Painting 13

painting10.gifHOW THE PLATYPUS CAME TO BE

A  long time ago there lived a group of ducks.  They were very timid creatures. Very few ever ventured away.One young duck wondered how far the water of the great river went.  Each day the young duck would venture further and further down the river returning each night to the others. The other ducks warned her not to venture away, but she did not listen.  She was unaware that an evil water spirit called "Mulloka" roamed the area.  The little duck travelled down the river and stopped for a rest on the bank.  As the duck sat there, a thick net of vines fell upon her and the duck was trapped.  A voice called out "I am the Great Mulloka and you are my prisoner". A while later the duck saw a friendly creature had come to save her.  It was a giant water rat.  The rat bit the leg of Mulloka and the evil spirit let go of the net and the duck was free.  The rat led the duck into a deep dark opening in the Earth. One day while the rat was sound asleep the little duck escaped and returned home. A few days later  she saw the other ducks making nests, so she too made a nest and she layed two eggs. Eventually the little duck's eggs began to hatch and she was embarrassed as her little babies were not soft, fluffy and pretty.  They were Gaya-Dari Creatures (Platypus).  They has bristly brown fur, their feet were webbed, they had bills like a duck, but instead of having two feet they had four.  Each of their hind legs had a little spear just like the spear on the water rats hind legs.The little duck grew old and died, but her children lived on.

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