Bill Harney

Janarun, the egret, and Lorunmun, the crane, and the area was from Janaray. They had a big ceremony with all different bird people, Jabiru and Diamond Dove and Heron. They was singing and dancing and all those fish people come – bream, bony bream, rifle fish, perches, catfish, barramundi. Then Diamond Dove and rainbow Lorikeet and Redwing parrot were the wife of little bat Nalamingming. The old Rainbow (Serpent) come. The Long Tailed Pheasant had the didgeridoo and Butcher Bird come along with the clap sticks. She was the singer. Rainbow started blowing didgeridoo and Little Bat and others were dancing. The Butcher Bird was singing and didgeridoo sound when the Rainbow was blowing attracted Rainbow Lorikeet and Redwing Parrot and fell in love with Rainbow. The Bat was dancing and showing them all the tricks. The sound of the didgeridoo encouraged the two girls. When they was finished they went to sleep. The two girls went across and woke old Rainbow up and ran away with him – place called Guglenny. They came across to another place called area where boiling water bubbling up is today – Flora River. When they woke up Little Bat look around for his two wives and they were gone and start tracking them. But the Old Catfish went across and found old Rainbow and brought them back with the two wives to where they were sitting. They were singing and Rainbow kept playing didgeridoo. Then Little Bat arrived leading a spear with his toe and he joined the dance. The girls didn’t have anything to do with him and the ceremony, knocked off singing. And everyone was going to bed and Little Bat went out and he made a little fire with his fire stick. He pulled the hair from his waist and he lit the small fire and he was singing and put the hair in the fire and the little smoke came up and he was dancing. He had a Bulbul (hair string) in his hand. Fanning and dancing that smoke and smoke went to tell the people where they were sleeping. It hypnotised them and he went closer and sang out real loud. Nobody heard him. He picked up his spear and he speared old Rainbow right through the heart and killed him. Big noise woke everybody up – the big blood jumped up. That’s where the big whirlpool is today. That’s when they started all the big fight. All the fish people were fighting with the bird people. Because everyone was shouting but little fish called Bony Bream raced across and jumped and same time crane had his mouth open and he went in through his throat. Little bone stuck in his throat. That’s why he called Janarai today. He makes hat Kaa Kaa – tries to spit him out. Right at the Kardi (lilypond) place. That’s it – big story! (Dictated by Bill Harney to Euan Hills at Brisbane airport 11 October 2009)