Aboriginal Dreamtime story: the Platypus

Storytelling is an integral part of life for Indigenous Australians; it plays a great role in educating children. The stories explain how the land was created; how to behave and why etc.

Stories are used as part of children's education. Then, adults pass on the stories to the following generations. In this way, the Stories of the Dreaming have been handed down over thousands of years.

Here is the story of how the platypus, a typically Australian animal was created.

When the old people sat around their campfire, they would tell the dreamtime story of the platypus.

"Once there was a water rat named Bilargun, while he was out hunting one day, he saw Daroo the duck, and decided that he wanted her as his wife. He silently swam underneath the water and grabbed her legs, and then took her back to his hole in the bank; which was his home. There he made her very comfortable and brought her food every day. They were very happy. Bilargun told Daroo that if ever she was in danger, to hit her tail on the water as a warning signal.

After some time, Daroo the duck had some babies, and do you know, they had Daroo the duck’s bill and webbed feet, and Bilargun the water rat's fur coat and a flat tail."

To this day the baby's ancestors can still be seen in the creeks and rivers, using the same warning signal. They are now called the 'Platypus'.