Tjurlpu-ya Purnungka Nyinarranytja

Tjurlpu-ya Purnungka Nyinarranytja
The Birds in a Tree
Written and Illustrated by Ann Green Mitchell
Ngaanyatjarra Bible Project 
Alice Springs 
1998

Tjurlpu 10-pa-ya purnungka nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutju paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka 9-pa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka 8-pa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka 7-pa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka 6-pa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka 5-pa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka kutjarra-kutjarra-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka marnkurrpa-ya nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka kutjarra-pula nyinarranytja.

Nyangka kutjupanya paarrpakara yanu. 
Nyangka kutjurringu nyinarranytja.

Palunyalu tjurlpu palunyanya paarrpakara yanu.

Nyangka purnukutju ngaralanytja.

POSTFACE
Tjurlpu-ya Purnungka Nyinarranytja, “The Birds in a Tree” is a simple repetitive story in the Ngaanyatjarra language designed to be read to and by children in Ngaanyatjarra schools.
Ngaanyatjarra is spoken by approximately 1,100 Aborigines living in the central desert area of Western Australia.
The story was written and illustrated by Ann Green Mitchell of Papulankutja (Blackstone).
There is an English translation below.

Page 2	There were ten birds in a tree.
Page 4	One flew away. So then there were nine birds in the tree.
Page 6	Another one flew away. Then there were eight birds in the tree.
Page 8	Another one flew away. Then there were seven birds in the tree.
Page 10	Another one flew away. Then there were six birds in the tree..
Page 12	Another one flew away. Then there were five birds in the tree.
Page 14	Another one flew away. Then there were four birds in the tree.
Page 16	Another one flew away. Then there were three birds in the tree.
Page 18	Another one flew away. Then there were two birds in the tree.
Page 20	Another one flew away. Then there was only one bird left in the tree.
Page 22	That bird flew away.
Page 24	And only the tree remained