The bushmans alarm clock

Published on by bushboy

Ragtag Daily Prompt Monday: Chuckle

There’s lots of things
to make you
chuckle
in the Aussie bush.

Just this morning
I was awake
early
when the
bushmans alarm clock
went off.

I popped into
the garden,
cup of tea
in hand
and discussed
the situation.

We chatted
a while
with no agreement
on waking time.

The bushmans alarm clock

Goo-Goor-Gaga the Kookaburra

Long ago in the Dreamtime, when the animals were first on the earth which were very much bigger than they are today, there was a time when there was no sun, only a moon and stars.

One day, Dinewan the emu and Brolga the beautiful dancing bird, were out on a large plain arguing and fighting. Brolga got so angry that she ran over to Dinewan’s nest and grabbed one of her large eggs, which she threw up into the sky with all her might. It landed on a heap of firewood breaking, spilling the yellow yolk, which burst into flames. This lit up the whole world below to the astonishment of all the creatures as they had only been used to the semi-darkness and were dazzled by such brightness.

A good spirit who lived in the sky saw how beautiful the earth looked when it was lit up by this blaze. He thought it would be a good thing to make a fire every day; which he has done ever since. All night the good spirit and his helpers collect wood and stack it up. When the stack is nearly big enough, the good spirit sends out the morning star to let them know on earth that the fire will soon be lit.

However, the spirits found that sending out the morning star was not enough because those who slept did not see it. The spirits decided they must have a noise made at the dawn of each new day to announce the arrival of the sun, which would wake the sleepers – but what noise.

Then one day the spirits heard the laughter of Goo-goor-gaga, the kookaburra ringing through the air. This was the noise the spirits were looking for. They asked Goo-goor-gaga that as the morning star faded and the day dawned, every morning would he laugh his loudest to awaken all the sleepers before sunrise. Goo-goor-gaga agreed and has done so ever since – making the air ring with his early morning laughter.

*https://www.kullillaart.com.au/dreamtime-stories/Goo-Goor-Gaga-the-Kookaburra

Australia – Always was, Always will be

49 thoughts on “The bushmans alarm clock”

  9. What a beautiful bird. The audio entrancing. I live in the Mid-Atlantic state of NJ. Would love to have this bird visit my yard early morning. What a happy way to wake up. I guess I will have to live vicariously through your post where the Kookaburras are concerned.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. My neighbours roosters do crow a lot during the day but I don’t hear them much at night thankfully.
      I used to love waking in the morning years ago and listen to the roosters crowing from the neighbouring properties. It was like a round, theirs will start, then someone elses, then mine, and on it went. I think, at that time, there were only four properties that had people living on them and we were spread. The closest was about 200metres 🐓🐓

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Currently there’s a pair of roosters wandering the neighborhood looking to establish territory. I shoo them out of the yard so they don’t get comfortable here.

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