An Attempt to Eat the Moon and other stories (Georgian House, Melbourne, 1958) contains 15 legends from the Dordenup people of southwestern Australia. They were told to Deborah Buller-Murphy when she was living in the Margaret River area in the late 19th century. The legends are about people and places, flowers and weapons, the origin of rainbows, earthquakes and other phenomena.
The title story is about Killangoot and Warungeat, rival Bulyer, or magic men. When Killangoot threatened, one day, to fly up and eat the moon the people were greatly alarmed and called upon Warungeat to stop him. In the story Warungeat, weaving some magic, managed to thwart Killangoot and so became the leader of the Dordenup people.
In their simplicity and grimness there is an authenticity about these legends rare among many stories purportedly for children. The Durack illustrations evoke times past and lost forever.
