The Dreaming

Series 04

STORY 3
How The Waratah Became Red as told by Kevin Smith - NSW

All the Waratahs were white until one eventful day.

Synopsis:
On the sides of the mountain called Durras various flowering plants grew. One of them was the Waratah flower. Most of the flowers then where white. Lying in the plants was Gurri-Gurri, a red bellied black snake. The women and babies from the local tribe went to the side of the mountain to dig for yams that grew in the shade of the ferns and to relax in the shade from the hot rays of the sun. As the women were digging for yams a young baby saw the black snake and crawled towards him. When a woman from the tribe saw the red bellied black snake with the child she began to throw sticks at the snake. The snake then started to wrap himself around the baby so the sticks would not hurt her. Soon blood began to drip from the red bellied black snake onto the Waratah shoots. The Snake (Gurri-Gurri) cried to the sun to stop his sun rays and let a rainstorm come to give him time to escape and wash his wounds. The women carried the babies and yams back to camp. The sun came back out and began to shine down onto the Waratahs now coloured red from the blood of the red bellied black snake. The red bellied black snake still lays among the Waratahs looking for his sun-spot.