Free Kakadu Calling by Jane Christophersen Page B

go hunting. The next day he was up before the sun and he looked out over the plain. The fire had burnt itself out and there wasn’t a buffalo to be seen.

    Burrki gathered his things and set off. He soon came to a creek with cool, fast-flowing water. He knew it was clean because he could see the sandy bottom and, without hesitating, he jumped in. First he quenched his thirst with a long drink and then he had a wash, rubbing sand against his body to get rid of the dust and dirt.
    By now Burrki was ravenously hungry, so he climbed onto a log poking up out of the water and he stood with his spear ready. Before long, a catfish swam out from under the log. With careful aim, Burrki threw his weapon and speared the fish. Because he’d been so hungry, he speared asecond catfish to eat later. Burrki lit a fire with his firestick, and he soon had his breakfast cooking on the coals.
    Carrying his firestick, Burrki walked along the edge of the creek. Every now and again he stopped to pick berries and quench his thirst. He knew that if he followed the creek it would bring him to where his mother’s family lived. The country began to change and he moved into the woodland where the trees were tall. Here the jungle started to get dense and no sun could get through.
    â€˜Now I must remember to keep the sun behind me or I’ll get lost,’ Burrki told himself.
    Burrki walked and walked, and at last he could hear the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. He emerged from the thick vegetation and came out near a beautiful beach. Burrki could hear the breeze blowing through the casuarina trees. It was as if they were talking to him and saying they were happy to see him.

    Looking around, Burrki realised he wasn’t far from his uncle’s house — it was just around the point. As he walked along the beach, he looked down at the tracks of turtles that had laid their eggs above the high-water mark. He crossed a little creek — the same creek that he had followed for miles from the hilly country, except it was now running into the salt water.
    Burrki also saw crocodile tracks. He cautiously looked around in case the crocodile was still around, but then he saw the slides in the sand where it had come up and gone back out to sea.
    Burrki reached the point and walked around the rocks. A little way down the beach he could see mobs of children and dogs playing under the trees. Immediately the dogs started barking and came bounding towards him. He wasn’t afraid because he knew most of them, and he yelled out for them to be quiet.
    By this time all the children were running and calling, ‘Burrki! Burrki! Burrki!’ Burrki’s uncle was standing outside his house in the shadow of the trees. He didn’t move, but stood and waited for Burrki to come to him.
    â€˜How did you get here?’ he asked.
    â€˜I walked from Granny’s place. I was lonely and I wanted to come home,’ said Burrki.
    â€˜Well,’ said his uncle, ‘you’re a brave boy to walk all that way by yourself. How long did it take you?’
    â€˜I think it was four days because I slept three nights,’ said Burrki.

    That night there was a big corroboree for Burrki and he had to tell the story of his adventure over and over again. He had been right. Everyone was happy to see him and he was glad to be home. Burrki enjoyed all this attention, but he also knew that when his mother and father returned from their ceremonies, he would receive a punishment for running away from his grandparents.

Fishing Trip

    N amanji and Bulak were two brothers who lived on an island off the north coast of Australia. Namanji was the oldest. He was thirteen years old and Bulak was eleven.

    One weekend, Namanji and Bulak were told that their uncle and aunty and cousins were coming in from their inland outstation to visit. When the boys’ mother said that they would need more food, Namanji and Bulak decided to take their canoe