŋwa ŋanyaŋwuwa a le g e ra ."

"Yawa! Ŋan ja yälyugwa ge-na-gumeṉa nuŋg u la ŋwa yada! " n i-y äma negba, "Gäm b irra g a -ŋämbäna yaugu jina nuŋg u la ŋwa manja aŋa ly a !"

"Mama, ŋan ja gaŋg a rrin a abalgaya la ŋwa n iŋaguruma n iŋäna da! " n i-y äma nirem ba. "Ŋanju-gwaba mababeṉa mäma mäd ir r a da! "

"G-ambilyamerra da, mama da yälyugwa yaruma yagaga," n i- y äma negba. "Agina aŋa lya nuŋg u la ŋwa g a -ŋwardema nuŋg u la ŋwa da ," n i-y äma negba. Nän i- b äy in a aragba da. " Ŋanju-gwaba ayaŋgadarrba äna ababeṉa n iŋi - ŋägberagina d a ," n i- y äma negba. "Nuŋguwa agina. aderra nuŋg u la ŋwa aŋa ly a ayaŋgadarrba d a ," n i- y äma negba,"Ŋaya äna ababeṉa ayaugwa n iŋäna d a ," n i- y äma negba.

" Ŋanju-gwaba ababeṉa ayaugwa n iŋäna, ŋanju-gwaba n iŋäna da! " n i-y äma nirem ba. "Mama ge-na-gumeṉa manja yälyugwa, ŋanju-gwaba n iŋaguruma n iŋäna ayaugwa da, y id e d e rrb e ra ŋanju-gwaba

ayaugwa da, nara. da nuŋg u la ŋwa ayaugwa. Ayaŋgadarrba a g in a ga-ŋwardema agina da. Ŋanju-gwaba mäma mababeṉa mäd ir r a da. Ŋaya nioaguruma niqana ga-^agberaginamerra, a le g e ra l"

"Awurumba, gwa! Y i - ŋa jäy in a ! " n i - y äma negba. "Yawa, y i-Dajayina d a l" ni-yama niremba. Gambirra negba ne-legaṉ a awiyämbuwa niremba. -Än äju-gwaba niremba n e -le g äna nän i - gerugwäy ina negbuwa. B iya negba la ŋwa nän i - ŋa ja nirembuwa. Nän i- ly a ŋbarra a re ŋga manja.

"Wai ! Y i - ŋajama nuŋguwa neŋgäna na?" n i - y ŋma niremba. "Ŋayäbelaŋwa y ib e - ly a ŋb a rr iy a la ŋwa a re ŋqga man j a . "

"Ŋarr r a ! Nara a ly a ŋbarruma n i ŋäna a re ŋga manja, emba yu-waḏiya mambaŋburra m anja."

Gamba änäja niremba nän i - ŋa ja mambaŋburra manja.

"Yau, y i - ly a ŋbarrem erra neŋgäna a reŋga m anja," n i - y äma niremba. Gäm b irra niremba n e -le g äna magaḏuwa, b iya n a r jär r in a mibina mär ra . "G i-y äm in jäminamerra g e -ŋambeŋambänamerra magaḏa manja. G a r j i järr in a m e rra , Ga-gagumeṉamerra a rre rra ,m a m a rig a yiga-mina-gagumeṉamerra. Guw-aŋgedegarrinam erra ŋawa äl y äŋma

la ŋwa ŋawa. G i-y äm in jäminamerra gambambilyamerra magaḏa manja iya m i j iy äly a manja iy a ayaŋg iy a ŋgedarrbeba."

"Yawa," änäja n i - y äma negba. "Mama da neŋgagina da yigu-min-agumeṉa mama rig a da, emba ŋanju-gwaba neŋgagina yiga-min-agumeṉa yälyugwa ŋ anju-gwaba da. G i-y äm in jämina ge-na-gagumeṉa ge-näb ib iŋgiyuwäy in a ga-'ŋambeŋambäna aŋa lya , genjäya da! Ŋaya g i - y ämina gambambilya a r ib a manja iy a alarrgumi j i y äly ig b a . G e-lege legerag ina a lege ra , garuŋbereŋ- barrŋayina är r i b är r ib a . Y i - ŋa jäy ina baba aragba, gäm b irra yär r ib a l in a da, nuŋguwa magaḏuwa, ŋan ja aribawa ŋe - le g a ja ."

S ea-gu ll and Pheasant

Sea-gull c a lle d from the sea w h ile Pheasant c a lle d from the dry land. They were having an argument.

Sea-gull sa id , "D o n 't you come here to my house."

"Oh yes! I ' l l make i t r a in fo r you and swamp your p la c e ," rep lied Pheasant.

"No m a tte r, I know how to f l y up h ig h ," sa id S e a -g u ll." I 'v e got p le n ty o f holes in the rocks h e re ."

" I ' l l s tay here. I t d o e sn 't m a tte r i f th e re 's a l o t o f r a in , " said Pheasant. "Your p lace m ight he swamped." And so they argued. " I 'm making lo ts o f is la n d s here to o . You've on ly got a few is la n d s . I have p le n ty o f magic w ords," sa id Pheasant.

"So have I ! " sa id S e a -g u ll. I t d oesn 't m a tte r i f you make ra in , I know a l l about magic words the same as you. They 're not your magic words. Those is la n d s w i l l be covered w ith w a te r, and I have a l l these caves. I know how to make a house," he sa id .

"W ell, come on! L e t 's f i g h t ! " sa id Pheasant. " A l l r ig h t , le t 's f ig h t ! " S ea -gu ll answered. Then Pheasant went up to

f ig h t Sea-gull and S ea -gu ll came fo rw ard ready to f ig h t to o . Pheasant got in the f i r s t blow and h i t S ea -gu ll on the head.

"Wail You'd h i t me, would you? Now i t ' s my tu rn to h i t you on the head," sa id S e a -g u ll.

"No! D on 't h i t me on the head, on ly on the back."

Then S ea-gu ll h i t Pheasant on the back.

"You've h i t me on the head," sa id S e a -g u ll, and he went to the sea to wash o f f the b lood, saying , " I ' l l always do th is . I ' l l always bathe in the sea. I ' l l make the w ind. I ' l l make Mamariga the East Wind blow fo r you. I t w i l l blow and blow from the East. I ' l l do th is a l l the tim e . I ' l l always s ta y in the sea, on the beach and on the is la n d s ."

" A l l r ig h t , " answered Pheasant. "You can make Mamariga blow fo r me, but I ' l l make ra in f o r you. T h a t's what I ' l l always do. I ' l l make the ra in , I ' l l make the c louds. The land w i l l be swamped, I t e l l you. I ' l l s tay on d ry land and on the shore. I ' l l b u ild houses, lo ts o f l i t t l e s h e lte rs in the bush. W e 'll separate because we've been f ig h t in g . You can go to the sea and I ' l l go in la n d ."

Dagwarrgwarrga

Dagwarrgwarrga maṉḏäg ir r iy ärra y iŋe-muŋgwadenemerra,Aŋaleba y iŋe-legaṉ emerra. A riba la ŋwa y iŋ-a le leg aṉa, y iŋe-ma- labelabaṉa magina maṉḏa g ir r iy är r a . Nara mi-bina meleŋe le ŋa jir r a wiya.

"Aŋär r ib a ŋe -le g iya m ijiy älyuw a," y iŋi - y äma.

Y iŋe-legaṉa aragba m ijiy älyuwa. Dagina y iŋ-a le legaṉ a, ambaga y iŋe-magberraŋa da. L a rrŋgeruwera aŋalya äm ig irra gämbirra agina. L a rrŋgeruwera manja y iŋe-muŋgwadenemerra da. Y iŋ- ärr ig b in äga maṉḏäg ir r iy ärra . Nem-ambambilyäga merugwerugwu- darrba iya meleŋe le ŋa j i r r i r r a dededem.

Mäma be ŋanyaŋwa mamaganja maṉḏäg i r r i y är r a , " y iŋi - y äma."Ŋanyaŋwa aŋalya äna gäm birra aragba," y iŋi - y äma. L a rrŋgeruwera aŋalya äm ig irra . Magina a lem ilya gamba naguwaŋ ä ya dademalawudawarra daŋaba. Ŋawa bina da.

Spider

Spider was d ig g in g yams a t B icke rto n . She was t r y in g the yams as she walked along in la n d , but th e re were no long ones.

" I ' l l go down to the beach," she sa id .

So she went to the beach and walked and walked u n t i l a t la s t she found some yams. The p lace where she dug the yams was c a lle d L a r rŋgeruwera. She found p le n ty o f yams. There were l i t t l e short ones and b ig long ones.

"These yams are my fo o d ," she sa id . "Th is is my place now." L a rrŋgeruwera was the mame o f the p lace . Her totem is a blood-wood tre e th a t stands th e re .

Y in ig a rrg a

Aragbawiya y in ig a rrg a yaruma daŋwa y in iy a r r e ŋga daŋwa ne-mäbemäbinema ämäba. B iya än äja nuw ilyaba nänu-walgaṉ ema b iya nän-ardarrema nagina änuŋgwama, b iya naŋgarrema gäm birra madirrawa.

Naŋgarrema mäd irraw a b iya nabuwarrgajuŋwa. Wurrugwala abe rra ja nuw-aberaŋgama w urrag ina . Än äja nawiyäbema mäd ir r a manja, emba ne-ma-dedema da. A b e rra ja wurrugwala nuw- aberaŋgayina b iya nara- n ib in a da,. Nagina ŋawa nambilyama arrawa da, Nagina nambilyama da. Gäm birra na-lawurradena manja n i- ja d a ŋ uma da. Gamba nagina naŋmuŋm agulala mäd ir r a manja da. Gämbirra. ambaga gäm b irra awaṉḏa a ragba agina da.

Chicken-hawk

Once upon a t in e an o ld man Chicken-hawk was s in g in g , and w h ile he was s in g in g another Chicken-hawk came around behind him, speared him w ith h is f is h spear and ran away to a cave.

He ran and h id in the cave. Some o the r Chicken-hawks set out to look fo r him, but he went in s id e the cave and closed the entrance. The ot hers looked fo r him but they c o u ld n 't f in d him. He is s t i l l in s id e . He is s t i l l th e re . When the o ther Chicken-hawks went away, he came out o f h id in g . Then he sat down in the cave. Now he is a stone.

D iŋin jäbäna

Dagina aragba y iŋ- i ŋgayaŋuma yagina manj a yärre m ilya da. Y iŋi - ŋa - jäyinemäga aragba dagina. Yuŋu-wurragu-lyuwagäyinemäga aŋwundegerra ŋawa da. Y iŋi - ŋa - jäyinema da. Y iŋi - y äŋbäyinema, y iŋe-radinema meŋaṉuŋgwaṉema, y iŋe-ma-ŋabugwamäga magina meŋaṉuŋgwaṉa dagina. Duwurragwulyemedäga d iŋi n jäbäna dagina. Na-ŋa-wurrra ŋuma diyugwayuwa na-ŋa -ŋwunjigama.

Ŋa la ja agina aragba a r in ja rra banguja aragba augvradaŋwayagina ne-legäna da. Naŋgedegarrina yagina b i ........ ya daginaaragba nuw-agberraDa duwilyaba da. Dedam. Aragba nuw-aŋa mänuŋalagura m anja,alagura, emba alagba augwa areŋga nuw-ambilya. Dagina aragba y iŋi-la n g ilyu w a g äna yaugujina agina Lanb ijaŋemanja, augwa Lärremuŋujnanja la ŋwa dagina y iŋe-wurrage-lawurradena.Agina ŋawa aragba da.

Porpoise

Long ago there were many porpoises l iv in g toge the r in the deep sea co ra l beds. They jo s t le d each o ther as they c irc le d around in the passage between Chasm Is land and Groote Eylandt. They bumped in to each other as they ta lke d to ge the r, h i t t in g th e ir heads and c u tt in g themselves w ith conch s h e lls , and balancing the conch s h e lls on th e ir heads. There were crowds of porpoises toge the r, toss ing th e ir l i t t l e ones in p lay and suck ling th e ir l i t t l e ones as they swam.

Then suddenly Shark appeared close by. He swam up to the porpoises and came upon one by i t s e l f and b i t i t in the m iddle. Then he ate a l l the m iddle p a rt o f the porpoise, but he l e f t the head and the t a i l . The remains o f the porpoise f lo a te d there c ir c l in g around on the waves a t L a n b ija ŋemanja, w h ile the re s t o f the porpoises came back from Lärremuŋumanja.

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