In a place not far from here, many generations ago. Our people learned a great lesson. It didn’t come about through some evil sprit, nor did it come through a great animal. It came about through our hard harts.
It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining through the soft white clouds. The creek that flowed new to our camp whispered its way by, just loud enough for us to hear. our people live together in community, in harmony with our surroundings using what we had available to us, helping each other working and shearing together as a team.
Our hunters were the finest in the land and sat sharpening there spears and weapons of choice, shearing stories of the biggest catch. One sat up and told of the mighty Kangaroos to the north, agreeing they were big another said but the emus to the east were the best tasting he went on to say.
Not to be out done, another said the goanna’s just behind the camp were the best! Never oily or dry, but just right roasted on eh fire. He said rubbing his belly.
You see our people tried to work together; there was another group of people, sitting grinding the toasted kernels of wattle and swamp grass. Using the large stone grinding stones, talking together about where the best seeds were. One said the swamps to the east were the best and that’s where the fattest seeds were! Another said the trees to the west were where the fattest seeds were and on the way we could catch some snakes to eat!
The children were practicing how to make fire, with the fire stick. Rubbing and rolling the sticks between there hands and fingers. It was hard work for the youngsters and sweat started to pore from the brows of there heads. One small one even started to get blisters on his hands!
The elders of the tribe, sat quietly, painting the stories of the tribe on the bark of the stringy bark tree, cut green and square in shape. Others painted on small animals they had carved out of the softer paper bark tree.
They talked of the mountains in the north, the stream that was fed by the mighty river near by. One stood up and told of how the valleys in the west were made by the to big kangaroos fighting over a fair maiden. Another told the story about the great flood that created the vast oceans to the east!
Goombuckar and bubberlacoom were to brothers, they were mighty hunters in the tribe. All the people loved them and were proud of them, they stood up and talked about the Kangaroos in the north, laughing and joking about the hunts they have been on together up there.
One of the children came up to them and said she was hungry and her family was in need of meat to eat. Goombuckar and Bubberlacoom rose to the occasion they both said we will go hunting for you and your family, but one Goombuckar said we will go hunting in the north for Kangaroos but Bubberlacoom said we will go hunting Emu in the east.
Suddenly a great argument broke out between the 2 brothers, both wanting to get there way, not listing or remembering the ways of our people. Not remembering the ways of compromise and respectful talking to each other, shearing and working together.
No, they both wanted to get there own way and none would give!
The brothers started pushing each other, and the whole tribe looked and pleaded with the brothers to stop. The brothers would not listen it was to late. Bubberlacoom hit Goombuckar with his boomerang.
The tribe wailed and 2 of Goombuckar’s friends came to his aid!
The elders of the tribe stood up and spoke to Bubberlacoom about his behaviour and asked him to apologise and help his brother. But Bubberlacoom would not. His hart was hard and pride has taken control. Bubberlacoom would not.
The tribe was sad, knowing what had to be done. They told Bubberlacoom that if he would not follow the tribal law he would have to leave. Bubberlacoom would not listen to the people that he loved. He would not listen as his hart was full of pride and resentment.
So the tribe told him to leave, he must leave the tribe and never come back.
So Bubberlacoom left, he ran and he ran covering his tracks as he went getting angrier and angrier as he went. His hart was hard! His hart would not let him see, would not let him see the truth. He was wrong.
Bubberlacoom wandered in the bush by him self, after a while he started to settle down, he sat on a log. He started to think about what he had done, he hit his brother he hurt his brother, why? He knew he had done wrong.
He had to go back.
The tribe was sad for Bubberlacoom, they all knew he had done wrong, he had hurt Goombuckar for pride, for wanting to be the boss when he was not. They were brothers. So they went on doing what they should be doing, but every now an then you caould see them watching, waiting for Bubberlacoom to come back. All hoped he would and do what was right.
They started to sing!
Bubberlacoom heard it, so he crept up slowly, ashamed of what he had done! One of the elders saw him and stoped the dance!
And said come……..come and do what is right.
Bubberlacoom creped out from where he was hiding, all the tribe saw him and pointed to where Goombuckar was. Bubberlacoom came to Goombuckar and knelt in front of him, holding his sorry and heavy hart. I am sorry my brother he said.
Goombuckar pulled him to his feet and they were brothers once again.
