The Story of the Rat and the Flying-Fox

The Story of the Rat and the Flying-Fox

(A Tale from Samoa)

The rat and the peka were friends, but the rat was longing for the peka’s thin black wings.

Peka - Flying Fox (Samoa)

This chief, the rat, sat still and thought, he thought of a trick to get the peka’s wings; for the peka flew about in the treetops while the rat crept along the ground.

The rat looked out for a tree with fruit which the peka liked, and one day he noticed that the peka was always eating gatae berries so he climbed that tree to where the bat was eating fruit. The peka flew away, it flew to an ifi tree; so the rat came down and climbed that tree. The peka took fright, but the rat called out: ‘Do not run away, for this is my tree. Wait for me, O peka! Let us talk together.’ The peka, therefore, waited in the ifi tree.

Said the rat: “Sir, peka, how is it that you eat from my tree without the right? I eat this fruit.’

Said the peka: ‘Rat, I beg your pardon, you are right.’

Then said the rat: ‘But my desire is for a good thing. Therefore I am not angry with you. On the contrary, I wish to conclude a friendship with you. I do not wish to chase you away, peka, but wish you to come here and eat on my tree.’

Then said the peka: ‘Chief, it is good. Let us conclude a friendship.’

The rat said then: ‘Sir, peka, are you afraid when you fly so high? For when I look this way it seems to me very high.’

The peka answered: “Sir, rat, I am not afraid.’

Rat: ‘Is that true?’

Peka: ‘Sir, it is true. I have no fear.’

Then said the rat: ‘Peka, have pity on me. Give me your wings so that I may learn, and see whether you are true in your friendship to me.’

Said the peka: 'All right. I shall do this, so that you may learn: so that you may see how wonderful it is where I always go.’

The peka spoke again: ‘But sir, when you go, do not go far away.’

The rat replied: ‘Oh no. I shall only fly to that tree over there. Then I shall return your wings. In the meantime, you must eat of my tree till you are satisfied.’

Then the peka took its wings and fastened them on to the back of the rat, and the rat said. ‘Sir, please allow me to hand over my things, which only hinder me, for you to keep.’ Then it handed the peka its tail and four feet, and the peka took them all and put them on.

The peka spoke again: ‘Sir, come back quickly, that I may not be delayed.’ The rat replied: ‘I will come quickly. You remain here and eat until you are satisfied.’

Then the rat flew away, while the peka ate steadily and watched the rat, which went away and did not return.

Then the peka wept: ‘Aue! Aue! Aue! Rat has cheated me! He has gone with my wings!’

This is the story of the peka that lost its wings and now lives on the ground, a rat; while the rat has wings and flies, a bat. Hence our proverb of the orators-when one chief cheats another chief, the rest then say, ‘But did you not know of the friendship of the peka and the rat?’

Source:

Legends of the South Seas

Antony Alpers

1970

Pages: 298-300