Chapter 13: Bett-Bett Is “Bush-Hungry”

For some days Bett-Bett had wandered about in an aimless, listless way, doing nothing and saying nothing, but just looking out bush with big dreamy eyes.

She did not know what had happened to her, but I, who had seen this many times in her people, knew.

She was homesickbush hungryhungry for her own ways, and her own people; for the bush talks, and the camps, and the long long wanderings from place to place, for the fear of Debbil-debbils, for anything that would make her a little bush nigger once more, for anythingif only she could shake off the white man for a little while, and do nothing but live.

We whites sometimes grow very weary and bush hungry when we are taken away to the towns, but we can never even guess at the pain of a blackfellows longing for his own people, and his beloved bush.

Poor little Bett-Bett! as I watched her I knew that sooner or later I must let her go, for there was no other cure for her. If I tried to keep her, she would only run away or be ill.

At last she came to me saying

Missus! me sick-fellow, I think, and sat down at my feet.

I talked to her quietly for a little while about her people, and their long walk-abouts; for the sooner she went, the quicker she would be cured.

All at once she knew what she needed.

Missus, she cried, springing to her feet, all life and energy again, Missus, me want walk-about. No more longa you, Missus, longa blackfellow.

That was alland I only asked

How long, Bett-Bett?

Me no more savey, Missus, she answered, her eyes burning like stars. She could not tell. She only knew that she must stay till she was cured.

Next morning at sun up she went. She took nothing with her but the little bag made from her Shimy Shirt string, for in that were her most precious treasures. She stuffed all her clothes into her box, wearing only a gaily-striped handkerchief wound round her middle. Even that would soon be gone, for she was going to be just a little black nigger girl for a while.

Sue didnt like the look of things at all. She sat down and whined miserably, trying to say that the homestead was quite good enough for her, as long as Bett-Bett was in it. Poor little Sue! It was really only her body that was so miserably ugly, for her comical little face was brimful of beautiful love and devotion for her little mistress.

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I went as far as the camp with them, where Bett-Bett was to meet her friends. Then I stood and watched this tiny black Princess of the Never-Never, with her faithful speckled subject at her heels, fade away into her wonderful, lonely Palace. Once Sue sat down and whined, and Bett-Bett, looking round, saw me still watching her. She ran back, and without speaking, thrust a little pearl mussel-shell, one of her most treasured belongings, into my hand; then scampering after her friends, disappeared in the forest.

Then I walked back to the homestead, feeling strangely lonely, for I had grown accustomed to the little black shadow that was always chattering at my heels; but when I looked at the little pearl-shell, as it lay in my hand, I knew that in a little while Bett-Bett would need her Missus, and come back bright and happy again.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Little Black Princess, by Jeannie Gunn