Page:The Aborigines of Victoria and Riverina.djvu/154

149 off after all. She therefore thereupon determined never again to allow either her curiosity or appetite to induce her to forsake that of which she was already assured for the somewhat doubtful good of a brilliant shadow.

Time passed on its course even in those times, when the sun did not shine upon the earth, and when the season came round when it was usual for the animals of the earth to add to their several kinds, the Kurwie had nearly forgotten that she had ever been other than a terrestrial bird, and the scene of her transformation had almost faded from her memory.

In this teaming time both the Kurwie and the Courtenie were honoured by the cares of maternity, and some short time after the production of the respective broods, one day the sly old Dame Courtenie espied the Kurwie with her numerous covey coming along by the margin of the marsh upon which she was feeding with her brood all about her. Just then a maliciously cunning thought occurred to her, which caused her to tell the young Courtenies hastily to hide in the grass with the exception of one, and with this solitary one she walked about pretending to be carefully catering for its welfare, when up stalked the Kurwie surrounded by her large family of Kurwielets.

"Good day," quoth the Kurwie, "how do you get on? but I need scarcely inquire either, as it is palpable enough to all that you are as happy as can be, and small wonder I may say, seeing you have only one chick to provide for; but if you had as many little bills to provide for as I have you would find yourself in a very different pickle, I can tell you."