While Ant-eater [the echidna] goes out to look for food, Turtle looks after baby Ant-eater. When Ant-eater has not returned by the third day, Turtle eats baby Ant-eater. Ant-eater returns and, in anger, begins to throw stones at Turtle. Turtle throws spears at Ant-eater. This is why the echidna's back is covered with spines, and the turtle's back is covered with stones.
According to this Dreaming story, 'If you look carefully you can see the little baby ant-eater in the turtle's mouth'. Source: Aboriginal Children's Stories (1968)
Crow often went out on a raft to get food for his family, bringing home plenty of bush food - goanna, water-snake, duck, lily roots. Although Crow continually offers to loan the raft to Sandpiper, he hides it in the razor-grass every day. Sandpiper gets annoyed and decides to punish Crow for his deceit, setting fire to Crow's house. Crow was 'burned to black' and remains black today. Sandpiper's legs are 'striped with red' because he was injured by the razor-grass.
Goanna, a very proud creature, asks Lizard to paint a pattern on his back. Lizard complies and asks that Goanna do the same for him. Goanna takes little care with his painting, angering Lizard, who chases Goanna. Goanna escapes up a tree and retains his lovely pattern forever.
Emu loved flying all over the world. Sometimes he came to the ground to rest. One day when he was sleeping, an old man came along looking for food. The old man tried to catch Emu, but Emu escaped, leaving the old man with a handful of feathers. This is why Emu cannot fly.
The very old man told his children to stay away from the river on the other side of the waterhole. The eldest son, who wore white paint on his body, disobeyed his father and got lost near the river. A strange bird caught him, and he found his paint turning to feathers and claws growing on his feet. When the old man saw two birds flying above him, he knew his son had been turned into a cockatoo.
Skinny little Whale was teased by Shark for being so small. All of the fish laughed at him, making Whale very angry. Octopus offered Whale advice in return for not being eaten. Octopus told Whale that he should eat a lot of fish, until he became the biggest of all. Now all of sharks and other fish are afraid of him.
