ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

I think I have posted it before
What native women tell their children

Now all you piccaninnies who dream, what ever you would be.

A horse man riding high with boots, and spurs and hat to see.

A woman making baskets, both round or square and free

There are yams to dig, and grubs to gather, around any sort of tree.\

A fish to catch, yabbies too, and any other food that you do see

Honey in the honey bee holes, I hope they’ll never sting me

Here is a cave that’s dry and warm, forever ever that will be

So sleep my piccaninny child, so the Bunyip man can see

That while he walks around the cave, as silent as can be

He sees that you have been good, a child, full of glee.

Though never shall you see his prints, or marks where ever he may be.

He wears kaducci boots of Emu feather, no marks he leaves for you to see.

So sleep my little piccaninny, that Bunyip fella,

For he will look after you and me.

Written by Bill Williams 1st January 2010 ©

laced it on before on a different site but to be read just for kids

The aborigine women at Bourke used to tell the kids that if they roamed around in the bush at night, the hairy man would get them. I think he lived in the trees and was different from the gidagee man. They certainly were fearful of the gidagee man.