EMU & WILD TURKEY (Dreamtime)

Long ago in the Dreamtime, the Emu and the wild Turkey were sisters. As children, they went everywhere together, they played, hunted and danced together, and they sang through the gullies and the bush. Boarta the Turkey was older than Woorpun the Emu. Because she was older, she always told the stories of their adventures. Emu didn't seem to mind. She was taller, and could run faster, and fly higher than all the other birds. Because the Emu was the larger and faster of the two, she was the queen of all he birds. But as the days passed, and the sisters grew older, so they grew apart.
One day as Boarta the turkey was gathering food near the river, she saw her sister flying high above her. Wooripun the Emu was twirling and whirling, and because Boarta the turkey knew that her sister was showing off, she said,
'Just because she has bigger wings than I, it
doesn't make her the queen of all the birds.'
One day, turkey was returning to her camp with some fish that her friend Pelican had just caught. Turkey loved fish, and thought that it was very good of Pelican to give them to her. As she approached her camp, her sister Wooripun came parading past. When Emu saw the fish, she stopped.
'Fish! Oh, how I do love fish! They are my
favourite food in all the land! Are you going to share them with me?'
Turkey was furious! Here was her sister whom she now hated, asking for her share of fish! Wooripun would have to be taught a lesson. One she would never forget! So Boarta lied to her sister, "If you like fish, why don't you catch them yourself? I do. It's really very easy. And anyway, you can only eat fish, if you catch them yourself. Otherwise, a bone will catch in your throat, and
will choke you!' Wooripun the Emu thought that this sounded a bit silly. but her sister was older, and knew more than she did, so what she said must be right.
The Emu followed Turkey back to her camp, her eyes never leaving the fish in the dilli bag. Then turkey sat down, and began to eat. she didn't offer Emu any, but ate it all by herself, saying,
'Fish is such lovely food. I don't know what I
would do if I couldn't catch fish!'
Emu sat and watched. She was very hungry. So she
said to her sister,
'Will you teach me to catch fish? I know I could if
you showed me how.'
the turkey finished eating, and agreed to show Emu
how to catch fish.
'I am one of the best fishermen in the whole
land. I am good because my wings are small. You
couldn't fish with those big clumsy wings of
yours.'
Wooripun the Emu looked at her sister Boarta's wings. They were small, and fitted snugly against her body. Turkey told her that if she wanted to be a good fisherman, she would have to cut off her beautiful big wings!
'Cut off my wings? but I need my wings for my
long journeys. How will I fly without them?'
So Boarta the Turkey told her that it would be really simple to cut them off, and then if she ever needed them, they could always be stuck on again. And what was more, without her wings, the Emu could catch all the fish she ever wanted. Emu could resist no longer. She loved fish, so her wings would have to come off. And, as Turkey said, she could always have them back when she wanted them. Turkey would arrange the ceremony for cutting her sister's wings. All the animals gathered for the ceremony. The old Wombat brought the special stone for Wooripun to use. Emu was ready. She could almost taste the fish! As soon as her wings were gone, she would rush to the river, and begin to fish. The animals formed a circle and Emu stood in the centre. With two quick blows with the special stone, Turkey cut her sister's wings off!
The animals had never seen an Emu with no wings. She did look a bit silly! They began to giggle. Emu just stood there. What were they laughing at? Was it her? Then she realized. It was her! They were laughing at her! She looked down at her beautiful wings, lying on the ground. Turkey had tricked her. She would never fly again. The animals rolled about laughing. That would teach Emu that she wasn't queen of the birds! Poor Emu, she wanted to die. She stumbled away into the bush to hide her shame. She would never forgive her sister. A long time passed before the sisters met again. By then, the Emu had ten children. One day, she was out hunting with two of her children when she saw her sister Turkey in the distance. Emu put her head in the air and started to hurry off, but turkey, who had seen her, called out to her,
'Sister, how does it feel to be queen of the birds, and have no wings?'
Emu stopped. The words stung her. She looked at Turkey, and then at her ten children. Emu was wingless, but she would have her revenge somehow.
She said to turkey, 'I feel for you. I have forgiven you your mean deed. Now I have these two lovely children to comfort me. But I feel sorry for you.'
This surprised Boarta the turkey. Why should the Emu forgive her? Emu explained to her sister,
"Look at your children. You have so many, and they are so small. Do they get enough to eat? Look at my two. They are big and strong, but then I have only two children, and you have ten. Oh, I do feel sorry for you!'
Turkey looked at Wooripun the Emu's two children. Indeed, they were big and strong. Turkey hated to think that her little sister would have bigger and stronger children than she. While she was wondering what to do, Emu called out,
'I know what I would do. I'd pick out the healthiest two, and keep them. Then I would kill all the rest, so they are not a disgrace to you.'
Turkey said nothing. She gathered up her children, and walked away. Perhaps Emnu was right, perhaps her children were not eating enough. The next day, Wooripun the Emu, and two of her children were feeding at the waterhole again. They hadn't been there long when Turkey arrived with only two of her children. Emu looked at them,
'What happened to the rest of your poor starving children? Did you leave them at your camp?'
Turkey spread her wings, gave a little flap, and said to her sister,
'I have killed them. Now my two children will grow up to be as big and strong as yours are. Now we will have children of the same size, but I will still have my wings.'
Emu gave a little low whistle, and as she did so, eight little striped feathered chicks ran from the bush, and joined their mother. Turkey let out a cry. She had been tricked into killing eight of her children. Then Wooripun the Emu said to her,
'You have your wings, and I have all my children. You tricked me because you were jealous. I lost my wings because I was greedy. Now I have tricked you, and your envy has cost you eight of your children. Let us stop now, and live our lives in peace.'
And ever since that time, the Emu has had no wings, and the wild turkey has only laid two eggs, a permanent reminder of their greed and jealousy, long ago in the Dreamtime.