hungred. I but stole for them. Spare me, I pray you. I am old; I shall
not live long. Spare me."

"Not so," said Mullyangah, "no man lives to steal twice from a Mullyan;"
and, so saying, he speared Deegeenboyah where he stood. Then he lifted up
the emus, and, carrying them with him, went swiftly back to his camp.

And merry was the supper that night when the Mullyans ate the emus, and
Mullyangah told the story of his search and slaughter. And proud were
the Mullyans of the prowess and cunning of their chief.




29. MAYRAH, THE WIND THAT BLOWS THE WINTER AWAY



At the beginning of winter, the iguanas hide themselves in their homes
in the sand; the black eagle hawks go into their nests; the garbarlee
or shingle-backs hide themselves in little logs, just big enough to
hold them; the iguanas dig a long way into the sand and cover up the
passage behind them, as they go along. They all stay in their winter
homes until Mayrah blows the winter away. Mayrah first blows up a
thunderstorm. When the iguanas hear the thunder, they know the spring
is not far off, so they begin making a passage to go out again, but
they do not leave their winter home until the Curreequinquin, or
butcher birds sing all day almost without ceasing "Goore, goore, goore,
goore." Then they know that Mayrah has really blown the winter away,
for the birds are beginning to pair and build their nests. So they open