Page:More Australian legendary tales.djvu/110

 again, I pray you, so that none can eat them. Never again shall they scoff at a dinewan. Never again will I scorn you; I will come to your dardurr for ever."

"Why should I take you to my dardurr now you are old, when you came not young?" And he turned away, going on with the carving he was making on a boomerang with an opossum's tooth.

"Change, oh change them, I pray you, so that none can eat them. I will give you the dooree, or grunting dayoorl, of my father's father's fathers to be yours for ever. No one but its rightful owner can use it, for does it not grunt when a stranger touches it? This stone, which of old belonged to the wirreenuns of my father's tribe, I will give you, this stone which alone of all dayoorls has a voice."

"Bring me the dooree," said the wirreenun, "and I promise to change your girls so that they shall never be eaten."

The woman brought the magical stone of her forefathers, her greatest possession, which grunted as she laid it at the wirreenun's feet.

"Now go," said the wirreenun, "into the bush, there you will find your daughters, and find I have kept my promise. Even now they are so that surely no one could eat them."

Back on her tracks went the woman to where she had seen the Youayah. Hopefully she went expecting to see her daughters again. But when she reached the place there were the frogs still.

"Oh, my daughters, my daughters! Shall I never see you more as you once were?" And she wailed aloud as if mourning the dead. But no answer came from the Youayah. Nor did they look towards her.