Chapter One Nan s Story Sarah and her brothers Jay and Rene lived with their parents and Nan in a white house with a red roof The house sat high in the hills on the Darling scarp nestled amongst the tall white gum trees Many birds made their homes in the trees and Sarah loved to listen to them and watch the bush animals eat and play She was a Noongar girl so for her family the bush was a spiritual
place where people could learn many special things One hot summer’s night just as the sun was setting Nan called Sarah and her brothers out onto the back porch to tell them a story Sarah had a feeling the story was going to be scary and important and she was right Nan’s twinkling brown eyes grew serious as the shadows deepened in the yard This is the story of the woordatj she said softly Nan why are you whispering Sarah asked The woordatj doesn’t like to be disturbed I don’t want to wake him up in case he gets angry Now sit still and listen carefully
