MARRAM - How the Marram got their tails

In the early days, in the Dreamtime, there were two Marram’s who lived in this country. One came from the hills, the other from the plains.

The plains Marrams were a big Marram’s with long arms and long legs. The hill Marram was a short Marram with small arms and short legs.

One day the short armed Marram was walking around hunting for sugarbag (wild bush honey). You can find sugarbag by watching the bees and following them to their hive where they make honey.

He really liked sugarbag, that short armed Marram so he kept looking until he found some in a hole on a rock.

He reached just inside that hole and pulled out a handful of sugarbag and ate it. Mmmm it was good tucker.

Now, that big Marram was hungry for sugarbag himself. He sat down next to the short-armed Marram . "hey, what are you eating?" he said "I'm eating sugarbag" said the short-armed Marram. "you've got long arms, you can reach right down and get some too!"

So that big Marram put his long arms deep into the hole and pulled out...a handful of spiders!

"Try again." Said the short-armed Marram. "put your arm right down into the hole — that's where the sugarbag is."

So the big Marram put his hand into the hole again... but only pulled out more spiders.

The short-armed Marram kept reaching just indie the hole... and pulling out more and more sugarbag. Pretty soon he had eaten it all himself.

The big Marram was wild! That short-armed Marram had tricked him! He went off to the white gum tree and broke off a big stick.

The short-armed Marram thought he better get a stick too. He went and broke off a red bloodwood tree.

And then they started a fight. Thy hit each other over the head with those sticks until the big Marram ran away.

Well, that short-armed Marram threw his stick and it stuck right into the big Marram. That made the big Marram even more wild, so he turned and threw his stick. It struck right into the short armed Marram.

Then they each hopped away back to their own country. The big Marram went back to the low country where the sugar-grass grows and the short-armed Marram hopped away up into the hills.

"I'm a sugar grass country man now", said that big red plains Marram "l will live here forever"

"And I am boulder country man," that short-armed Marram said. "l will live in the hills amongst boulders and spinifex."

And they are still there today. When you see them you will know how they got their tails.

Junior Sub School Bulletin

Issue 6 · 17 Jul 2026

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