People came from all over the land to dance at the ceremony. When the whale man danced, sparks flew from his body. Everyone at the dance was in awe of his fire and secretly wanted it for themselves, but Kondoli was a large powerful man and most dancers were afraid of him.
Ngarankani (the shark man), Mulori (the stingray man) and Pungari (the seal man) asked Kondoli over to where they were dancing. “Kondoli, come and dance” they called. While Kondoli’s back was turned, Krilbalu (the skylark man) and Ritjuruki (the wagtail man) readied their spears.
“In the beginning the people had no fire so they could only dance in the daytime. Their dancing feet made the steep hills and valleys of Muthabaringga (Hindmarsh Valley). The days were very hot and the sweat from the dancers pooled in the valleys creating the rivers and the creeks.
The people wanted fire so they could dance at nighttime but the only person who had fire was Kondoli the whale man. A plan was formed and two messengers, Kuratje (the tommy ruff man) and Kanmari (the mullet man) were sent to invite Kondoli to a dance ceremony at Muthabaringga.
The spears flew from the hands of Krilbalu and Ritjuruki, and lodged deep in the neck of the whale man.
Flames shot out from the spear wound. Kondoli dived into the sea to put out the fire and was instantly transformed into a whale, water now spouting from the hole in his back. Ngarankani, Mulori and Pungari all followed him in to the sea, turning into their totem animals; a shark, a stingray and a seal.
Kanmari and Kuratje both turned into fish. Kanmari had dressed in a kangaroo skin so he became the oily-fleshed mullet. Kuratje was dressed in a seaweed mat, so he became the much drier tommy ruff.