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Long, long ago, a koala lived
on the top of a mountain. Every night she came down to a waterhole
in the Wollondilly to drink. There she met the Bunyip who
lived in the deepest, darkest part of the swamp. Koala was
not afraid of the Bunyip and they would talk all through the
night about ancient times. The Bunyip was feared and hated
by the people of the area, but koalas were loved for their
gentleness and their plaintive cry that reached the hearts
of all who heard it. All koalas were safe, because their flesh
was never eaten.
The other koalas were afraid
that the people would hear of the friendship between Koala
and the Bunyip and be angry with them. Man hunts wallabies
and kangaroo and lizards and he eats them, they said. If
he did not love the koalas, he would eat us too. They pleaded
with Koala but she would not listen to their advice. Every
night she left her baby alone while she and the Bunyip talked
until the eastern sky paled and the sun began to rise.
The older koalas met and discussed
what to do about Koala and the Bunyip. They had seen the clay
markings of the featherfoot (sorcerer) as he danced and spoke
to the Spirits. The magic is in the markings on his body,
one of them said to the others. You must help me put clay
on my body in the same pattern and then the featherfoots
magic will come to our aid.
Before dusk the older koala
painted himself with clay. He listened to the Bunyip crashing
up the steep mountainside. Trees snapped under his heavy tread
and large boulders crashed through the scrub. The painted
koala found the baby koala waiting for its mother and he held
it in his arms until he heard Koala and Bunyip getting closer.
As soon as Koala appeared he placed the baby firmly on its
mothers back and whispered, Hang on tight, and never let
go.
The magic in the markings was
so strong that the baby clung tightly to its mother. Every
effort she made to dislodge it failed. Bunyip got tired of
waiting for Koala to get rid of her baby so he made his way
back to the swamp. The painted koala said, You will not so
easily get rid of your baby. To show how important this lesson
really is, the marks painted on me will always remain on the
faces of our people.
The marks on the face of the
koala today are a reminder to every generation that if they
value their lives they must not associate with the Bunyip.
Adapted
from C W Peck, Australian Legends (Melbourne: Lothian
Publishing Co., 1933)
The National Library of Australia acknowledges the kind assistance
of the Illawarra Aboriginal nations.
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