The Drover’s wife

The nearest house is located nineteen miles away. One sees only bush all around. Only a few trees
and some stunt, rotten, apple trees that grow in the bush. 

The drover is out droving sheep. His wife and children are at home. They are on their own. The
drover’s wife is the only adult in the house and she takes care of four children. They are two boys
and two girls, who are very young children playing in the house. 

A snake enters the house 

One of them yells, when a snake is seen in the house. The drover’s wife rushes from the kitchen
when she hears that a snake is in the house. She grabs her baby, who is on the ground. She puts
her baby on her hip and tries to get a stick. 

The mother looks for the snake and asks her children where the snake is. Her eldest son, Tommy,
eleven years of age, answers that the snake has gone into the wood-heap. He tells his mother to
stay where she is, while he gets the snake. The mother stops him. She tells him to come to her or
he will be bitten by the snake, and orders him to come to him.    

He unwillingly obeys his mother and comes to her holding a stick that is bigger than him. He
yells victoriously that the snake has gone under the house and tries to go after it. 

The dog spots the snake 

Alligator, the drover’s dog, which is big and ferocious, tries to get the snake, but it disappears into
the crack in the slabs. Tommy tries to hit the snake but it is no longer there and the stick brushes
off alligator’s nose. Alligator tries to go for the snake but is chained up to avoid it to be killed by
the snake.  

The drover’s wife needs to protect her children 

The drover’s wife is worried with the presence of the snake in the house. She gets the children to
stand near the dog-house while she looks out for the snake. She places two small dishes of milk to
lure the snake out from its hiding. But, the snake does not come out even after an hour. 

The drover’s wife feels afraid

The drover’s wife feels frightened to get the children into the house as the snake is there. But the
sun is about to set and a thunderstorm is brewing. She needs to bring her children in. She brings
them into the kitchen and gets them to be on the table in the kitchen. She gives them supper. She
gets some pillows and bed clothes, and prepares the table as the bed for her children. 

The Drover’s wife watches over her children 

She watches over them all night long. She keeps a watchful eye over her children and at the same
time looks out for the snake. Alligator is in the kitchen with her. She keeps a club on the dresser
to spring into action when she sees the snake. 

Tommy wants to be of help. He says he will lie awake the whole night just to smash the snake
with his club, which he keeps with him under the bed clothes. 

The drover’s wife looks out for the snake 

It is almost midnight, the drover’s wife sits watching guard over her children. She takes turn to
sew as well as read. She looks out for any movements coming from the floor or the wall-plates.
She reaches out for the stick when she hears any noise. 

The rain is pouring accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms. The flash of lightning makes the
cracks between the slabs appear as if they are polished silver. Alligator lies on the floor and
appears to look at the partition. This only means that the snake is still there.  

The drover’s wife is no coward

The Drover’s wife is not a coward. Her brother-in-law’s son has died because of snake bite. She
has not heard from her husband for six month and is worried of him. These things have brought
fear in her. 

The drover has turned to droving as the drought has ruined him. He has to go droving to make a
living and intends to relocate his family from their presence place to the nearest town. The
drover’s brother helps the family by bring provisions once a month. She still owns two cows, a
horse and some sheep. Her brother-in-law kills one of the sheep from time to time, provides her
some meat and uses the rest to get her the provisions she needs to keep the family going. 

Alligator is a snake-dog
The time is about two in the morning but there is still no sign of the snake. Alligator keeps a look
out for the snake. Although Alligator is not a beautiful dog, it is loyal to its master, and protects
the family from dangers. It is a snake-dog. It has killed many snakes in the past and it will be
bitten by one and die one day.  

The drover’s wife keeps a look out

The drover’s wife stays guard against the evil snake. She is on her own to take care of her
children. On Sundays, she dresses up and tidies her children, and takes them out for a lonely
walk. There are no other people living nearby. The nearest neighbour is some nineteen miles
away. But, she still takes them out for a walk on Sundays. 

It is almost dawn, but the snake is not out from its hiding place. Alligator still watches at the wall.
It becomes excited and draws nearer to the partition. The drover’s wife knows that Alligator has
spotted the snake. It tries to get the snake out from the crack between the slabs. But it fails. It
tries again, and this time manages to bite the snake, and pull it out. 

The drover’s wife, who is waiting the whole night for the snake, uses the club and hits the snake.
Alligator pulls the snake out again. She continues to hit the snake. 

Tommy wants to help

Tommy realises what is going on, seizes his stick and tries to get out of bed. But, he cannot do so,
as his mother forces him to stay put in bed. The mother continues to hit the snake with the club
and its back is broken in a few places.  She hits the snake on its head and crushes it. 

The snake is dead 

The Drover’s wife throws the mangled snake into the fire. She put on more firewood and watches
as the snake burns. The boy and alligator watch the snake burn too. The drover’s wife pats the
dog and the ferocious dog becomes tame back. 

The other children remain quiet and go to bed, while Tommy hugs his mother and declares that he
will never go droving. His mother hugs him while daylight emerges to a start of another day.