In the earliest days of the world, the land was filled with constant light and balance. Wallabies were fearless creatures who moved freely day and night, gathering on open hillsides to play and explore. At that time, the Moon, known as Ngalindi, did not remain fixed in the sky but often descended to the earth, wandering across grassy plains and glowing with a soft silver brilliance that illuminated everything around it.
One night, driven by dangerous curiosity, a young wallaby followed the Moon as it rested upon the land. Mesmerized by the strange glow, the wallaby crept closer, wanting to understand where such light came from. Forgetting all sense of respect and distance, it reached out and touched the Moon’s radiant cloak. In Dreamtime belief, this act crossed a sacred boundary, insulting a powerful ancestral being who shaped the sky and the rhythms of life.
The Moon immediately sensed the intrusion and responded with fury. A blinding burst of light flooded the land, striking the wallaby with overwhelming fear. The Moon declared a curse that forever changed the fate of the species. From that moment on, moonlight would become an enemy to wallabies, filling them with unease and panic whenever it shone brightly upon the earth. Terrified and half blinded, the wallaby fled into the deepest shadows, hiding among dense bushes and rocky shelters.
From that night forward, the wallaby’s way of life was transformed. They learned to avoid strong light, spending daylight hours hidden in caves, thick vegetation, or shaded terrain. Wallabies began to emerge only at dusk or just before sunrise, when the world is dim and safe. During full moon nights, they remain especially still and alert, believing the Moon is watching for them, ready to punish those who dare to move beneath its gaze.
Beyond explaining animal behavior, this story carries deep moral and cultural meaning. It teaches respect for ancestral powers and natural boundaries, reminding listeners that curiosity without wisdom can bring harm. At the same time, it reflects keen environmental observation, as bright moonlight makes small animals easier prey for predators like eagles and dingoes. Through this myth, Indigenous Australians passed down a vital survival truth: light can reveal danger as much as it reveals beauty, and wisdom lies in knowing when to remain unseen.