Page 1

Australia, New South Wales, Sydney

It's never been over with. Fights...Disagreements...Law Changes...Deaths...And it will never be over with.

It's been happening for 241 years now. Maybe another 100,000,000,000,000 to go. We never know. Some say that it's good that this happened. Others say it's an invasion. But we aren't alien abductors. We're birds! We're smart we are!

It's good that we found this land! Those black fella's probably treated this land like dirt! Like those Loud mouthed Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos and those Owls, and I won't forget about those pack of Galahs! 'Cus we're better than those black fella's! We're more resilient than any other birds! We are “miners”! Noisy Miners they call us! All our digging and construction creates noise pollution they said. But I bet they secretly did it too!

Australia, Queensland, Brisbane

Our mob has been invaded by them gubbas. Nothin'll make us forgive them gubbas. They invaded our land. They invaded our people. Us Koori birds now ain't Koori no more! We now forced to live here as Queenslanders. We don't like it here. We want our land back. We don't do no corroborees outside our land. We across the borders. And we no like them gubbas stealing our lands! They think them so smart them gubbas. They think that they just colonised it! But them gubbas didn't. Them gubbas INVADED our land! And we not gonna put up with that anymore! We gonna take back out land!! We gonna make them gubbas leave! Even if we got to fight for it!!

Page 2

So the Aboriginal Birds-

A council of Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos,

A parliament of indigenous Australian Owls,

A pack of Galahs and

-all set out to take back the land that was rightfully theirs!

As for the “Miners” they were having a serious debate!

“All right you lot of “miners”, we are putting in war to those Koori birds! Cuz you never know when they might strike back!”

But then, while I was announcing, a shadow cast over us. A bad shadow. A literal black shadow. A shadow of black fellas! They all swooped down on us! But us “miners” weren't gonna let them do whatever it was they were doing!

But then I saw a silly galah. So I walked up to him. He gulped in fright. I felt powerful.

“Hello little galah. How are you today?” I said evilly.

“Why, 'ello. Me mob and I are deadly! Us mob are here to take back our land...

WHOOPS!” goofed the silly little galah.

But me? I was happy in a way. Now that I know the plan, I can destroy it!

Page 3

Then an owl stood up to me. He had a deep, powerful, super strong voice.

“HEY! Are we just gonna stand here or what? I say, we put this to an end! Do you have a parliament around here, gubba?” he boomed.

“Are you crazy, Blackfella? 'Course we have one! Why?” I said like he was a silly old goose.

“My name is Canungra!! And since us owls are the parliament runners of the Koori Birds, I say, we hold a parliament meeting. Against you gubbas and us Koori Birds!” he announced.

So we agreed. And we had a plan! We are going to win this! We must. 'Cuz we are “MINERS”!!

Page 4

So they walked into the bush parliament. The owls got in the middle, as for they were the politicians! Even some other birds came to watch the debate! The “miners” went on one side as for the Koori Birds on the other. And it began!!

“So, first up we have our Koori leader, Nowra the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo!” yelled Canungra.

Nowra stood up and walked to the wooden microphone. He tapped it to make sure it was on.

“So Nowra, what are your thoughts about these gubbas taking our land? You must have at least one good reason, and one bad reason!” Canungra asked Nowra

Nowra looked at the crowd in confusion. He didn't know he had to give a good reason! But he spoke anyway.

Page 5

“The past 200 and a half years, us Koori Birds have been depressed for many years. Them gubbas didn't even ask us for our land. They just came and took it. Not even one apology. Like when us Koori Birds find our food and kill it, we always apologise it and pray for it. But when they took us Koori Birds, we never got an apology. And we never did anything bad to them gubbas. So why did they do it to us! If I was to ask them gubbas where they came from, which I did, they would say “Oh! I was from England”. And if I was to ask them gubbas “What did you have there at England?” they would say “We had awesome stuff! We had poison, and sailing machines, and glass cages and compasses!”. But think gubbas. Why come here and invade our land, when you had such a deadly one!” but then, a “miner” interrupted,

Page 6

“Our land wasn't deadly!! At all!”

“Deadly means “awesome” in Koori language.” Canungra corrected the “miner”.

“And so, Nowra, those were some deadly points. Now, do you have any good reasons?”

“Well, I guess. Them gubbas did build this! That is very amazing indeed.” then another “miner” interrupted.

“We also built a cubic nest! And a bird hotel! And a shopping centre where you can buy food, stuff for your nest, thing for your chicks and accessories to wear!”

“Well. That is extraordinarily deadly! We might be able to use that stuff! But still, you had all that stuff back at England. So, I think that's all I got to say.” concluded Nowra.

Page 7

“Very deadly explanations Nowra! Next up we have, Woollimaloo and Fluffimaloo the two galah brothers!” they flew up to the microphone. They started to fight over it and then decided that they'll share it!

“So, what are your sayings about the Koori invasion?”

“Well, what I'd like to know is how they make such deadly stuff! I mean its just SO deadly!” yelled Woolimaloo.

“Thanks! We can make it in less than a day!” bragged out a “miner”.

“That is so deadly! I wish I could do that! Us Koori Birds couldn't do that!” goofed Fluffimaloo

“We also got automatic clocks! Ya know, things that tell us what time it is! So we're not late for anything!” yelled out the same miner.

“DEADLY! We only depended on sticks, and the Sun!” Woolli said to everyone.

“And we've got weather satellites to tell us if it's gonna rain or not.” went on one of the “miners”.

“Oh! We only figured it out if ants were running at 100,000,000,000,000 kph! And sometimes we can't find the ants!” said Fluffi.

“Ok...Uh...Do you have any bad reasons?” said Canungra a bit shocked.

“Oh yeah! Well, now that those gubbas took our land, I have to stay with my weird friends EVERYNIGHT!! And we have to stay at the Old Man Banksia Pub!”

Page 8

“Woolli! The gubbas call it the “Old Man Banksia Pub!”. Us Koori Birds call it the Wadubiara pub!”

said Canungra in a bit of anger.

“Oh yeah! Well, I'm not a gubbah! Too bad! Cuz then I could make such awesome stuff!”

“WOOLLI! How could you say that! Disrespecting us Koori Birds!” shouted Canungra.

“I can be a gubba on the inside right?”

“Fine! What ever tickles your kuyungu!” said Canungra with a blank look.

“Ok. Next we have our “miner” birds! And first up is the “miner” leader, Alec the Myna bird!”

Alec stomped up to the microphone. He was thinking of his victory!

“So-” but Canungra just got cut off and Alec started talking.

“I know what we did was right! Now you black fellas'll have great technology! We came here to help you! It was all a misunderstanding! You see, we were flying on a holiday 'till we saw a big island! So we flew down to it! We saw you Koori Birds struggling for survival! So we felt sad for you! Luckily, we were great builders! So we started to build stuff for you! But you thought we were making weapons! So you started to fight us! And we had no choice but to export you to a different state so you wont be hazardous to our construction! But now you've come back! So...But it's true!”

But then, Wooli yelled

Page 9

“THAT'S A LIE! My friend, Albert, who's a “miner” just told me the TRUTH! And that,” but Albert hit him with his wing and twitched at him...“Oh...WHOOPS!”

“Tell us Wooli! TELL US!!” yelled the Koori Birds.

But Alec had a furious face on.

“Albert told me that you guys had no respect of us Koori Birds! He said that they came here to become famous! Ya know, for finding another island! And they forced the Koori Birds into another state to get rid of them because there were predators there! YOU LIE ALEC!!!”

“ALBERT!! WHY DID YOU TELL HIM!!??”

“He's nice! And also funny!” said Albert!

“YOU PACK OF GALAHS LIED TO US!!” yelled Canungra.

“Huh? No we didn't!” yelled Wooli and Fluffi.

“No, not you two! Saying “You pack of Galahs” means “You pack of bludgers” or something like that! But you aren't bludgers, Wooli and Fluffi! You saved us!! Alec could have won and we could have believed them!” corrected Canungra.

“We warned you Black Fellas!! WE WARNED YOU!!      “Miners”....ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Page 10

“WAIT!!!” yelled Nowra. “Why don't we just unite with them gubbas! Cuz we're both Australian! And it would be much better! So why not?”

“There's no way I'm uniting with you guys!”scoffed Alec.

“C'mon! I want my land back! We all do! And we can share it! So why not? There'll be no fighting, no nothin'! We'll all be with each other! Who cares about if we're black fellas or not? We're all birds! Please!”

“No way! No matter-” started Alec. But then Albert yelled to Alec,

“Oh come on Alec! I like the Koori Birds!”

“Me too!” yelled another!

“There's nothing wrong with them” said another one!

“Then keep me out of it! I don't care!” Yelled Alec. Then he flew off muttering under his breath.

Page 11

Ever since then, us Koori Birds and them Gubbas have been friendly to each other and stayed in the same land. Soon, all of Australia was filled with birds from all around the world! The birds were all so pleased with what they had achieved, that they flew over the road for a feast.

This is how we can have two different stories, two different histories... and converge them into one. We don't forget the two different story-lines, as each has their own strengths and individual perspectives. But what is even more deadly, is when we merge the two, to create a wonderful new story...

And it'll stay like that forever!

The End

the little sparrow

Subject : THE HAPPY SPARROW...an unbelievable tale

Posted Date: : 01 Aug 2009, 02:26 PM

The happy sparrow

This is an incredible story about something that happened to me about 17 years ago now. I just remembered it again and up until now I have kept this one all to myself…you'll see why once you have read it.

It was about 5.45 in the evening. It was winter time, so it was already getting dark. I was waiting to catch my ferry home from Circular Quay to Rose Bay.

....

.. ..

 I pretty much knew the timetable off by heart, and I also knew that there was a 1 hour wait in between this ferry and the last one, if I missed this one. I had gotten off my train, and I took the escalator down to the ferry terminal and ran straight onto the jetty.

I actually had 15 minutes to spare, so I sat down on a bench, and took a huge breath…actually it was a huge sigh of relief. ....

At the time I was working for a life insurance company. We were in the middle of relocating some of the departments, and I was in the computer dept, so it was up to us to make sure that the transition was smooth for all the computers and printers. We were using an unusual technology…Amplitude Modulated; this was to beam the signals from one side of the road to the other. I had never seen this before, so I was struggling. It got pretty tense after a week or so, and some people still didn't have working printers etc. So I felt like a wreck, and to sit on a jetty and just stare out into the harbor was pure bliss.

The jetty was getting busier and busier, but I was in a world of my own.

I started to notice something…

....

peep peep peep. Peep peep. ....

.. ..

After a couple of minutes of this insistant

peep peeping,

I arose from my haze and looked around for the source of this chatter. Right at my feet, was a little sparrow.

.. ..

....

Peep peep peep…it was looking at me too…first one little eye, then it shifted it's head to look with the other eye.....

 ....

My very first reaction was to slowly…very slowly check the people either side of me, or standing close by me, to see if anybody else had noticed this little bird.

Left…no…right…no….in fact everybody on the jetty was very catatonic-ally staring at the indicator boards, counting down the time till the ferry arrived.

O.k….my next thought was, wow, I know I'm stressed, but is my mind playing tricks on me now?

.. ..

peep peep peep…peep peep

looking at me with one eye then tilting it's little head to look at me with the other eye.

.. ..

Then I thought…Oh just get off of your self and don't be so stupid! And most certainly do not EVER repeat this one to a soul…I mean, they prescribe lithium for much less than this don't they?

"I'm sorry miss, but you have what we would describe as grand delusions of DOOLITTLEISM"

peep peep peep…....

.. ..

now the little critter is dancing around my feet…this is where I start blushing , and cursing myself and a another thought flashes through my mind.

"Better stay off the wacky tobbacky for a while girl!"

Thank goodness everybody else is so busy looking at the indicator boards, and they don't seem to notice.

.. ..

peep peep peep…....

.. ..

The little critter is acting all frantic on me now…WHAT THE!!

I looked for the nearest clock (as I don't wear a watch), and I can see that my ferry is due in about 2 minutes…good!

.. ..

PEEP PEEP PEEP. ....

.. ..

I casually glance up at the indicator board and then I nearly pass out with disbelief!

.. ..

I'M ON THE WRONG BLOODY JETTY!!!!SHIT..SHIT SHIT. I grab my stuff, and RUN LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL, down two jetty's along, and run through the turnstile, just as they are making the final call….run over the planky thing….PHEWWWW!...I made it.

I stake a stroll to the front of the boat, take a seat…It's very cold and windy…but I don't care.

I sit there for a good long while, and slowly but slowly I think to myself….was that little bird actually trying to alert me….could it actually have been…no…NO… that's impossible.....

I still feel in such wonderment every time I recall that story…All of it true…I never told any one about it because we are all so convinced that such things are impossible or just don't happen…Now days, I can't help but to wonder…How many fantastic opportunities or encounters have we passed off, or outright missed, because we are so convinced that…IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE!....

There…I've said it.

This story began to form In my mind the day before today actually, and I began to remember a story I knew as a child. The story is called THE HAPPY PRINCE. It was written in 1946, by Oscar Wild…My Father bought me a copy of the story on vinyl when I was 4 years old, and I still have it today. I can't listen to it anymore, because a lot of the new amplifiers simply don't add a phono outlet, so it has been in a box for 35 years…until yesterday. Well as it turns out you can download or audio stream the very same story from your computer…It is actually a classic tale. It is narrated by Orson Wells, Bing Crosby and Laurene Tuttle....

If you have a spare 12 minutes or so, just click on the audio stream link. The quality is poor, as it has never been re-mastered…It only exists on Vinyl. I have never been able to listen to this story without getting a lump in my throat or just outright bawling, but it's a beautiful story.....

.. ..

....

.. ..

.. ..