Seasons

• It is believed the cold weather is collected by the seven sisters (the Pleiades) when they disappear below the western horizon. Appearing over the eastern horizon brings summer.
  
• In Winter the night sky was light up by the dark shape of the emu.
  
• Wet and dry and the availability of different types of food signalled seasons to the Aboriginals. The times of changes in the weather, times to go fishing, hunting, gathering and ceremonies was signalled by star movement.
  
• Spring had arrived in the Torres Strait when Tagai's spear dropped into the sea.
  

Story

A clever woman named Marpeankurruic was in the bush looking for food. Mallee forests in Southern Australia were her home thousands of years ago. It had not rained for a long time and her people were starving. Rivers and billabongs had dried up. The bull-rushes had shrivelled up, there were no grass seeds or fruit, lizards or snakes to eat.

After many hours of walking she came across a wood ants nest. Desperate to find food, she went to it opening it up with her digging stick. Finding thousands of larve she ate some. They were delicious! Collecting all that she could, she hurried back to her people.

Wood ant larve had saved the people, soon becoming their favourite food.

On Marepeankurruic's death she became a star. This star is now called Arturus. When Mallee country Aboriginals see this star they know it's time to look for their favourite food, the wood ant larve.