Dinewan the Emu, and Wahn the Crows

Dinewan and his two wives, the Wahn, were camping out. Seeing some clouds gathering, they made a bark humpy. It came on to rain, and they all took shelter under it. Dinewan, when his wives were not looking, gave a kick against a piece of bark at one side of the humpy, knocked it down, then told his wives to go and put it up again. When they were outside putting it up, he gave a kick, and knocked down a piece on the other side; so no sooner were they in again than out they had to go. This he did time after time, until at last they su spected him, and decided that one of them would watch. The one who was watching saw Dinewan laugh to himself and go and knock down the bark they had just put up, chuckling at the thought of his wives having to go out in the wet and cold to put it up, while he had his supper dry and comfortably inside. The one who saw him told the other, and they decided to teach him a lesson. So in they came, each with a piece of bark filled with hot coals. They went straight up to Dinewan, who was lying down laughing.

ディネワンと、その二人の妻であるワーンたちが野営していた。雲が集まってくるのを見て、樹皮の小屋をこしらえた。雨が降り出し、みなでその下に身を寄せた。ディネワンは、妻たちが見ていないときに、小屋の片側の樹皮を蹴って倒し、それから妻たちに、行って立て直せと言った。妻たちが外でそれを立て直していると、今度はもう片側を蹴って倒した。それで二人は中へ入るやいなや、また出て行かねばならなかった。ディネワンは何度も何度もこれをやったので、とうとう妻たちは怪しみ、一人が見張ることにした。見張っていた方は、ディネワンが一人で笑い、いま立て直したばかりの樹皮を倒しに行くのを見た。妻たちが濡れて寒い外へ立て直しに出ねばならない一方、自分は中で乾いて心地よく夕飯を食べていると思って、くすくす笑っていたのである。見ていた方がもう一人に告げ、二人は思い知らせてやろうと決めた。そこで二人とも、熱い熾火を載せた樹皮を手に入って来た。そしてまっすぐディネワンのところへ行った。ディネワンは寝そべって笑っていた。

"Now," they said, "you shall feel as hot we did cold." And they threw the coals over him. Dinewan jumped up, crying aloud with the pain, for he was badly burnt. He rolled himself over, and ran into the rain; and his wives stayed inside, and laughed aloud at him.

「さあ」と二人は言った。「わたしたちが寒かったぶん、おまえは熱い思いをするがいい。」そして熾火をディネワンの上に浴びせた。ディネワンは跳び上がり、痛みに声を上げて叫んだ。ひどい火傷を負ったからである。ディネワンは転げ回り、雨の中へ駆け出した。妻たちは中にとどまり、声を上げて笑った。