Page 2
Waŋganymirr ḻurrkun' miyalkkurruwurr marrtjin bala maypalwu.
One day, three women went out to collect some shellfish.
Page 4
Ŋunhi walal marrtjinany, ŋayiny walalaŋ bunan waŋgany miyalk yäku Garkman.
After they arrived, there was another woman there by the name of “Garkman”.
Page 6
Ga walalnydja nhäŋal ŋanya bala waŋanan bitjarra, "Way Garkman, nhaku nhe dhuwal marrtjin räli?" Ga ŋayiny waŋan, "Go… be muka limurr dhu marrtji bala maypalwu."
When they saw her, the three women asked, “Hey Garkman, why are you here?” Garkman replied, “Oh I thought we were going to collect some shellfish.”
Page 8
Ga walalnydja buku-bakmaraŋal bitjarr, "Nhaka, dhuwal nhe dhuŋa maypalwu, nhe balaŋ bäynha ŋula nhän maypal buŋu."
Yurr ŋayiny Garkmandja bitjarr, "Nhaka… yan limurr marrtjin gu’!"
The women replied, “No, you don’t know about shellfish, you might collect the inedible ones.” Garkman responded, “It doesn’t matter, let’s go!”
Page 10
Bala walal yarru'-yarrupthurra raŋilila, bala marrtjin bumara maypalnha yurr mekawu’ yan.
Then they all went down to the beach to get shellfish, but they were only getting milky rock oysters.
Page 12
Ga ŋayiny ŋunhi Garkmandja dhuŋa ŋurukiyi maypalwu, bili ŋayi ŋuli ga nhina yan wäŋaŋur, bala ŋayi dhumbal'yurra nhäthinya mekawu’ maypal.
Garkman knew nothing about milky oysters, she always stayed home and was confused because she didn’t know what milky oysters looked like.
Page 14
Bala ŋayi marrtjin bumarnydja dhuŋuŋaniŋ’nha yanbi mekawun’.
Garkman was collecting some sugar limpets thinking they were the milky oysters.
Page 16
Bumar ŋayi marrtjin dhaŋaŋ. Bala ŋayi wätthurra walalaŋ, "Walal! Wanhan nhumalaŋguny maypal? Ŋarrany dhuwal bilin dhaŋaŋguŋala."
She collected more and more of the sugar limpets. Then she called out to the women, “Hey! Did you guys get anything? I’ve got plenty!”
Page 18
Bala walal bukmak yan marrtjin balan ḏiltjilila, ga walalnydja waŋan bitjarr, "Way! Gumurr-djarrak, dhaŋaŋguŋal nhe dhuwal muka? Mak napurr nhäma nhuŋu go."
Then they all went to the bush, the women looked and said, “Oh you poor thing, you got so many, can you show us what you’ve collected?”
Page 20
Ŋunhi walal nhäŋalnydja bala walal gitkitthunminan nhanŋu, yän bili ŋayi gan ŋunhi bumarnydja dhuŋuŋaniŋ’nha maypal, yakan mekawuny’. Ga ŋayiny waŋan bitjarr, "Nhaku nhuma ga gitkitthunmirrnydja?"
When they saw what Garkman had collected, they all burst into laughter. She was collecting the wrong oysters which were not edible because she thought that’s what the milky oysters looked like. She asked the women, “Why are you laughing at me?”
Page 22
Ga walalnydja gan gitkitthunminan yan. Ŋayiny goranan mirithinan, bala ŋayi waŋganydja miyalk waŋan bitjarra, “Gu', ŋarra milkum nhokal nhaltjan nhe dhu maḻŋ’maram maypal ŋunhi limurr dhu buluny marrtji.”
The women just kept laughing. She was really embarrassed, but one of the women told Garkman, “Come, I’ll show you how to find the right oysters the next time we go collecting."
