The women were preparing the fish and mussels the men had caught that day as the girls played on the beach. The men were teaching the boys how to hunt and fish as the sun went down on the camp. Everyone was happy and content.

Everyone except for Min-Na-Wee, that is. Ever since her birth Min-Na-Wee had been a trouble-maker. Even as a girl she was mean-spirited and constantly caused fights amongst her people. Her face was hard and scaly, revealing her bitterness and cruelty.

Min-Na-Wee would tell lies and spread stories. She would make trouble between the other girls and their mothers. The women would say that something terrible would happen to Min-Na-Wee if she didn't stop but she kept up her spiteful ways regardless of their warnings.

One day, when Min-Na-Wee was a young woman, she was gathered with all the other unmarried women. They stood in a line and the elders chose a man for each of the women. Except for Min-Na-Wee. By the end of the day she still did not have a husband chosen for her. She grew even more angry and bitter and started more trouble amongst the tribe. As the women fought and yelled Min-Na-Wee sat in her humpy and laughed.

The elders of the tribe had had enough and they agreed that something had to be done about Min-Na-Wee. She didn't know of their decision, and one day walked down to the tribe to cause some more trouble.

The men of the tribe grabbed Min-Na-Wee and rolled her around in the dirt. She eventually managed to run away to the edge of the sea. She was so angry she called on the spirits to change her into a vicious animal so that she could get her revenge on her tribe. She was immediately changed into a crocodile and slid into the water to wait for her prey.

The tribespeople didn't know that Min-Na-Wee had gone. They went about their duties, the men hunting for crabs and fish in the water. One of the men who had punished Min-Na-Wee came near her. She attacked him, and rolled him around and around in the water. She kept rolling him until he was dead.

Today Min-Na-Wee's spirit remains with the crocodiles of Australia and that is why the evil animals roll their prey over and over when they attack.


The story of Min-Na-Wee comes from the Aboriginal people of the Gwini tribe in the Broome area of Western Australia. This was an adaptation of Jiller-Rii's version (as told by his grandson Frank Martin).

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