Long ago, when the world was still forming its rules, a young and adventurous Duck swam far beyond the safe waters of her family and wandered into unfamiliar territory, where she was captured by Bigoon, a powerful and aggressive Water Rat. Forced to live in his riverside cave, she endured captivity for a long time before finally finding a chance to escape and return home.
Not long after her return, the Duck laid her eggs, but when they hatched, the forest fell silent in shock. The newborn creatures were unlike anything anyone had ever seen. They had soft brown fur like a water rat, four clawed feet with webbing for swimming, and wide duck like bills, yet they laid eggs instead of giving birth. The Elders named this new being Biladurang, the creature now known as the platypus, recognizing that it carried traits from more than one world.
As Biladurang grew, conflict followed. Birds claimed it because it had a bill and laid eggs, mammals argued it belonged with them because it had fur and four legs, and fish insisted it was one of their own because of its remarkable swimming ability. Each group demanded that Biladurang choose one identity and abandon the rest, believing that strength came from purity and clear boundaries. Biladurang was pressured to erase parts of itself in order to belong.
After deep reflection, Biladurang gathered all the animals and spoke with calm certainty. It refused to choose a single side, explaining that it carried qualities from many creatures and did not need permission to be whole. It declared that being different did not make it incomplete, but complete in its own way. From that moment on, Biladurang chose to live independently, moving freely between land and water, becoming a living bridge between worlds.
At its heart, this Dreamtime story teaches a powerful lesson about personal identity. The platypus represents anyone who feels they do not fit into society’s neat labels and expectations. It shows that diversity is not a flaw, but a strength, and that opposites can exist together in harmony. Long before Western science struggled to classify the platypus, Indigenous Australians had already understood its nature through observation and storytelling, proving once again that ancient knowledge and deep respect for nature can reveal truths long before modern explanation catches up.