Dinewan and his two wives camped out during a rainstorm, sheltering under a bark humpy. Dinewan repeatedly sabotaged the shelter to force his wives outside, finding amusement in their struggles. Realizing his mischief, the wives sought revenge, tossing hot coals onto him. Burned, Dinewan fled into the rain, while his wives stayed dry, laughing at his plight.
Source
Australian Legendary Tales
collected by Mrs. K. Langloh Parker
London & Melbourne, 1896
► Themes of the story
Trickster: Dinewan repeatedly deceives his wives by sabotaging their shelter, finding amusement in their discomfort.
Revenge and Justice: The wives, upon discovering Dinewan’s mischief, retaliate by throwing hot coals on him, delivering retribution for his actions.
Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts a lesson about the consequences of deceit and the importance of treating others with respect.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Aboriginal Australians
Dinewan and his two wives, the Wahn, were camping out. Seeing some clouds gathering, they made a bark humpy. It came on to rain, and they all took shelter under it. Dinewan, when his wives were not looking, gave a kick against a piece of bark at one side of the humpy, knocked it down, then told his wives to go and put it up again. When they were outside putting it up, he gave a kick, and knocked down a piece on the other side; so no sooner were they in again than out they had to go. This he did time after time, until at last they su spected him, and decided that one of them would watch.
► Continue reading…
The one who was watching saw Dinewan laugh to himself and go and knock down the bark they had just put up, chuckling at the thought of his wives having to go out in the wet and cold to put it up, while he had his supper dry and comfortably inside. The one who saw him told the other, and they decided to teach him a lesson. So in they came, each with a piece of bark filled with hot coals. They went straight up to Dinewan, who was lying down laughing.
“Now,” they said, “you shall feel as hot we did cold.” And they threw the coals over him. Dinewan jumped up, crying aloud with the pain, for he was badly burnt. He rolled himself over, and ran into the rain; and his wives stayed inside, and laughed aloud at him.
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