Family
What would father sooner kill than a carpet snake?
A man
When did the snake disappear?
What is the totem of Oodgeroo's mother's clan?
Peewee
What tense is the poem written in?
Past tense
Which family member used words that you would only see printed in D.H. Lawrence?
Mother
Which animal "gave tongue"?
Fowls
Why was the carpet python significant to Oodgeroo's father?
The carpet snake was his totem, and totems are sacred to many Indigenous Australian clans
What are diatribes?
A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something
Who was the only family member to be scared of the snake?
The dog
Where could "we kids" watch the carpet snake?
Round a beam not far above our head
What are totems in Aboriginal culture?
A natural object, plant or animal that is inherited by members of a clan or family as their spiritual emblem
What simile did Oodgeroo use to describe her mother's screams? "Fierce as a _____ cat".
Spotted
Mother thought the carpet snake was a "robber" and what other four-letter word? Hint: "Loudly she expressed the daring view that carpet snakes were..."
Pest
What time of the day did the snake hunt?
Night
What did the wise old men claim that the snake was to Oodgeroo's father?
His tribal brother
Which two poetic devices were used most in the poem?
Alliteration and similes
What is a moral/message/theme about family that the author conveyed through observations of her parents in the poem?
It is important to respect other people's beliefs and values, as well as the things that are meaningful to them
How long was the carpet snake?
Ten feet long
Where is the Noonuccal tribe from?
North Stradbroke Island (south-east Queensland)
Finish the line... "We never knew, but anyhow (to end this ____ rhyme)".
Tragic