Dhuwal Ḏatam.
This is Ḏatam.
Ga dhuwandja nhanŋu waṯu ŋayi yäku Nhawi.
and this is her dog, his name is Nhawi.
Waŋganymirr waluy, Ḏatam ga nhanŋu gurruṯumirr mala, bäpa'mirriŋu, ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋu, momu'mirriŋu, ŋapipi'mirriŋu, mukul'mirriŋu maṉḏa ga wuŋgan Nhawi, marrtjin wakir'yunalil bala Yarrapaylil.
One day, Ḏatam and her family, her father, mother, grandmother, uncle, her two aunties and her dog Nhawi went out to Yarrapay.
Gämany walal ŋathany dämba, borum, bäwaŋ, ŋamun'kurr, djuwit ḏilip, weetbix ga gapu. Ŋayiny bäpa'mirriŋunydja gäma gara ga gaḻpu, ŋayiny ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋunydja gäma wambulu ga banikin maypalwu.
They took with them some food; damper, fruit, potatoes, milk, sugar, tea, weetbix and water. Her father took a spear and spearthrower and her mother took a big digging stick and oyster hammer for getting oysters.
Waṉḏirrnydja walal wiyin'nha dhika ga ŋunhal wapthun Yarrapayŋur, girriny' rarr'yun bala marrtjin guyawnha ga maypalwun. Walalnydja djamarrkuḻiny' buḻ'yun, ga ḻup-ḻupthun gapuŋur baralaŋur yän bili ga milmitjpa'yirr wäŋa.
Off they went. It was a long way. Finally they arrived at Yarrapay. They dropped off their things and went hunting for fish and oysters. There the children played and swam in the water by the sandbar. They had fun until late in the afternoon.
Ŋathany walal nyaŋ'thurr ŋarirri', maypal, bäwaŋ, borum ga dämba, ŋayiny dhäwun lakaram momu'mirriŋunydja, miyalkkun maṉḏaŋ gurtha djämamirriwal maṉḏaŋgal ŋunha gärukŋuny.
That night for dinner they ate fish, oysters, potato, fruit and damper. Then Grandmother told the story about the two women who live in the sky amongst the stars sitting by their fire.
Goḏarr'mirrnydja nyaŋ'thurr walal ŋathany, bala ŋayiny Ḏatamdhuny garr'yurra Nhawinhany märr maṉḏa dhu buḻ'yun marrtji
guṉḏa-gunḏamirriŋur.
The next day they ate some breakfast and then Ḏatam and Nhawi played amongst the rocks.
Buḻ'yundja maṉḏa ŋäma ŋayi gayothu yatjun, “Help…help…help me”, bitjan.
All of a sudden Ḏatam heard a child crying out, “Help, help, help me!” .
Ŋayiny Ḏatamdja waŋan, “Go ŋali mak, nhäma dhika yothu ŋapaki yatjurr gan”. Ŋayiny Nhawiny ŋathila gärrin retjalila.
Ḏatam said to Nhawi, “Come on, let’s go and look for the child who is calling out.”
Nhäma ŋayi bitjan dhärra ga bukuny gangul ga molnha yan. Bitjantja nhäma yothu miyalknha ŋayi ga dhärra, yurr bukuŋur ŋurruŋur ŋayiny gapuny ga guṉḏany ŋunha ŋoy'ŋura, bäyŋun nhanŋu dhukarr waṉḏinyaraw.
Nhawi ran off into the bush. Ḏatam saw a big dark dusty shadow in the bush and just nearby she caught sight of a little girl near the edge of a steep cliff. There were rocks and water below her. She had nowhere to run.
Ŋayiny Ḏatamdja waŋanan yatjuna “Gur! Gur!” Nhawi, ŋayi waṯuny' yan bala djaḻaḻ'yurra bala yaŋaran' ḏarrkthun detuŋnha.
Ḏatam called out to Nhawi , “Skitch, skitch”. Nhawi rushed in and bit the buffalo on its ankle.
Märr ŋayi ŋanydjaḻayurrnydja räliny bitjarra ŋupar Nhawinhany, ŋayiny ŋanya ḏarrkthurra ŋunha wiripu yaŋara'.
The buffalo tried to spear Nhawi with his big horns, but Nhawi just ran between his legs and bit the other ankle.
Maṉḏany wawun bunhamirr, ŋayiny Ḏatamdhuny baḏatjiŋur waṉḏin bala warryuna miyalknhany waṉan, bala waṉḏinany retjakurra gänan bäynha marrtjin mit-mitthurra ḏirriḏirriynha, waṉḏinyalil yan bili...i raŋi ŋayathaŋal.
Ḏatam quickly ran over and grabbed the girl’s hand whilst Nhawi and the buffalo were caught up in the fight. They raced off into the rainforest. As they ran through the forest they were scratched all over by sharp prickles and thorns but they kept running on and on until they finally made it to the beach.
Ŋunhal ŋayi ŋanya' waŋany, “Yol nhe yäkuy, ga wanha nhuŋu ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ga bäpa'mirriŋuny?”
When they got there Ḏatam asked the girl “Who are you? Where is your family?
Ŋayiny waŋan yothuny “Ŋarrany yäku Audrey, ga ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ga bäpa'mirriŋuny ŋarraku dhika wiripuŋur raŋiŋur. Ŋupar ŋarrany detuŋ dhu bala ŋarra winyayurra.”
“My name is Audrey. I got lost when this buffalo started chasing me!” The girl replied. “My Mum and Dad are somewhere at a different beach.”
Ŋayiny Audrey-ny ŋäthinan, ŋayi ŋanya Ḏatamdhuny dhangiyurra, bitjarrnydja nhäŋal Nhawinhany ŋayi maṉḏaŋgal wapthurra.
Audrey started crying. The girl’s face was so red and she had scratches all over her body which were bleeding. Ḏatam reached over and gave her a hug. Just then Nhawi came over and jumped up on both of them and started to lick them.
Bala ŋayi Ḏatamdja waŋanan, “Go ŋarrakala ŋaṉḏi'mirriŋuy dhu dhuwaliyi djetjiny biḏi'yun manymakkum ga ŋathan ga gapun nyaŋ'thun bala gäma nhuna ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuwala ga bäpa'mirriŋuwala.”
Ḏatam said “Come with me, my Mum will fix up your sores really well and we can have some food and water and then take you to your Mum and Dad”.
