Tiddalick, the Frog

Tiddalick was a huge frog and early one morning the frog was very thirsty. The frog was so thirsty that it went to the fresh water pond in ‘Dreamtime’ and drank the water. But the frog was still thirsty that it drank the fresh water from the next pond too.

Tiddalick did not know it, but it was so thirsty that very soon it drank all the water in the place.

At day break the other animals also woke up and slowly they all came to the pond and they were shocked to see that there was no water in any of the ponds.

The animals all talked to each other and soon they realized what had happened.

“How can Tiddalick drink all the water?” The Echidna demanded looking at the dry river.

“We need the water too!” The Kangaroo said.

“Wait!” The emu said. “I think I know how to solve this. All the water is in Tiddalick’s stomach. So we need to get the water out of Tiddalick’s stomach.”

“How do we do that?” The wombat asked the other animals.

The Gallah and the Kookabura stared at the wombat not able to think up of anything. Nabunum, the Eel was frowning.

The wise old Owl suddenly hit upon a plan. “I have it!” The Owl said, startling the other animals including the Goanna. “We need to make Tiddalick laugh. When Tiddalick laughs, all the water in his stomach will come out.”

Nabunum was still frowning. “How can we make Tiddalik laugh?”

The Owl smiled at all the animals. “Each one of us will have a chance.”

********

The Echidna went first. He rolled himself into a tight ball and rolled down the dry billabong. Some of the animals laughed on seeing this.

But Tiddalick did not laugh.
So the Kookabura tried next. She was sitting on a branch and she told the funniest story that she knew. She fell off the branch of the tree laughing at her own story.

But Tiddalick did not laugh.

The Kangaroo tried many antics and it jumped over the emu in an attempt to amuse the frog.

But Tiddalick still did not laugh.

Nabunum finally tried to dance. The dance became faster and faster and Nabunum tried to put itself in all sorts of weird shapes and finally it went so bad that Nabunum tied itself in a knot and was stuck.

Tiddalick chuckled when he saw that. Unable to stop himself Tiddalick started laughing and all the water in his belly came out and filled up the pond.

The other animals rejoiced on seeing this.

- An Australian Aboriginal Folk Story

(Australian Aboriginal stories generally takes place in a place called “Dreamtime” or “Dreaming”)