EAGLE AND CROW - A DREAMTIME STORY

[Maureen K Clifford]

EAGLE AND CROW – A DREAMTIME STORY

In the valley of the Eagles where you see the Eagles soar
and a black crow starts attacking from below,
with such a huge disparity between these two birds size
have you ever stopped and wondered why ‘tis so?

If you go back to the dreamtime many, many moons ago
you will learn a story accurate and true;
how Eaglehawk asked old man Crow to look after his son
but this was something Crow just didn’t want to do.

'That baby cries a lot and it is more than I can stand.'
Eaglehawk tells him to sing the child to sleep.
He tells Crow he will settle down and not be any trouble
all small children have a grizzle and a weep.

When Eaglehawk suggests that they share the prey that’s caught
Crow agrees, and takes the small child to his gunyah;
but the child’s incessant crying makes him angry - he is fraught
and he realizes he’s made a huge blunder.

He takes a boondie stick and kills the baby with a blow -
now at last peace reigns and all is quiet and still,
Crow hides the body deep within the dark depths of his gunyah
wrapped in roo skins to keep out the evening chill.

Their food is getting scarce and Eaglehawk takes his hunters
tracking spoor, they travel many miles from home.
He is stronger than Crow and can travel the miles faster,
for the distances are long far they must roam.

When Eaglehawk returnes to camp to take his baby home
Crow says ‘do not disturb him for he sleeps.’
Eaglehawk thinks Crow must have calmed the child by singing,
then he finds his child, and knows the truth and weeps.

He calls out to his hunters and it is a cry of pain,
he cries out to all, 'that Crow had killed my child.'
For no one else could have done it - though innocence he might feign.
In his grief, Eaglehawk ‘s manner becomes wild.

They chase Crow into mallee scrub with woomera and spears
but Crow escapes leaving pursuers far behind.
They set fire to the mallee and wait for fires to burn
for they know that Crows body they then will find.

But then out of the smoke a single black bird flies
and they see the ancient ones have punished Crow.
His spirit has been changed into a large black carrion bird.
This is why today all crows are black you know.

And to this day Eagle and Crow still carry on the fight
which is why you oft see crow in fast pursuit,
but he cannot fly as far or fast as Eagle whose big wings
let him ride the thermals of his windy route.

Still Crow revengeful tries to get to eaglets in their nest
where they rest in craggy hillside Eagle eyries;
to pluck their eyes, as he plucks eyes from lambs. That Crows a pest.
This is a story from the Dreamtime not the Fairies.


Maureen Clifford © 02/11





http://australianmuseum.net.au/movie/Eaglehawk-and-Crow