A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Googarh, the iguana, is married to Moodai, an opossum, and Cookooburrah, a laughing jackass. The latter has three sons. Hunters leave the two younger boys without drinking water, though their camp stands near a goolahgool, a hollow tree storing rainfall.

The eldest brother arrives and understands their gestures when swollen tongues prevent speech. He splits the tree, releasing an ever-growing stream. The little boys drink and bathe. When their mother and her companions return, the brothers misleadingly direct them to a supposedly shallow crossing. Their mother’s request for a stick is echoed mockingly and all three adults drown. The goolahgool is a water-holding tree in the passage, rather than a separately named sentient creature.

Bird-named siblingsSplit rainfall reservoirDeceptive crossing
01

Origins & earliest records

K. Langloh Parker, Australian Legendary Tales (London: David Nutt, 1896), The Cookooburrahs and the Goolahgool, pp. 47–49.

02

Records & interpretation

Complete selected English retelling directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    The Cookooburrahs and the Goolahgool, pp. 47–49

    K. Langloh Parker, collector and English reteller; individual narrator unassigned · 1896

    Complete selected tale inspected.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary collected textParker 1896: The Cookooburrahs and the GoolahgoolResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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