The Jacarei tribe camped by the Hawkesbury River where they fished for bream and flathead. The women sang tribal songs as they slapped kangaroo skins on the sandstone rocks to soften the skins. The men always fished the sacred river; they used flint knives to prise the succulent oysters from the rocks. Some men hunted in the forests surrounding their baanya, camp. The children played in the rock pools, hunting water-spiders and small blue-swimmer crabs. The Jacarei tribe were a selfish people always fighting with other tribes over food or weapons.

Dania and Fraini, ten-year old friends, loved to swing back and forth on the old tree down by the river - Dania's older brother Cangai, had plaited some vines with which he made a strong rope for the children to swing out over the cool waters. Laughing and splashing the other children of the tribe. The Jumpin-pin water-hole was the children's favourite place to swim.

Dania shouted to the other children to stop their noise and look up to the diving rock across the river.

"Who is that man?" Dania asked her friends.
"Stranger come to our baanya," Fraini beckoned to the children to leave the water.
"We must go back and tell father about the strange man standing on one leg,"said Dania.

The stranger continued to stand on one leg with his other foot clamped to his calf-muscle. He supported his weight with a beautifully carved spear.
His ebony skin shone like polished obsidian; tall and well muscled with tattoos - his curly hair pulled back behind his ears trickled down his back.

"Father! There is a strange man standing on the diving rock at Jumpin-pin. We were frightened so we came home to tell you - the stranger stands on one leg!"

"Ah, the old man shook his head, "he is a warrior from another tribe. Did he speak to you?"

All the children shook their heads and waited for the old man to tell them what to do.

"We will all go down to the river and see this stranger - then we will know what he wants from our tribal lands."

The stranger was still standing on one leg when the whole Jacarei tribe arrived at the river. Permission must be sought from an elder if a stranger wants to cross another tribe's land or hunt game.

As the tribe sat quietly watching the stranger; he moved like greased lightning, diving into the river, swimming easily to the shore where the people waited for him to speak.

Masan, camp elder, stood facing the stranger, who was now sitting cross-legged in the sand.

"Who are you and what do you want from our tribe?"
"I have come a long way. I just need a place to camp and it has been a long time since I saw other people - I am lonely," said the tall stranger as he lay his beautifully carved spear at Masan's feet.

"A gift for you, may I share your camp for a while?" He smiled at Masan who was taken aback by the beautiful gift.

Masan's eyes glittered with selfish thoughts of owning the most beautiful spear ever seen in the camp,"Of course, please come and share our fire; our women will bring you food."

"Thank you, I have no need of food, I will make my camp away from your fire."

The stranger's behaviour had the tribe puzzled - he didn't want to share their fire and he had refused their offer of food.
Masan discussed the stranger with the other tribal members and they decided to leave the man to his own devices.

"He seems harmless," said Masan.
"Maybe he is a wise-man?" said another brother.
The days turned into weeks and the stranger talked only to the children who were fascinated with his work.

Every day the stranger made trips to the forest and came back with bundles of long sticks and reeds from the river. He selected two spears, a basket, and a boomerang, to make a complete set for hunting. He toiled daily and stacked the bundles near his sleeping mat.

The children asked him why he made so many spears. They were curious when they saw him carve beautiful native animals on to the boomerangs and paint the spears with ochre. Then he hardened the tips of the spears with sap from the trees and hot embers from the fire. After this, he bound the tips with string from the Stringybark tree. He made bundles of twenty and gave them as gifts to the tribe. After this he walked away and slept.

When he had rested, children gathered around him to ask more questions about the gifts to the tribe.

"Why do you make so many spears and boomerangs?" Dania asked him.
"Because I am selfish, I do not do this for your tribe - I do this for myself."
"How can this be?" The Jacarei tribe were puzzled.

"Because I always feel my best when I make someone else happy. So, you see I make those gifts to please myself. You should try it - you will enjoy the feeling." He gathered his bundle and walked into the forest - blending with the trees. Of course he was a spirit teacher sent to teach the tribe how to be happy through making and giving gifts to others, instead of being selfish an fighting with other people.
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The way we give to others is through unconditional love - we do not ask for gifts in return. It does make us feel good to give a gift and see the smile on that person's face. Better still, give a gift without your name on it. You will be rewarded for your loving heart.