Welcome to Term 4!
This Term our unit of study is called “Side by Side” and we are learning about Indigenous peoples and culture.
The first homework for the term is about Dreamtime Stories.
Here is a link to to some Dreamtime stories online:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/dreaming/stories.html
Due to the sacredness of the Aboriginal Dreaming, the following stories have been left in their original form.
Here’s a story to read here:
Why Emu Can’t Fly
Dinewan the Emu was big and strong with huge wings that carried him over great distances. His wife had lots of children each year and he was well respected and feared. As all powerful ones, he also had his share of enemies, chief of which was Goomblegubbon the brush turkey. He envied Emu’s power of flight and the way he could run swiftly over the vast plains without tiring. So he made a plan to injure Emu and he told no-one but his wife of it. He waited till he knew that Emu was going out on the plain to feed and he made sure that he got there before him. He held his wings close in to his body, ruffled up his feathers and squatted on the ground where the grass was rich and long.
When Emu had eaten a lot of grass and was in a good mood, Goomblegubbon spoke to him. “Hello, I feel that as a friend I should point out to you that the others are wondering why a big, strong bird like you should choose to fly everywhere, instead of walking when you want to get anywhere.” Emu looked at him incredulously. How else would he get anywhere, he wondered. Goomblegubbon continued, ” No one else would dare to tell you these things Emu, but like I said, walking is best. Flying is something that any bird can do, its common and ordinary. It’s only men and strong birds like you and me, who can get about by walking. It’s a sign of distinction.” Emu thought about it and replied, “Hmm, perhaps you are right, I will have to talk about it with my wife this evening.” And off Emu went, striding across the plain to test out the theory. His long legs carried him swiftly home to his wife.
The next day, the two birds met again. “I have thought about it and decided that you were right,” Emu said. “My wife and I chopped off our wings with a stone tomahawk last night. It was painful, but my leg muscles are growing stronger already. I’ll race you to that bush.” Brush turkey laughed and laughed. “I never really thought that you would fall for the tale so easily Emu. Your brains must be as small as fledglings. But if you want to, I’ll race you.”
Emu sprinted across the sun-baked ground,as Goomblegubbon waited until Emu had nearly reached the bush, then he flapped noisily through the air, alighting well ahead of Dinewan, the Emu. “Ha, ha, what a simpleton you are Emu,” he cried. “Your people will hardly respect a bird who cannot fly.” Emu was angry. He rushed at Brush turkey, striking out at him with his powerful legs, but Goomblegubbon just flew away laughing. Emu sadly walked home to tell his wife how he had been tricked.
A whole year went by. Dinewan never said anything to the Brush turkey about the loss of his wings, and this puzzled the Brush turkey. Emu’s legs grew stronger and soon he was able to run as fast as the other could fly.
One morning, Emu took his largest two children out with him, leaving his other fourteen in their mother’s care. He met up with Goomblegubbon and his wife and their noisy brood. “Busy?” asked Dinewan the emu. “Busy!” exclaimed the Brush turkey, its hard work all day long just trying to keep all of their bellies full and they still look scrawny. We’re trying to get them to hunt for their own food, but we haven’t had much luck so far.”
“Yes, I can see that,” replied emu, “but the trouble is that there are too many of them. They don’t get a chance to grow big. We disposed of most of ours. We came to the conclusion that the only way to have strong, healthy chicks was to keep the best of them and get rid of the others. See how much bigger my two are than yours. The next generation of Dinewans will be real birds.” Goomblegubbon and his wife walked all around the Dinewan chicks and thoughtfully whispered together. Emu walked off with his chicks, chuckling quietly to himself.
The following day he met Goomblegubbon on the plain. “I have taken your advice, Emu” the Brush turkey said. “Here are my two biggest young. The others have gone. What do you think of this strong pair?” Dinewan laughed and laughed. “What a simpleton you are,” he said. “A bird’s strength lies not in his ability to use his wings, but in the number of his offspring. I am sorry for you, my friend, but perhaps it will teach you that Brush turkeys are even more foolish than emus.
THAT IS WHY EMUS HAVE MANY CHILDREN BUT CANNOT FLY, AND WHY BUSTARDS (BRUSH TURKEYS) ONLY LAY TWO EGGS EACH YEAR.
– From Ngarrindjeri Dreaming Stories (South Australian Department of Education, Training and Employment, 2000)
I think that it was mean because the brush turkey tricked the emu
I think it has a moral meaning because the turkey tricked the emu & then the emu tricked the turkey back
The emu was silly to do what the turkey said but then he used his brains and got the turkey back
CT
I think that it was mean because the turkey tricked the emu.
I think it has a moral meaning because they tricked eachother
the emu was dum to follow the turkeys orders but then thinked and got the turkey back
the moral is that that is why emu,s can not fly but run really fast and bush turkeys only lay two eggs a year. It was mean that the turkey played the trick on the emu. It is a good explanation of why they are like that though! I think it is about not trying to be better than all of the rest like the emu did when he was trying to look better without wings. the emu as big and strong and could fly a lot now he does not have wings and has a lot of enemies too. The emu’s familly were feared.
Not to trick people.
The moral is not to trick people or they will get revenge.
The emu is very powerful and can fly for long distances
The moral is do not trick people.
The emu cannot fly but the brush turkey can only lay 2 eggs because they both tricked each other they both suffer the consequences proving they are both equally daft. The brush turkey and the emu were both mean to each other and this is what they get for their trouble.
This story explains why the emu can not fly and why the brush turkey only lays 2 eggs each year.
I think the moral is do not trick others or you’ll have to suffer the consequences. The emu used to be able to fly, run and was very powerful. The emu would have lots of children. Because he was so powerful he had enemies that really didn’t t like him and would gladly try and hurt him.
I think it tells you why emu can’ t fly.
I think the moral is that you shouldn’ t.
The emu was very gullible and silly the way he fell for the turkey’s trick, but it was clever the way he tricked the turkey back.
The story is about the reason why the emu can not fly and why the brush turkey only lays two eggs a year.
The moral is that you should never someone in to doing something and not expecting to get away with what you did without getting something in return for what you did.
The brush turkey is extremely unreliable and thinks he is really smart for what he did to the emu but is really silly for thinking he would just get away with it.
The story clearly tells you why the brush turkey only lays 2 eggs and the emu can not fly. This story is very believable, the emu have very powerful legs and it explained why.
The meaning is never trick any one or you will get tricked and an other meaning is that when you hunt for emus you have to run really fast and do not kill too many brush turkeys because there aren’t many of them.
The emu is very mean to tell the emu to chop of its wings but in a way it’s the emus fault, if you weren’t dumb enough you wouldn’t of listened.
TdM
I think it’s a bad thing to do.
I think the moral is not to trick people.
The turkey tricked the emu so the emu tricked him.
I think the story is about how the emu can’t fly and how the brush turkey only lays 2 eggs each year. I think It explains that in a clever way. I think the moral is that you shouldn’t trick other people and you shouldn’t believe everything people tell you. I think the brush turkey was mean to trick emu but emu shouldn’t have listened to him.
I think the story is about a brush turkey that tricks an emu only to get tricked back.
The emu is a big feathery animal who has wings but then they get chopped of and he had to run everywhere and thats why now emus can run really fast.
i think the story is about why the emu cant fly. the moral is that you should never trick someone and expect that nothing will happen to you. the brush turkey did the wrong thing to the emu to the emu and did not expect any thing to go wrong but he was wrong some thing did happen to him.
The gamse we play today are very different conpared to the games in the aboriginal times.They used anything they can found to entertain themselves.We on the other hand buy stuff like balls or so on.The aboriginals were more active in the games they played.When we think of a game like playing the playstaition.So aboriginals and us have very different games.
Childeren these day have alot more entertainment
than back then the kids had to find there own entertainment they couldn’t just go to there bedroom and play a game of monopoly. Kids had to make up games without any equipment so they couldn’t play anything like cricket.
I think that Indigenous Australians plays a lot different to how we do now. They played with balls made out of animal skins and wood. We play with electric devices and ball games that we don’t make. We just go to a shop and say “Mum I want that and that and that” and sometimes it works, but they had to make their own equipment to use. They didn’t pollute the environment with electric gadgets like we do. They play with the environment and use it as an object all we do is harming it and also destroying it.