The Burarrwaŋa family lived in a house in Galiwin’ku.
Next to the house was a big colourful tree.
In the tree lived a bird who liked to sing LOUDLY!
One night the bird was making noise and the family couldn't sleep well.
The children went to the window and said, “Go away bird! You’re too noisy, we can't sleep.”
But the bird said, “No.”
Next, the mum came to the window and said to the bird, “You’re too noisy, go away!”
But the bird said, “No.”
Finally the grandma came to the window and said, “Go away bird! You’re too noisy!”
But the bird said, “I don’t want to go away. This is my home.”
The grandma said to the bird, “If you stay in this tree making that loud noise, I’ll get the hose and wash you away!”
“If you try and do that I will just fly to a higher branch where you can’t reach me,” said the bird.
“And... why don’t you like my singing?” asked the bird.
“We don’t like your singing because it's too noisy and you don’t sing any Yolŋu songs,” the grandma said.
The bird said to the grandma, “Can you teach me some Yolŋu songs so I can stay in this tree? If not, I will just keep making that same loud noise.”
The grandma thought this was a good idea. So she sat with the bird and taught him how to sing some Yolŋu songs.
Now in the night time, the bird sings beautiful Yolŋu songs in that big colourful tree and the family sleeps well.
This book is for my grandmother Shirley Walpulay Bukulatjpi
