Atondido Stories
wonderful rainbow, she thought something dreadful must be
going to happen. She was terribly frightened, and called aloud:
"Wyah, wyah." In her fear she gathered her children together,
and fled with them to Bibbee's camp for protection.
Bibbee proudly told her that he had made the rainbow, just
to show how strong he was and how safe she would be if she
married him. But if she would not, she would see what terrible
things he would make to come on the earth, not just a harmless
and beautiful roadway across the heavens, but things that would
burst from the earth and destroy it.
So by working on her mixed feelings of fear of his prowess,
and admiration of his skill, Bibbee gained his desire, and
Deereeree married him. And when long afterwards they died,
Deereeree was changed into the little willy wagtail who may be
heard through the stillness of the summer nights, crying her
plaintive wail of "Deereeree, wyah, wyah, Deereeree."
And Bibbee was changed into the woodpecker, or climbing
tree bird, who is always running up trees as if he wanted to be
building other ways to the than the famous roadway of his Eu-
loowirree, the building of which had won him his wife.
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