In the days before the ants there lived a tribe of strange people. When these people raised their arms great wings grew upon them and with these wings they could fly like bats. They were called the Keeng Keeng and they were feared by all the tribes.
The Keeng Keeng were cruel and deceitful and they lived in a large cave in the mountains. In the centre of this cave was a huge pit of fire and in this pit dwelt a Fire God who was worshipped by the Keeng Keeng. The Keeng Keeng sacrificed human beings to this god; they cast bound men into the pit of fire and there the god devoured them.
One day, two men of the Keeng Keeng were flying over the hills and valleys looking for a human being they could sacrifice. Far beneath them they saw the Winjarning brothers returning from the hunt. These brothers were men of high degree and were known throughout the tribes for their skill in healing the sick. They were always willing to help those in distress and because of this they were loved.
The two Keeng Keeng alighted near the brothers and walked over to them. The brothers greeted them in friendly fashion as was their habit. They knew the Keeng Keeng were dangerous and sacrificed human beings to their Fire God but when the Keeng Keeng invited them to their cave to be welcomed by their tribe they agreed to accompany them, for they had faith in themselves and in their strength. They were also curious to see these people in their own surroundings.
When they arrived at the cave the Winjarning brothers were made welcome and asked to stay for a few days so that they could enjoy the feasting and the dancing that the Keeng Keeng would provide for their pleasure.
So the brothers stayed for three days, and on the third day they announced that they were leaving for their own country. When the Keeng Keeng heard this they pleaded with the brothers to stay one more day so that they could see the sacred emu dance of the women.
The Winjarning brothers knew that the sacred emu dance always preceded the sacrifice, but they stayed, for their curiosity was greater than their fear.
The sacred emu dance took place beside the fire pit, so that the flames from the pit cast the shadows of the dancers upon the wall.
Only the young girls of the Keeng Keeng danced. They formed a circle and moved in and out like emus feeding. Each held an arm aloft and the shadows of the arms were the necks of the emus that bowed and strutted upon the wall.
The shadow-emus moved with the girls and sometimes they were large and menacing and sometimes they shrunk to the size of a maid.
The Winjarning brothers would have forgotten all else save the shadows, for the shadows in their play held the eyes like a spell. But their minds were keen and their danger was always with them.
The Keeng Keeng watched the brothers, and when the brothers seemed to have forgotten all else save the shadows, they rose stealthily to their feet and moved in upon them.
But the elder of the Winjarning brothers saw them moving beyond the firelight. He saw their teeth, white in the dark, and their eyes like fire without flame. He leapt to his feet as they rushed, and their arms grasped the place that he had left.
So swift was his leap that he failed to grasp the spears beside him, thus he had no weapon with which to defend himself. He ran round the rim of the fire pit, the Keeng Keeng screaming behind him.
Round and round the fire pit he ran, and the Keeng Keeng, less swift than he, moved closer to the pit’s rim so that the distance they traversed would be lessened.
But they grew dizzy as they ran, and one by one they fell into the fire pit where the Fire God awaited them.
As they fell, the flames leaped high in wrath and they were devoured in a great heat. Then the last Keeng Keeng screamed and fell and there were no more Keeng Keeng men in the world.
The Winjarning brothers ran from the cave and went far into the bush, but next day they returned to see if the fire pit was still aflame.
The cave had gone, and where the pit of fire had burned there was an anthill and hundreds of ants were running in and out of the hill, and some of the ants had wings.
Thereafter ants lived in the world.