This story has been translated into Djambarrpuyŋu from
Mirriway' ga Bäruy gana ḏuttji'yurruna published by the Literature Production Centre - Milingimbi School in Gupapuyŋu © 1983
Page 1:
Maṉḏa marrtjin waṉḏin yolŋu märrma', Mirriwa' ga Bäru. Waṉḏin maṉḏa
marrtjin, dhut maṉḏa nhinan; "Way, ŋali gurtha dhiyal ḏuttji'yun, ŋe?",
bitjarr ŋayi waŋan Bäru. Ga wäŋan ŋunhi yäku Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
"Ŋali dhu dhiyal ḏuttji'yun", bitjarr ŋayi nhanŋu yoraŋal Mirriwa'.
There were two people travelling, Mirriwa' and Bäru. The two of them walked and stopped to sit “Hey, we should make a fire here, yes?”, said Bäru.
The place there is called Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
“We should make a fire here”, Mirriwa’ replied in agreement.
Page 3
Bala maṉḏa gan ḏuttji'yurra, ga ŋayiny nhanŋu waŋan bitjarr, "Nheny ḏuttji'yurr, ŋe?". Bitjarr ŋayi waŋan Mirriwa', "Ŋarrany ŋunha dhu man'pili buma, boy'-puyyunaraw; märr ga ŋayi dhu nhära ŋuruŋiyi man'piliy".
"Yow'. Gatjuy litjalaŋ.", bitjarr ŋayi Bäruny waŋan.
And so the two went to make a fire, and Bäru said to him, “You make the fire, yes?”.
Mirriwa’ said “I will collect soft bark from over there, to blow on, so that the soft bark catches fire.”
“Yes, off you go for us.” said Bäru.
Page 5
Bala ŋayi ŋunhi marrtjinan Mirriwany' man'pilinha. Bal', pal', pal', pal' ŋayi; ga baṯ ŋayi ŋayathaŋal dharpa gaḏayka. Ga bili ŋayi gan ŋunhi yirrparnha ŋunhi dharpany man'piliwnha; yirrpara, yirrpara, yirrpara, ga burdji-burdjimaraŋal.
Bala ŋayi marrtjin gäŋalnha ŋayi ŋunhi man'piliny nhanukal. Gäŋal ŋayi marrtjin ŋunhi man'piliny, ga gurray gurrupar nhanukal Bäruwal, ŋayiny märraŋal ŋunhi man'piliny, bala maṉḏa gan ḏuttji'yurra. Yan bili, ga nhäran maṉḏaŋguŋ.
And so, Mirriwa’, walked off to get soft bark. Pat, pat, pat, pat, he reached and held the wood of the stringybark tree. And then he scraped the soft bark from that tree, scrape, scrape, scrape, and rubbed the bark together.
And so he walked off, carrying the soft bark with him. He walked with the soft bark, and threw it down to Bäru, he took that soft bark, then they went to make a fire. The two of them would work until they got the fire going.
Page 7
"Ŋay' dhuwana, boy'yurra litjalaŋ", bitjarr ŋayi Mirriwa' Bäruw, ga ŋayiny bitjarr Bäruny,
"Yaka. Nhe litjalaŋ boy'-puyyurr".
"Manymak", bitjarr Mirriwa'; bala ŋayi boy'-puyyurr ŋunhi gurthany maṉḏaŋ. Boy', puy', puy', bala baṯnha ŋurrkaŋal. Bala nhäranan ŋunhi gurthany, ŋala'-ŋalapthurra.
“Here, you take it, blow on it and spark it for us.”, Mirriwa’ said to Bäru, and Bäru said,
“No. You blow on it for us.”
“Fine,” said Mirriwa’, and then he began to blow on the embers so that they could have a fire. Woosh, woosh, woosh, fanning the flames into a fire. And then there was a fire, the flames flared and burned brightly.
Page 9
Bala maṉḏa ŋunhi ŋunhiliyiny djambi warrakan'thinan. Nhakun bäruthinan, ga mirriwa'thinan.
Ga manymak, ga ŋayi nhanŋu waŋan bitjarr Bäru, "Mak bala ŋathil ḏawa'yurr, ŋunhi nhä nhäŋu dhärra ga". Ga ŋayi gan bitjarr bala ḏawa'yurr, bala ŋayi Bäruynydja djaw'yurra ŋunhi gurthany, gapulila ŋayi ḻupthurra. Ga bitjarr bala ŋayi ḏawa'yurr ŋunhi Mirriwany', ga nhäŋal Bärunydja bäyŋuny.
And then the two of them changed and became animals then and there, just like, the crocodile and the frill-necked lizard.
All was well, Crocodile said to him, “Maybe, take a look behind you, look what is standing over there”. Then he looked over his shoulder, and Crocodile snatched the fire, and submerged himself into the water. He did this while Frill-necked lizard was looking over his shoulder, and did not see Crocodile disappear.
Page 11
"Ye---e, gurtha ŋarraku ŋunha djaw'yurr Bäruy", bitjarr ŋayi Mirriwa' waŋan. Bala ŋayi waṉḏinan, bal', pal', pal', ŋunhal; ga ŋal'yurra ŋayi dharpaŋur, ga yan bäyŋu. Waṉḏin ŋayi waŋgany'ŋulilnydja muka, ga bal', pal', pal', ŋunhal; ŋal'yurr ŋayi ga yan bäyŋu. Ga bulu bal', pal', pal', pal', ga ŋal'yurr ŋayi, ga bäyŋu.
“Arghh, Crocodile, that’s my fire you stole.” Frill-necked lizard cried out. He ran, pat, pat, pat, and not too far away, he climbed up into a tree but saw nothing. He ran to another tree, pat, pat, pat and climbed it but saw nothing. He ran to one more, pat, pat, pat, climbed it but never saw any sign of Crocodile.
Page 13
Ga ŋayiny ŋunhi Bäruny waŋan bitjarr, "Dhuwal gurtha ŋarra djaw'yurr, dhuwal ŋarraku; yalala ŋarra dhu ga mulka nhina dhiyaŋ gurthay." Ga wäŋany ŋunhi yäku Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
Then Crocodile said, “This is the fire I stole, this is mine, later I will use the fire to keep me warm.” This place has the name Gurthamayaŋwaŋan.
