Painting 15

painting9.gifGANHAARR THE CROCODILE

Back in the dreamtime, there was a story told around the camp fires by the elders to the children.  Ganhaarr the Crocodile live in a river near an Aboriginal camp.  As time went on he was so lonely, he decided he wanted to take himself a wife.  At the Aboriginal camp near the river where he lived, in the cool of the evening the young people would go swimming.  Ganhaarr would swim and play with the young people.  He fell in love with a young woman, and thinking she would be an ideal wife, he grabbed her and took her down into the water under the ledge.
In time the people forgot about her and thought she had drowned.  Everyday Ganhaarr would bring her a fish and care for her in his home.  One day while waiting for Ganhaarr, she noticed the sunlight coming in through the top of the cave which brought memories about the good times, running through the bush and playing.  She decided to dig her way out through the top of the cave. When she climbed out of the cave she filled the hole in and went back to her people who were very surprised to see her.  She told the people of how Ganhaarr tad taken her to his home.  On returning to his home, Ganhaarr found his wife gone.  He was very saddened and went to look for her.  He found her talking to the other women of the tribe.  As he dropped the fish at her side, he turned his head to see the angry men who threw their spears and killed him.  With tear filled eyes the girl got up and went back to the cave.  She waited for her eggs to hatch and hold her children how the people had killed their father. To this day the crocodile will hunt and kill a man when possible.

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