In the Dreamtime, when all the birds and creatures were all people, there lived a lady with two sons.
One day they all went out hunting, gathering yams and other things to eat. Their mother told her two sons not to go south to the big swamp or the monster would get them.
While they were hunting, the two boys were amazed by a bird who was whistling. Never before had they heard such a lovely sound. They came closer. Then the bird flew away to another tree, and to another.
The two boys kept on chasing the bird deep into the heart of the swamp. They didn’t realise they were being lured by a magical monster.
Meanwhile their mother heard a faint whisper in the air. Then she looked around and saw that her two boys were missing.
The mother thought to herself, “Perhaps they are at the water.” She ran to the swamp and there she saw big bubbles on the water. The monster had taken her children.
She burst into tears and went home crying. Her heart was full of grief, she hit her head with the digging stick, and blood ran down upon her chest.
After a while the broken-hearted mother died of grief. Then she turned into a beautiful red breasted crimson chat.
You can see the blood stain on that bird’s breast even today.
About Jukurrpa Stories
Jukurrpa Stories are produced at PAW Media, an Indigenous media organisation in the remote community of Yuendumu, NT. Stories are developed at the Billingual Resource Development Unit in Yuendumu, along with other Warlpiri language teaching resources.
Voiced by Louanna Williams
Recording and Sound Design: Esau Japanangka Marshall
Story: Anthony Egan Jampijinparlu
Podcast Tile Image: Mina Mina Jukurrpa (Mina Mina Dreaming), Jeanie Napangardi Lewis, Warlukurlangu Artists
