The Island of the Dolphin Girls

The Island of the Dolphin Girls

(A Legend from Losap Atoll, Chuuk)

There was once a chief’s son named Anoun Farrang. He was of the Lugenfanu clan, from Farrang, near Chuuk. He liked to sail with adult men from Losap to Chuuk. The ends of the sailing canoe were beautiful, like swans' necks reaching up toward the sky. The navigator was teaching him how to steer the canoe. Soon he would know enough and would become a man like them. He was practising with the tiller when a group of playful dolphins swam up to the canoe.

Losap Atoll, Chuuk State, Caroline Islands 

Ah, but they only appeared to be dolphins-they were really girls! They were quite taken with the chief’s son. “He’s so handsome,” they cried to one another. One very bold girl swam straight at the canoe. She leapt up, lashed her strong, grey tail, and knocked the boy overheard! The men didn't hear the splash or see the brown legs of the boy disappear into the dark blue water. And because the sea was gentle that day, they didn’t even notice that no one was steering the canoe.

The boy wasn't frightened. He said a chant to ask his magic powers to show him which direction to swim-north, south, east, or west. But his magic powers didn't answer. Then he said the chant again. His magic told him to dive straight down into the sea.

Down, down he swam. Finally, he came to a lush island covered with shady trees and flowers of every colour. In the middle of the island was a large pool-clean and deep and inviting! The boy hid in the bushes to see if the pool belonged to anyone. For a long time, he waited. Then the dolphins came. They dove from the salt water of the ocean into the clear fresh water of the pool. The boy stayed hidden in the bushes, watching. A dolphin climbed out of the pool and began taking off her skin. She turned into a beautiful girl. Then all the other dolphins did the same. They threw their skins into a big pile.

The box' was full of mischief. When the girls were splashing and laughing, he grabbed a skin. He made sure to grab the skin of the prettiest girl. Later, the girls put their skins back on and once again were dolphins. The prettiest girl looked everywhere but could not find her skin. She ran around and around, looking under every rock, looking up into the trees. She ran her hands down her girl's body over and over as if her precious skin were there. Finally, the other dolphins swam back into the ocean. The poor girl was left all alone.

The boy came out from where he had been hiding in the tall grass. “What's the matter?" he asked her.

“I lost my skin," she said. Tears spilt down her rosy cheeks.

At this, the boy felt such pity he gave her skin back. “Why did you do that?" she cried. "Why did you take it?”

Because I wanted to talk to you.” he said. He was sorry and not sorry.

“Oh," she said, staring at him. “Where did you come from?"

The boy told her about the voyage from Losap to Chuuk. He told how the dolphins had swum by and how one of them had knocked him out of the canoe. And how he had found the undersea island and the pool and the prettiest dolphin-girl.

“Oh dear,” she said. “I knocked you out of the canoe! I guess I’m like you- I wanted to make sure I could talk to you." They looked at each other and laughed.

The girl invited the boy to visit her house. While they were there, they heard the dolphins dive into the freshwater pool. "Uh oh," the girl said. “They’ll come here next. Quick, I'll hide you!" She hid the boy under a pile of woven mats. Soon the girls arrived. “So there you are,” they said. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”

Another girl said, “It smells funny here. Like a human.”

The prettiest girl laughed. “Oh, you’re just smelling me. I smell funny because I've been stuck on land all day."

“No,” said the other girls. “It's not you. You're trying to trick us. Tell us who’s here!"

They wouldn't stop asking questions. Finally, the prettiest girl said. “Well then, what If someone is here? What are you going to do?”

“We'll be nice,” said one.

“We'll marry him,” said another.

“We'll take him swimming every day,” said a third.

“All right. He’s under the mats." The group of girls tore off the mats and found the boy.

“He’s so handsome!" they cried out. “Where did you find him?"

“What a good friend to have,” said one.

“Such a handsome husband," said another.

“Let’s take him swimming!” suggested the third.

They decided that the boy should stay in the house and someone should stay with him. The others would gather food. They liked to eat fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables-taro, pineapple, coconut, papaya-but they didn’t know how to cook. They ate everything raw. The boy rubbed sticks together until a spark appeared. Using twigs and dried leaves, he lit a fire. Then he roasted every food and made special mixtures-roasted coconut and mashed banana. He taught them how much better food tasted after it was cooked. This made them even happier they had found him.

Many days went by. When the prettiest girl came again to stay with the boy, he said. “I want to go home. I miss my parents and my island.”

When the other girls heard this, they cried many salty tears. "We want you to live here with us."

“I’m sorry. I need to go. My family is worrying about me. They must think I’m dead. I will try to come back here, but you must let me go home."

They held a farewell feast for the boy. He taught them some medicine especially for dolphins, using plants found near their bathing place. They would know how to cure themselves if they got sick. Then they built a special cage and piled their best foods inside. The boy climbed in and sat among the breadfruits and watermelons, loquats and mangos. How sweet and delicious it smelled! The dolphins lifted the cage onto their backs. Moving their tails up and down, up and down, they pushed the cage upward through the sea. They swam all the way back to Losap with the boy inside the cage.

When they entered Losap's lagoon, the people on that atoll cried. “Look! A great canoe is coming!" The dolphins pushed the cage closer and closer. Finally, the people could see that the canoe was actually a cage. When they saw the chief’s son inside, they yelled with joy. The people of Losap were happy that day. Gladly they accepted the gifts from the dolphin-girls, especially the gift of a human life.

Source

Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia.

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

Pages: 59 - 63