Food for Thought

Margaret seemed to acquiesce. They walked over to the Kingston Caravan Park cafe where Le Bon David ordered a smoked salmon and avocado foccaccia and The VeloDrone ordered salami with semidried tomato. Margaret took a bottle of water from her backpack.

Now, said Le Bon David, tell us the story of Old Tjilbruke.

It's a story from the Dreamtime of the Kaurna people, said Margaret. This is their traditional country. The story explains how the seven freshwater springs between here and Rapid Bay came into existence.

Aha, said Le Bon David. Here's our food! Go on, Margaret.

Old Tjilbrike was a man of the law, continued Margaret. One day his nephew Kulultuwi killed an emu that should have been Tjilbruke's to kill. Tjilbruke forgave his nephew, but some time later Kulultuwi was killed by his two half brothers for breaking the law, or so they claimed. Tjilbruke being a man of the law had to determine whether the killing was legal.

Let me guess, said The VeloDrone, picking at a slice of salami. He found it was illegal.

Yes, said Margaret. He judged it to be murder. So he speared the two brothers and burned them. This happened at Warriparinga, not far from here. Then Tjilbruke carried the partly smoked and dried body of his nephew here to the spring to complete the smoking.

Le Bon David swallowed a piece of smoked salmon thoughtfully. The VeloDrone chewed on a sundried tomato.

Then, said Margaret, he carried the body all the way down the coast to Rapid Bay, for burial in a cave. Many times on the way he wept, overcome by sadness, for he had loved his nephew. In the seven places where Tjilbruke wept seven freshwater springs were formed. After that Tjilbruke no longer wanted to live as a man. His spirit became a bird, the tjilbruke, or glossy ibis, and his body became a rocky outcrop of iron pyrites somewhere north of Nairne.

Bravo the Kaurna people! A wonderful multi-layered story, said The VeloDrone.

Indeed, said Le Bon David. A story of creation, the law, human relationships.....

But there's one thing wrong with it, said The VeloDrone.

What's that? asked Margaret, taking a sip of spring water.

I thought human tears were salty, said The VeloDrone.