Some of The Food Made Us Sick (Metaphor)
When describing the animals and foods the rabbits bring to the marsupials' country, the narrator says that "some of the food made us sick." The statement accompanies an illustration of a rabbit handing a bottle to two marsupials, while another bottle lies empty on the ground. Given the illustration and the historical context of colonial invaders spreading alcoholism among Indigenous populations, the bottle is most likely alcohol. Oblivious to the addiction-forming and illness-causing properties of alcohol, the marsupials encounter the bottle as "food." In this way, the phrase "some of the food made us sick" is a figure of speech to say that the rabbits give the marsupials alcohol, which leads to detrimental health outcomes.
Many Grandparents Ago (Metaphor)
At the beginning of the story, the narrator says that the rabbits arrived in the marsupials' country "many grandparents ago." The phrase "many grandparents" is a metaphor for the hundreds of years that have passed since the rabbits first invaded the marsupials' territory.
They Won't Understand the Right Ways (Metaphor)
Although some marsupials encounter the first rabbits in their country with curiosity, the elder marsupials warn the younger marsupials to be wary of the rabbits because the rabbits "won’t understand the right ways." In this figure of speech, the elders express their concern that the rabbits—knowing only their own country—won't be interested in learning how to live in harmony with the land in the way the marsupials do. In this way, the "right ways" is a metaphor for the marsupials' ways that suggests the rabbits' ways will be detrimental to the marsupials' country.
