Page:More Australian legendary tales.djvu/90

 "And," said Bohrah the kangaroo, "though some of us are as big and bigger, as strong and stronger than Mungoongarlee, if we went to fight him he would kill us with the poison he carries in a hidden bag, and we too should die, even as our relations the Daens do. Most of us have relations amongst the Daens, and we do not wish to see them all killed, yet we know not how to stop the slaughter."

"I, too, have relations amongst them, the hippi and comeboo. My relations must be saved," said Ouyouboolooey.

"But how?" said the others. "We are nearly all their relations."

"Mungoongarlee himself is their and my relation," said Moodai the opossum.

"But that does not stop him from slaying them, whether they are our relations the Murrees and Gubbees, or the others, he slays all alike."

"I tell you that I shall save the Daens from Mungoongarlee," said Ouyouboolooey.

"But how?" said the others in chorus.

"That I tell to none. But Yhi the sun shall not go to her rest to-morrow before I shall have got that poison bag from Mungoongarlee."

"Yhi the sun shall not have hidden behind that clump of Yaraan trees before you lie dead from the poison Mungoongarlee carries, if you fight against him."

"Did I talk of fighting? Is there no way to gain your end but by fighting? Let those who fight die. I shall not fight him, and I shall live. No Mungoongarlee shall kill me."

So saying, away glided Ouyouboolooey through the trees