How the Moon Got in the Sky
Garmarna had two nephews. They were sick of him telling them they couldn't eat the meat they caught. One day when they were walking with him among a gum creek, the two boys said: "Ngarmarna! There are a lot of big witchetties in this tree here. Get some out for us."
"Okay, okay, Yakarla-apa," he said. "I'll get them." Ngarmarna made some steps in the tree so that he could climb up from the ground. Then the climbed along the branch of the gum tree, pulling out witchetties as he went. Then the two boys were down below, eating the grubs as he threw them down. Every time they sucked one, they drew air, then they blew it out of their mouth. This made the gum tree grow higher.
"Foo!" Ngarmarna was working his way up the gum tree gradually. "Foo!-foo!"
"What are you two fellows up to?"
"Nothing, nothing. We are just drinking the juice of the witchetties."Again and again they blew. "Foo!"
Truly, by now the sky was on top of the branch of the gum tree! The two boys called out to him: "The sky, Ngarmarna- it's touching that high branch!" All he could reply was: "Nimba vapardla warnda." ( this probably means "nimba vapardla warndaku", that is, "look how my head is up here," as he was so giddy from being so high up.)
"Ngarmarna! Try to touch the sky!" They stood there watching him after they said these words. As they made the gum tree
grow, he climbed higher and higher. Vira Vurlka reached out and touched the sky, and as soon as he did, the two boys pulled the gum tree down until it was quite small. As for their old Ngarmarna, he wandered around the sky really angry. The pair shouted to him: "Uncle! You must climb up and shine! Then you must gradually die and become smaller. After that you will become a new
moon."
"Nimba vapardla warnda," he answered from far away.
Vira climbed up and up, very angry.
"Climb up and shine, and then come down."
"Nimba varpardla warnda" was the only answer he gave, from far, far away. That's the full moon as he climbs up. After that, the nephews took Ngamarna's wives for themselves.
"Okay, okay, Yakarla-apa," he said. "I'll get them." Ngarmarna made some steps in the tree so that he could climb up from the ground. Then the climbed along the branch of the gum tree, pulling out witchetties as he went. Then the two boys were down below, eating the grubs as he threw them down. Every time they sucked one, they drew air, then they blew it out of their mouth. This made the gum tree grow higher.
"Foo!" Ngarmarna was working his way up the gum tree gradually. "Foo!-foo!"
"What are you two fellows up to?"
"Nothing, nothing. We are just drinking the juice of the witchetties."Again and again they blew. "Foo!"
Truly, by now the sky was on top of the branch of the gum tree! The two boys called out to him: "The sky, Ngarmarna- it's touching that high branch!" All he could reply was: "Nimba vapardla warnda." ( this probably means "nimba vapardla warndaku", that is, "look how my head is up here," as he was so giddy from being so high up.)
"Ngarmarna! Try to touch the sky!" They stood there watching him after they said these words. As they made the gum tree
grow, he climbed higher and higher. Vira Vurlka reached out and touched the sky, and as soon as he did, the two boys pulled the gum tree down until it was quite small. As for their old Ngarmarna, he wandered around the sky really angry. The pair shouted to him: "Uncle! You must climb up and shine! Then you must gradually die and become smaller. After that you will become a new
moon."
"Nimba vapardla warnda," he answered from far away.
Vira climbed up and up, very angry.
"Climb up and shine, and then come down."
"Nimba varpardla warnda" was the only answer he gave, from far, far away. That's the full moon as he climbs up. After that, the nephews took Ngamarna's wives for themselves.