# The Aborigines of Victoria and Riverina/Chapter 19

CHAPTER XIX.
AN ADDITIONAL EPISODE IN THE LIVES OF THE KURWIE AND COURTENIE; OF THE FIRST ADVENT OF THE SUN's LIGHT ON THE EARTH AND ITS CAUSE; REWARDS AND PUNISHMENT FOR GOOD AND BAD DEEDS; NOBLE CONDUCT AND ITS GUERDON, AS DISPLAYED IN THE LEGEND OF THE NGAROU (BUSTARD, OR WILD TURKEY OF THE COLONISTS) PEOPLE.
The Courtenie and Kurwie did not again come in contact until a goodly time had elapsed after the cruel slaughter of the Kurwielets, and when chance did once more bring them together, the feelings of the Kurwie were scarcely of a friendly nature towards the cunning old Dame Courtenie.
The wholesale slaughter of her promising young brood by the margin of the great reedy marsh still rankled in her mind, and the unsolicited presence of the vile Dame Courtenie, that had, by dint of the most specious mendacity, induced the unmotherly act, did not tend to lessen the never ceasing regret; but, on the contrary, it brought all the terrible proceedings as vividly to her mind as though the deed were only a day old, instead of a dozen moons.
Breeding time had again come round, and the Kurwie was patiently sitting on thirteen eggs, which, she trusted, would in due time produce an equal number of downy Kurwielets. the fate of which she determined should be very different to that of her former clutch.
​When Dame Courtenie saw her simple victim of old so contentedly sitting beneath a bushy tree, the dense foliage of which kept the chill, biting winds at a respectable distance. She immediately divined that poor Kurwie was contentedly engaged hatching another brood. This being apparently so. the wicked old bird set her cunning wits to work at once to turn the circumstance to some malicious account. Accordingly, with much pretended meekness, she approached the sitting Kurwie, saying, "Ah, my dear Kurwie, I am so overjoyed to meet you again; it does seem quite an age since we last forgathered. Where have you been all the while? Surely you have not avoided me purposely?" Indeed, then, dame Courtenie, that is just what I have done; and now that you are here I do not wish to have anything to say to you at all, your absence I assure you is appreciated infinitely more than your abominable presence, therefore, if it be all the same to you, you had better take yourself off at once. You're a vile old bird, and should not be allowed to come near any bird, or beast either, for that matter, that has the slightest pretensions to respectability."
"Poor old thing" rejoined the Courtenie, "I believe you are in a passion. What, have you not forgotten the little cheepers yet, that you so properly knocked on the head, by my advice, last season? Well to be sure, now after that conduct nothing can astonish me. Certainly gratitude does not seem to be a failing of yours, but it serves me right, and just shows the folly of throwing away good advice on fools; however, I shall be more careful in future."
The Kurwie, being a bird of long suffering, could upon ​occasion stand a considerable amount of humbug, but to becalled a fool was a trifle more than her good nature could put up with; therefore she sprang off her nest, intending to make it a salutary warning to old dame Courtenie, and as she did so she said, "You wretched wry-necked old harridan, what do you mean by coming here at all? If you don't get out of this neighbourhood at once I shall incapacitate you from ever doing so." Thereupon she made a determined rush at the crooked-necked brute, intent on slaughter dire; unfortunately, however, she knew but little of the cunning possessed by the sly grey bird, as the immediate sequel demonstrated. The Conrtenie waited calmly until her furious adversary was within a few feet, when she nimbly flapped her wings and vaulted lightly over the poor Kurwie's back, alighting close by the side of the nest; meantime the impetus of the Kurwie's deadly attack had carried that poor bird many yards away, and by the time she had stayed her irate career, and turned round, the wicked old Courtenie had danced all the eggs but one to smash, and that one she held in one foot, whilst she wickedly hopped about on the other, to an accompaniment of derisive ejaculations.
When the irate Kurwie saw the destruction which theCourtenie had effected with her cherished eggs, with foam flaked beak, she again rushed madly at the vile old brute; but, alas, the result of this second attack was as futile as the former one, for, judging her time accurately, the sly Courtenie again sprang into the air, as Kurwie came up with a rush, sending the egg which she held in her claw, at the same time, flying to the sky with as great velocity ​as a Toort (star) falls to the earth. When the egg reached the sky, it struck on a great heap of wood which had been gathered there by Ngoudenout, and the concussion was so great, fire immediately followed the violent contact, and lo, the whole world was incontinently flooded with celestial light!
The consternation of the Kurwie, and old dame Courtenie as well, upon this sudden deluge of unheard of effulgence was so altogether overpowering, their virulent feud was forgotten on the moment, and they and their descendents have ever since dwelt together in perfect amity, jointly paying due homage to the celestial orb of day, which had its being, and arose, out of their latest and most deadly quarrel; and which has continued ever since to bless the face of all nature with its brilliant and vivifying rays.
When the sun had thus made his glorions appearance, blessing the hitherto gloomy earth with his light and genial warmth, those of the birds and beasts who had been good in their respective generations, and had striven on all occasions to assist their fellows when overtaken by trouble, and had looked after their own food, without reference to what their neighbours fed upon, were at once converted into blackfellows, and their ancient fellows that had been discontented grumblers, and otherwise obnoxious were given them to prey upon.
This is one of the very few instances wherein their legends speak of rewards and punishments for good and bad behaviour.
Another instance is illustrated in the legend of the ogre Ngarou, that lived on the earth ages before the advent of ​the Sun. This vile Ngarou's habits were of a most depraved nature, in fact many of them had never been heard of in Ngaroudom until his hideous appearance came on the scene to defile the earth.
His prevailing penchant, and the one most dreaded by the innocent Ngarou people, was that of slaying his unsuspicious fellows and feasting upon their flesh.
To enable him to pander easily to this detestable longing of his, he had cunningly made his camp on the margin of a nice plain, where delicious yams grew abundantly; and where Ngarous from all quarters made a point of assembling, in the proper seasons, to feed on the succulent and milky roots, so grateful to their simple tastes.
In the long, gloomy periods of that sunless time, when crowds of Ngarous feasted on the fair yam plain, this wicked old monster would patiently wait, and watch, until some unwary young Ngarou separated from his fellows, to enjoy his accustomed siesta by some fragrant myall tree, away from the noise and turmoil caused by his busily feeding brethren; and as soon as slumber had supervened upon his preceding state of repletion, the old watchful vagabond would stealthily creep up to his unsuspicious and unconscious victim, and throttle him ere he had a chance of waking.
The position chosen by the wicked old Ngarou for his camp was not only advantageous to him, by reason of its near proximity to the succulent yam-field, but also because the great highway, along which the Ngarou people were wont to travel, when visiting their breeding grounds every season, ran close by the spot.
​As a matter of course, many travelling Ngarous were overcome by fatigue, called at the camp, and asked permission to rest their wearied wings and feet ere proceeding further on their journey.
On those occasions the wicked old monster seemed the very personification of hospitality, nothing was too good for his way-worn guests; and the manner in which he used to make his better half trot about to procure yams, as well as other esculents, for the tired travellers to feast upon, was really something to admire.
After feasting his visitors until their crops were incapable of further distention, with the assistance of his dame he would then prepare soft and fragrant couches of yam stalks, for the reception of their weary limbs, upon which he had much pleasure in seeing them prepare to repose. When this wished-for moment arrived, he would bid them take a good sound sleep, so that they might rise refreshed for another weary day's travel.
Thereupon he and his spouse would retire as though they also were about to court repose; this, however, was the very furthest idea from their wicked thoughts, as the retiring to rest was only the merest pretence, meant to lull his guests into feelings of false security; in most cases too the ruse succeeded. As soon as silence had fallen on the sleeping camp, and no sound was there, saving the deep breathing of the sore winged and footed sleepers, the detestable old ogre wonld stealthily arise, using much caution the while, fearful lest the least stir should awaken the weary travellers, and so frustrate his diabolical designs.
​If he found, on peering cautiously at the couches, that his way-worn guests still slept on, he would creep out of the camp to the fire, and with a shovel (which had long before been prepared for the purpose) take up quite a heap of glowing embers, which he straightway poured over the sleepers' devoted heads, thereby sending them into their last long sleep.
As a matter of course, the poor Ngarous thus destroyed were carefully hidden away, so that casual passing travellers might not have a chance of discovering the wicked character of the beastly ogre, and he and his spouse, worthy spouse for such a mate, would delectate upon the bodies of their victims as long as they lasted; and when the ghastly food had all been consumed, they wearied much, until dame fortune kindly sent them some other tired out Ngarou in search of rest and refreshments, when the same cruel proceedings would be pitilessly and ruthlessly carried out.
The total disappearance of so many of their fellows, and always during their migrations at breeding time, or at the yam season, gave rise to the greatest distress and wonderment among the innocent Ngarous; but when they discovered the cause of their many serious bereavements through the escape of a half-throttled, young yam-eating Ngarou, together with a like miraculous escape of a worn-down old hen returning from the breeding grounds, that managed to get out of the horrid monster's clutches, with the loss of all her neck and head feathers, their consternation was pitiful to behold. They knew not what to do, in ​this the greatest extremity which ever befel their lot; however, they determined in future to exercise more wariness on their gaming expeditions, and their breeding grounds excursions. But notwithstanding all the caution displayed by the terror-stricken Ngarous, every now and then a fresh disappearance would occur, to add to their already abundant grief.
This relentless old vagabond had practised these abominable atrocities as long as the most ancient Ngarou could remember, though so late of being discovered, and he was now becoming worse, and more daring the older he grew, in fact the poor Ngarou people had no longer any peace or happiness of their lives, because of this cruel monster's continued wickedness.
Every Ngarou in the land had lost some near or dear fellow by the horrid ogre's machinations; nothing but wailing was therefore heard throuhogut the length and breadth of Ngaroudom; the poor Ngarous were actually driven to their wit's end, so much so indeed they had serious thoughts of making a general exodus to some other country where they would have a chance of feeding in peace; it was only the fear of being followed by their arch enemy that decided them against the movement.
About this time of universal sorrow in the Ngarou nation, two smart young Ngarous that had travelled through strange lands, and sojourned with extraordinary beasts, returned home to find the whole of their kindred swallowed up by uncontrollable grief, by reason of their numerous bereavements. On learning the cause of all the wailing and misery throughout the land, which had so astonished ​them on their return, they laid their wise, though albeit youthful heads together, with the view of devising some prompt means of ridding the nation of the foul-feeding fiend, from whom it had suffered so much, and so long.
Their cogitations resulted in the framing of a scheme which they deemed most feasible for the purpose, although, perhaps, the carrying of it out would entail considerable risk; this latter, however, they had patriotically determined to encounter, if found necessary. Their scheme was as follows:—
They were to contrive to reach the great yam plain unperceived by the wicked old ogre, when one of them was immediately to hide himself mid the tall yam stalks, whilst the other was most conspicuously to pretend to feed for some considerable time, after which (when he had seen that the wicked old fiend had observed him) he was to retire to some cosy corner, in close proximity to his friend, as though intending to take a quiet slumber, after his seemingly satisfactory meal; and then, when the unnatural old Ngarou came slyly up, intent upon procuring his coveted, and disgusting food, on a preconcerted signal being given by the dauntless Ngarou that was to pretend to feed, they were simultaneously to fall on the national foe, with the most deadly determination, nor fail in their arduous efforts for a moment, until Ngaroudom was freed from the foul-feeding monster; and as the foe to which they were thus to give battle was very old, and consequently very feeble, they doubted not but that the issue would be successful in every particular.
​The travelled Ngarous were fortunate enough to carry out their concerted scheme to the very end; after a severe struggle they destroyed the abominable ogre, and left his vile old carcase to rot on the plain, which had been the scene whereon many of his most detestable atrocities had been cruelly enacted.
To do every honour to these brave slayers of the demon Ngarou, on their return from the successful exploit, nearly all the inhabitants of Ngaroudom assembled, and whilst the Ngarou people were lavishing honours and caresses on their brave saviours, as they designated them, they suddenly soared away in circling whirls, higher and higher, until they reached the very Tyrili (sky) itself, when they became fixed as the pointers to the Southern Cross.
The consternation and lamentations of the Ngarou nation were very terrible when they beheld their two noble deliverers soaring away towards Tyrili in airy circles, but when they saw them fixed as Toorts, and felt, therefore, that they had been merely translated to a higher sphere, they one and all danced with joy, saying the bleak, dark earth was not good enough for them, and that a much higher guerdon had been conferred on them for the supreme service they had rendered to the nation, than if all the Ngarous in the world had endowed them with the whole of their possessions. And now these two glorious Toorts can for ever see, from their commanding position, how truly grateful all the Ngarou people are for the mighty service they had performed ere being translated, and gratitude from their heretofore fellows is as grateful to them, as is the ​fragrance of the Yanup (Myall) in the nostrils of the yam-loving Ngarous.