ooloo.

6. THE WEEOONIBEENS AND THE PIGGIEBILLAH

Two Weeoombeen brothers went out hunting. One brother was much younger
than the other and smaller, so when they sighted an emu, the elder one
said to the younger: "You stay quietly here and do not make a noise, or
Piggiebillah, whose camp we passed just now, will hear you and steal
the emu if I kill it. He is so strong. I'll go on and try to kill the
emu with this stone." The little Weeoombeen watched his big brother
sneak up to the emu, crawling along, almost flat, on the ground. He saw
him get quite close to the emu, then spring up quickly and throw the
stone with such an accurate aim as to kill the bird on the spot. The
little brother was so rejoiced that he forgot his brother's caution,
and he called aloud in his joy. The big Weeoombeen looked round and
gave him a warning sign, but too late, Piggiebillah had heard the cry
and was hastening towards them. Quickly big Weeoombeen left the emu and
joined his little brother.

Piggiebillah, when he came up, said: "What have you found?"

"Nothing," said the big Weeoombeen, "nothing but some mistletoe
berries."

"It must have been something more than that, or your little brother
would not have called out so loudly."

Little Weeoombeen was so afraid that Piggiebillah would find their emu
and take it, that he said: "I hit a little bird with a stone, and I was
glad I could throw so straight."

"It was no cry for the killing of a little bird or for the finding of
mistletoe berries that I heard. It was for something much more than
either, or you would not have called out so joyfully. If you do not
tell me at once I will kill you both."

The Weeoombeen brothers were frightened, for Piggiebillah was a great
fighter and very strong, so when they saw he was really angry, they
showed him the dead emu.

"Just what I want for my supper," he said, and so saying, dragged it
away to his own camp. The Weeoombeens followed him and even helped him
to make a fire to cook the emu, hoping by so doing to get a share given
to them. But Piggiebillah would not give them any; he said he must have
it all for himself.

Angry and disappointed, the Weeoombeens marched straight off and told
some black fellows who lived near, that Piggiebillah had a fine fat emu
just cooked for supper.

Up jumped the black fellows, seized their spears, bade the Weeoombeens
quickly lead them to Piggiebillah's camp, promising them for so doing a
share