Page 2
Baman'birr, yindi wata bunan, ga marrtjinany ŋayi gan moṉukkurr gapukurr. Yurr ganydjarr-ḏumurr, boy'yurr ga buṯmaraŋal dharpa ga wäŋa mala.
Ga yothu miyapununy, dhawuṯmaraŋal bala djaw'yurr ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuwal barrkulil wäŋalil.
Ga dhäŋur beŋuryi wataŋur, ŋayi yothuny miyapunu ḏawa'-ḏawayurra, nhinan ḏilmay'mayŋura wäŋaŋur.
Long ago, a huge wind came from across the sea. It blew so strongly that it blew away trees and houses. A baby turtle was blown far away from her mother. After the storm, the baby turtle looked around her at the bush.
Page 4
Ga bäyŋun ŋayi nhäŋal ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ga gapu moṉuktja. Bala ŋayi mirithinan barrarin.
Bala ŋayi marrtjinan bala…a ga nhäŋal mulkurun wäyin.
“Way! Wanha moṉuktja gapu?”, bitjarr yothu miyapunu wäŋan.
“Barrkun birrnha moṉuktja gapu”, bitjarr Weṯiy' lakaraŋal. "Nhaku muka?”
“Ŋarra djäl ŋarra dhu nhäma ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ŋarraku.”
She couldn't see her mother or the sea. She was very frightened.
So she went along and then she saw a strange animal.
"Hey! Where is the sea?", asked the baby turtle.
"The sea is far away", the kangaroo told her. "Why do you want to know?"
"I want to see my mother."
Page 6
"Ma'. Ŋarra nhunany dhu gäma, wapthurr ŋarrakal bathilil.”
Wap, wap, wapthun. Ŋulatjar bala ṉinydjiyakurr wäŋakurr wapthurr.
Ŋunhan ṉinydjiyaŋur wäŋaŋur, ŋayi yothuny miyapunu wäŋan,
“Djutjtjutjnha Weṯi'”.
"Okay. I'll take you, jump into my pouch."
Hop, hop, hop. They hopped to the flood plain country.
At the flood plains, the baby turtle said, "Goodbye Kangaroo".
Page 8
Bala ŋayi marrtjinan bala…a ga nhäŋal mulkurun wäyin.
"Way! Wanha moṉuktja gapu?”, bitjarr yothu miyapunu wäŋan.
“Barrkun birr moṉuktja gapu”, bitjarr Wurrpaṉ'dhu wäŋan. "Nhaku muka?"
"Ŋarra djäl ŋarra dhu nhäma ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ŋarraku.”
She went along and then she saw a strange animal.
"Hey! Where is the sea?", asked the baby turtle.
"The sea is far away", the emu told her. "Why do you want to know?"
"I want to see my mother."
Page 10
“Ma'. Ŋarra nhunany dhu gäma, wapthurr ŋarrakal ḏiltjilil.”
Waṉḏin, waṉḏin, waṉḏin. Ṉinydjiyakurr wäŋakurr gapukurr guḻunmirrikurr waṉḏin. Ŋunhal guḻunmirriŋur wäŋaŋur, ŋayi nyumukuṉiny miyapunu wäŋan,
"Djutjtjutjnha Wurrpaṉ'”.
"Okay. I'll take you, jump onto my back."
Run, run, run. They ran across the flood plains and through the billabong country. At the billabong, the baby turtle said, "Goodbye Emu".
Page 12
Bala ŋayi marrtjinan bala…a ga nhäŋal, mulkurun wäyin, ŋayi guya marrtjin ḏiṯthurr gapuŋur.
“Way! Wanha moṉuktja gapu?”, bitjarr yothu miyapunu waŋan.
“Barrkun birr moṉuktja gapu”, bitjarr Gäḻumayyu lakaraŋal. “Nhaku muka?”
“Ŋarra djäl ŋarra dhu nhäma ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuny ŋarraku.”
She went along and then she saw a strange animal; he was catching fish in the water.
"Hey! Where is the sea?", asked the baby turtle.
"The sea is far away", the pelican told her. "Why do you want to know?"
"I want to see my mother."
Page 14
“Ma'. Ŋarra nhunany dhu gäma, wapthurr ŋarrakal ḏiltjilil ŋali buṯthuna.”
Buṯ, buṯ, buṯthurr. Garrwarrkurr maṉḏa gapulil moṉuklil buṯthurr.Bala miyapunuytja nhäŋal ŋoynha gapun.
"Okay. I'll take you, jump onto my back and we'll fly."
Flap, flap, flap. They flew through the sky to the sea.
The baby turtle looked down at the sea.
Page 16
Bala yan mirithirra ŋoy-ŋamathirrnydja bala yan ŋurrkanhaminan garrwarŋur bala ŋoylil munathalila.
She was so excited that she jumped off.
Page 18
Dhur… thuryuna bala ŋarakan burakirr. Dhurthur… yurr… gut! Ḏaŋgalknha.
Down, down, bang! She jumped.
She hurt her back.
Page 20
Bala ŋayi nhumandja moṉuknha gapu, bala gaḻ'yuna marrtji ŋayi, ga gaḻ'yun, ga gaḻ'yun yan ḻinygu. Buluny ŋayi ga gulkurun gaḻ'yun.
She could smell the sea. She crawled and crawled and crawled, until she couldn't crawl any more.
Page 22
Ga miyalknha marrtji, bala ŋayi nhäman miyapununy bala ḻaw'maraman, bala gäman moṉuklila gapulil.
Then a girl came along and saw the turtle, so she picked her up and carried her to the sea.
Page 24
Ŋunhi ŋayi dhäkay-ŋämany gapuny miyapunuytja, bala yan mirithirra ŋayi galŋa-djulŋithirr.
Bala ŋayi waythuna ḻarruman ŋäṉḏi'mirriŋuwnha.
When she felt the salt water, the turtle was very happy. Then away she went to look for her mother.
Page 26
Ga ḻinygun dhuwal dhäwuny.
And that is the end of the story.
