Why the Emu Can't Fly

Why the Emu Can't Fly

By Akan Aken

Emu

Brush Turkey

Feature	Brush Turkey	Emu
Size	Small to medium	Very large and strong
Flight	Can fly short distances	Cannot fly
Legs / Speed	Walks mostly, legs not very long	Long legs, can run very fast
Eggs / Family	Lays 2 eggs per year, both parents care for them	Lays many eggs, only strongest chicks survive
Diet	Grass, seeds, insects	Grass, seeds, small plants
Behaviour	Clever, tricky, hardworking	Patient, wise, strong
Role in Nature	Helps spread seeds in forests	Survives in deserts, grasslands, forests
In Stories	Sometimes a trickster	Respected, courageous, teaches lessons

Traditional Aboriginal story (Dreamtime story)

Story Type

Dinewan the Emu

Story Title

Why the Emu Can't Fly

Main Characters of the Story

Other Characters

• Emu’s wife and children

• Goomblegubbon the Brush Turkey

• Brush Turkey’s family

• Other animals of the plain

About Dinewan the Emu

• Big and strong bird

• Could fly long distances

• Ran very fast across the plains

• Well-respected and feared

• Had many children every year

About Goomblegubbon the Brush Turkey

• Jealous of Emu

• Could fly but was weaker

• Clever and tricky

• Wanted to hurt Emu

• Planned secretly with his wife

The Trick

• Brush Turkey said walking was better than flying.

• He said flying was common and ordinary.

• Emu believed him.

• Emu and his wife removed their wings.

• Emu decided to walk and run instead.

The Race

• Emu ran across the plain

• Brush Turkey waited

• Brush Turkey flew ahead and won

• He laughed at Emu

• Emu felt angry and sad

Emu’s Strength Grows

• A year passed

• Emu’s legs became very strong

• He could run as fast as Brush Turkey could fly

• Emu stayed quiet and patient

The Second Trick

• Emu talked about having fewer, stronger chicks

• Brush Turkey believed him

• Brush Turkey kept only two chicks

• Emu revealed the truth

• Brush Turkey was tricked

The Lesson

• Emus cannot fly but have many chicks

• Brush turkeys can fly but have few chicks

• The story explains animal behavior

• A traditional Aboriginal teaching story

Study about Australia

Australia The Place

Country

• Australia is both a country and a continent.

• It is the sixth largest country in the world.

• The main language is English.

• The currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD), divided into 100 cents.

• The population is about 25 million people.

• Aboriginal people are the native people of Australia.

Curious Facts

• Nearly one quarter of Australians were born in other countries.

• Australia has a land area of 7.7 million square kilometres.

• The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world and stretches 2,000 km.

• Australia has a very long coastline — 35,877 km.

• It takes 5 hours to fly from Brisbane to Perth (3,614 km).

• Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) looks like it changes colour during the day.

Characteristics

• About 20% of Australia is desert (hot and dry).

• Mountain ranges lie along the east coast.

• The north has tropical rainforests (hot and humid).

• Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain (2,228 m).

• The Perth Canyon is very deep (4,000 m) and has exotic marine life and blue whales.

Endangered Species

• Australia is home to many unique animals such as koalas, kangaroos, and reef animals.

• Some reef animals are endangered because of climate change and pollution.

Reasons (Why Protection Is Needed)

• Climate change harms coral reefs and marine life.

• Desert expansion affects plant and animal habitats.

• Human activities like pollution and overfishing threaten wildlife.