Category: Historical Fiction

Dan #3

It was the afternoon when the soldiers brought me to the Lieutenant’s tent. He told me I disobeyed an order by stealing the Governor’s dog. That was stupid, of course because Larka wasn’t even anyone but Waruwi’s dog. The Lieutenant sighed. He said he didn’t have a choice but to wish me a good sleep, because I would be flogged in the morning. Earlier the next day,  Lieutenant Roberts led us to a forest and ordered Goodwin to build the triangle with me. While I was watching Goodwin work on the wood, Goodwin looked up. He heard a noise. Waruwi came with something wrapped in different hides. Goodwin warned me I have already gotten into enough trouble and shouldn’t listen to her but I stood up and lifted up the hide. I gasped and gestured for Goodwin to come over. By the look on his face, he was surprised too. An hour later, all the soldiers and Lieutenant Roberts gathered around the triangle. I stood in the middle holding what Waruwi brought wrapped in a red coat. Lieutenant Roberts came up to me and asked if I had anything to say for myself. I said yes and I didn’t steal Larka. This made the Lieutenant furious. He gave me one warning. I said I returned the dog to its rightful owner and I have something better. The Lieutenant still didn’t believe me. Then, Goodwin stood up for me. He told the Lieutenant that it was really a better thing for the camp. I opened up the coat to reveal a puppy. I said it was a gift of friendship from the natives and it’s much easier to train. The Lieutenant was dumbfounded and said it was amazing but warned me not to break the Governor’s laws again.

Dan #2

It was just an afternoon on a beach, I was teaching Larka how to fetch. Lieutenant Roberts caught me and asked why the dog wasn’t tied up. I tried to explain that I had to teach Larka how to fetch so she would be useful for the Governor. I was frightened when he said he’d nail my hide to a tree if I refused. I was furious, but obeyed his orders. I sat down next to Goodwin. I tried to reason  with him that the Lieutenant was disobeying the governor.

“The law is that you can’t take anything from the natives without paying our own compensation,”I said.

He didn’t believe me. So I stole some things from Goodwin’s pocket. It wasn’t enough in trade for a dog. I then went to see the cook. The cook asked me why I was here. I told the cook the Lieutenant needed drippings for his boots.. It was the first thing that came  to my mind. The cook was very surprised. When he looked away, I grabbed something else Waruwi might like. I quickly tied up my bag of goods and threw it out the back of the tent for Warawi. The cook sighed, but all he gave me was the Lieutenant’s rations.

“Give that to Lieutenant Roberts,”.

Afterwards, I carried the rations to the Lieutenant. He told me to put it in the bag. The Lieutenant gave me his telescope and ordered the soldiers to march to the point. I looked at the telescope. That might be something for Waruwi too. But there was no time for daydreaming. Lieutenant Roberts called me to bang the drums for the march. I stuffed the telescope in my pocket and banged the drums for the march. Then, I watched the soldiers as they marched off.

Dan 1788

It was a hot day. Just like any other day since I got on the ship as a convict. Just then, I saw Waruwi’s dingo, or, native dog, as we call them following me. Waruwi was a native from Australia. She spoke a different language so we couldn’t understand each other. Larka ran back to the big tree where Waruwi lived. Lieutenant Roberts asked if a native dog was following me. I couldn’t lie to the lieutenant so I simply nodded my head. The lieutenant explained that the government needed a watchdog and wanted me to fetch it. I sighed. The English never considered that the natives owned anything. The Lieutenant sent me and Goodwin, another solider who was also my friend to go look for Larka. Apparently, he didn’t think the natives owned anything either. We split up to look for the native dog. I ran over to where Waruwi lived to warn her that they were coming for Larka. Waruwi thought I was playing a game and wanted to tag on. No matter what I said, Waruwi just kept laughing. Then, I heard footsteps. Footsteps of the soldiers in our camp. I gestured for her to hide, she didn’t understand me, but she hid, anyway. The Lieutenant saw me and ordered me to tie the dog. I didn’t know what to do, so I listened. By the look on her face, Waruwi was furious. I only had enough time to look back at her and walk away. At the camp, Lieutenant Roberts gave me full responsibility for Larka. Suddenly, she started barking.

I looked out in the distance and there Waruwi was, she started throwing rocks at us. She obviously didn’t like us for stealing her dingo. The soldiers were very alert and thought the natives were attacking.

Elizabeth-1798

I’m Elizabeth and I’m 13 years old.

 

During the morning, I went to work as the shoemaker’s apprentice. By the end of the day, I only got at least 5 pennies in my small bag. I was so poor, I couldn’t have a second pair of clothes. It’s always hard living a life in England. It was hard for everyone! Well, apart from the rich people, but they didn’t help anyone. Then, I saw someone selling clothes.A linen gown cost 10 shillings, a shawl cost 5 shillings and a bonnet cost one shilling. I looked in my bag of coins but all there was were 5 pennies.So, when he wasn’t watching, I snatched a gown, bonnet and shawl and sold it to a nearby lady just down the street. I counted the money.

16 shillings I thought, That’s enough for a week’s worth of full meals.

All a sudden, I heard a low voice, “Hey! Stop! Thief!”yelled the stall keeper.

In a flash, the big, hurly police were chasing after me. First one, then 5, then, at least 30. I couldn’t let them catch me. If they did, I could be hanged! What would my mother say? She would be horrified! Then again, there was news that prisoners would go to this “Australia” country. It wouldn’t be as bad as being hanged, but I would miss home. Either way ,I wasn’t going to get caught. I couldn’t. I was tired. I was enough running. I’ve been doing it for hours. Exhausted, I hid in an alley. No-one ever went there. I sat down, panting. Suddenly, I heard hooves banging the ground. My nerves tensed.

They were coming for me.

I thought quickly, covering myself with soot and dust.

“Gotcha!”A guard grabbed my leg…

My Place – 1788

One peaceful morning by the big tree in the bushes, I saw Barangaroo who wore her new dingo hide dress. It was nothing compared to my dingo outfit that I hunted. Men usually do all the hunting. Anyways, back to the point. Barangaroo is a female. In camps, men are always first. And as a camp leader like me, I always follow that rule.
She hung her head, “I really miss Mung,” Barangaroo thought for a while. “ I know!” She exclaimed, “We can have a cookout, with at giant barramundi! My friend would definitely come,”.
“You just read my mind. You stay here and I’ll go fishing,”.
“You just think that you’re the big shot. That you’re better than anyone else,” Barangaroo protested.
I carefully thought through what Barangaroo had said ad nodded my head. Barangaroo scoffed.
“Fine. You and me. At a dance-off. Whoever wins, goes fishing,”.
We call acting out animals dance offs. She knew she was way better than me at that. It was’t fair, but it was the only way to do what I wanted.
I gulped nervously “Deal,”.
By midday, in front of the big tree, the dance off took place. It was Barangaroo’s turn first. She proudly preformed a wallaby, emu and a snake which the judges guessed in seconds. When it was my turn, I acted out a bird and a kangaroo but the judges stayed silent. So I did what I had to do.
“So? If you vote for me, we can all go fishing,” I said.
The judges couldn’t resist my offer.
“Yay! Burani!” said a judge.
“Burani!” said another.
“You lose, Barangaroo,” said the last.
“As the camp leader, I declare that Barangaroo stays here to look after Mung until we go fishing,” I said.
Then we all ran off to the long river until sunset.