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

Overview

Two brothers hunt an emu, but the younger one’s triumphant shout attracts the stronger Piggiebillah, who takes the carcass and refuses them a share. The brothers recruit neighbours to attack him, promising access to the cooked bird, then take it themselves while their allies are occupied. They hide with it behind a stone that only they know how to move. When the deceived attackers thrust spears through gaps, the brothers use the emu as a shield, initially betraying their survival by laughing.

After falling silent, they vanish from the chamber before the others remove the stone. No tracks can be found, but two white-throated birds remain nearby, watching and appearing to converse. The searchers eventually become convinced that these are the escaped brothers. The ending gives the birds their name through that conclusion rather than directly narrating a visible transformation. The heading uses Weeoonibeens, while the body variously prints Weeoombeen and Weeoombeens.

Two brothersSecret movable stoneCarcass as spear shieldDisappearance without tracksWhite-throated bird identification
01

Origins & earliest records

K. Langloh Parker, Australian Legendary Tales (1896), The Weeoonibeens and the Piggiebillah. Narran-region collection; individual narrator unspecified.

02

Records & interpretation

The complete English narrative distinguishes directly described pursuit and wounds from the final inferred or commemorative animal identifications.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Australian Legendary Tales: The Weeoonibeens and the Piggiebillah

    K. Langloh Parker · 1896

    Complete selected chapter; heading/body spelling variation retained. Bird change inferred by searchers, Piggiebillah conclusion phrased as perpetuated memory.

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 historical collected narrativeParker: Weeoonibeens and PiggiebillahResearch 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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