Tiddalik facts for kids

The tale of Tiddalik the Frog is a special creation story from Australian Indigenous Dreaming Stories. These stories are ancient tales that explain how the world was made and how things came to be. The legend of Tiddalik is very important in the Dreamtime, which is a way of understanding the world for Indigenous Australians. This story has also become popular in modern children's books. In some Aboriginal languages, Tiddalik is known by another name, "Molok".

The Story of Tiddalik the Frog

Tiddalik's Great Thirst

One morning, a giant frog named Tiddalik woke up feeling incredibly thirsty. He started to drink and drink, and he just couldn't stop! Tiddalik drank so much water that he emptied all the lakes, rivers, and swamps. Soon, there was no fresh water left anywhere.

The Animals' Clever Plan

Because of Tiddalik, plants began to wilt, and other animals started to suffer from thirst. Everyone was worried. The animals decided they had to do something to make Tiddalik release the water. A wise old Owl came up with a clever plan. Many animals tried to make Tiddalik laugh, but nothing worked. Finally, Nabunum the eel tied himself into funny, comical shapes. Tiddalik saw the eel and burst out laughing! As he laughed, all the water he had swallowed rushed out of him. The lakes, swamps, and rivers were filled again, and life returned to normal.

The Real Water-Holding Frog

The story of Tiddalik is often linked to a real animal called the Water-holding Frog (Litoria platycephala). This special frog lives in central Australia.

How the Frog Stores Water

Water-holding Frogs have an amazing ability. During dry times, they burrow deep underground. They can stay there for a long time, waiting for rain. When it finally rains, they come out and drink a huge amount of water. They store this water in their bodies. This helps them survive long droughts, which most other frogs cannot do. Long ago, Indigenous Australians would sometimes use these frogs as a source of water during very dry periods.

Where Did the Story Begin?

The story of Tiddalik is told in many parts of Australia. It is often said to come from the Gunai Kurnai people. They live in South Gippsland, in Victoria. The story has become famous worldwide since it was first written down.

How the Story Spread

You can even find a statue of Tiddalik in Warwick, Queensland. People started writing down different versions of the story in the late 1800s. The earliest versions came from the Gunai Kurnai people near Port Albert. This area is about 225 kilometres (140 mi) south-east of Melbourne. In the original Gunai Kurnai story, Tiddalik's actions actually helped form the bays, estuaries, inlets, and islands in that area.

Different Story Endings

Over time, the story has changed a bit. In some versions, different animals make Tiddalik laugh. Many modern versions of the story are quite different from the old ones. For example, the Water-holding Frog that we now connect to Tiddalik doesn't actually live where the original legend began. This might mean Tiddalik was a different type of frog, or it could be a memory from 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Back then, the land was different, and the frog's home might have reached South Gippsland.

While most modern stories of Tiddalik have a happy ending where water returns for everyone, some older versions end differently. In one original ending, the huge flood caused by Tiddalik's laughter made many animals drown. Others were left stranded on islands. A pelican named Borun rescued those who were stuck. This part of the tale explains why the pelican's feathers, which were once all black, later changed to a mix of black and white.