Great floods swept across the land. The man and woman lived where the earth began to rise toward the distant mountains. When the water started to recede it left filth and refuse in a thick line that traced the highest level of the flood.
They were poor people. They owned nothing. They scoured the water line looking for anything of value. They found many dead animals, but could think of no use for them. The brush and tree limbs they collected to sell for firewood.
The woman saw the child first. Lying in a mass of tangled debris trapped in the sparse branches of a tree. The child was crying. They pulled him from his fetid nest and looked at him in puzzlement.
``He does not look like us,'' the woman said.
``He comes from far away,'' the man answered,''I believe he comes from Australia.''
``Australia!''
``He is certainly a magic child,'' the man said, ``he will bring us great good fortune. He floated to us from Australia. We are blessed.'' And they worshiped the child but they did not feed him and he was already weak and emaciated, even for that country.
A village woman saw the boy and indignantly put him to her breast.
``He is starving!'' she said.
When the boy began to walk and talk all the world listened.
``He has great wisdom,'' people said.
``I come from Australia,'' the boy would say, ``I was brought here by a great flood. I am here to lead you to greatness.''
And the boy made laws and the people obeyed them and the laws made the boy rich and powerful. He honored the man and woman who saved him. The people built him a palace of remarkable size and the boy threw parties where all were welcome and the people loved him.
One year the rains came early and stayed late. The rivers filled and overflowed and a great flood covered the land. A wall of water came down the river and smashed into the palace, destroying it and turning it to flotsam bobbing in the murky flood.
The boy was gone. He was never found. Perhaps he was swept away in the branches of another tree to rule another land.