brothers to perish of thirst." He went towards the tree, climbed up it,
and split it right down. As he did so, out gushed the water in a
swiftly running stream. Soon the little fellows quenched their thirst
and then, in their joy, bathed in the water, which grew in volume every
moment.

In the meantime, those who had gone forth to hunt were returning, and
as they came towards their camp they met a running stream of water.
"What is this?" they said, "our goolahgool must have burst," and they
tried to dam the water, but it was running too strongly for them. They
gave up the effort and hurried on towards their camp. But they found a
deep stream divided them from their camp. The three Cookooburrahs saw
them, and the eldest one said to the little fellows: "You call out and
tell them to cross down there, where it is not deep." The little ones
called out as they were told, and where they pointed Googarh and his
wives waded into the stream. Finding she was getting out of her depth,
Cookooburrah the laughing jackass cried out: "Goug gour gah gah. Goug
gour gah gah. Give ine a stick. Give me a stick."

But from the bank her sons only answered in derision: "Goug gour gah
gah. Goug gour gah gah." And the three hunters were soon engulfed in
the rushing stream, drawn down by the current and drowned.




12. THE MAYAMAH