The Rainbow Serpent

Long, long ago, before there were any rivers or hills, before there were any animals or people, the world was very different. It was flat and empty, like a giant piece of paper waiting for someone to draw on it. The red earth stretched out as far as you could see, under a big blue sky. There were no trees, no flowers, no birds singing. Just the quiet, patient land, waiting and waiting. The wind would blow softly across the empty ground, making little swirls in the dust. Sometimes the sun would shine down warmly, and sometimes clouds would drift by overhead. But mostly, the land just waited. It was like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for something wonderful to happen. And deep, deep underground, something magical was sleeping.