Dinewan The Emu And Wahn The Crows
: Australian Legendary TalesDinewan and his two wives, the Wahn, were camping out. Seeing some
clouds gathering, they made a bark humpy. It came on to rain, and they
all took shelter under it. Dinewan, when his wives were not looking,
gave a kick against a piece of bark at one side of the humpy, knocked
it down, then told his wives to go and put it up again. When they were
outside putting it up, he gave a kick, and knocked down a piece on the
oth
This he did time after time, until at last they su spected him, and
decided that one of them would watch. The one who was watching saw
Dinewan laugh to himself and go and knock down the bark they had just
put up, chuckling at the thought of his wives having to go out in the
wet and cold to put it up, while he had his supper dry and comfortably
inside. The one who saw him told the other, and they decided to teach
him a lesson. So in they came, each with a piece of bark filled with
hot coals. They went straight up to Dinewan, who was lying down
laughing.
"Now," they said, "you shall feel as hot we did cold." And thev threw
the coals over him. Dinewan jumped up. crying aloud with the pain, for
he was badly burnt. He rolled himself over, and ran into the rain; and
his wives stayed inside, and laughed aloud at him.
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