Why the reef stands far from Bau

 Why the reef stands far from Bau

(A Legend from Fiji)

Islands in the vast Pacific Ocean are surrounded by the not-so-peaceful Pacific. Many islands are only a few feet above the surface of the water at their highest. During times of high tide or storm they may find themselves completely submerged! Many are the stories told of islanders lashing themselves to tall palm trees to save themselves from being washed out to sea during typhoons.

Other islands are more fortunate. Some are high volcanic islands standing far above the raging surf. Still other islands have reefs that protect them from the ocean's temper.

The islands of Fiji have just such a vast protecting reef. It extends over three hundred miles and breaks much of the force of the open ocean before it reaches land. The reef also quiets the pounding surf. At some places, where the reef is a long way from the land, it may be hard to even hear the sound of the ocean.

The reef was not always so far from land. At one time, when the gods of the earth and sea still lived in Fiji, there lived a goddess, Bui Vo, on the island of Bau.

Bui Vo was hungry. Even goddesses got hungry. Bui Vo was known for her great hunger and also for her great cooking pot, which she kept near her hut. This cooking pot was her favorite pot. Ivi nuts were her favorite food.

"I am hungry," thought Bui Vo. "I will make some ivi nuts." The thought of her favorite food made Bui Vo very happy. She set to work at once.

Cooking ivi nuts is not easy. Ivi nuts are very very hard. They are too hard for even a goddess like Bui Vo to eat.

To soften the nuts, Bui Vo filled her cooking pot with water. Then she added the nuts and put the pot on a huge fire to boil. The nuts needed to boil for a very long time to make them tender.

As Bui Vo gathered wood for her fire, she did not notice a big storm approaching from the ocean. The storm began to make big waves. We call these waves "whitecaps."

Soon Bui Vo's pot was boiling well. She listened to the wonderful sound of the nuts boiling. When the boiling sound got softer, she knew it was time to add more water. She kept adding water to the pot to keep the nuts covered and boiling.

At that time, the reef around Bau was very near the shore. As the storm grew bigger, huge waves began to crash against the rocks. "Whoosh, whoosh," they cried, sounding ever so much like the "sploosh, sploosh" sound of the boiling ivi nuts.

Bui Vo heard the loud "whoosh, whoosh." "Good," she thought. "My ivi nuts are boiling well. I can almost taste them!" Bui Vo really loved ivi nuts. She relaxed in her hut and waited.

Bui Vo fell asleep. When she awoke, she remembered her nuts and started to rush out of her hut. Then she heard the familiar "whoosh, whoosh" sound. It was even louder than before. "My," she thought, "How well the ivi nuts are boiling today." Since the sound was even louder, she did not go out to add more water to the pot.

All that day, Bui Vo rested in her hut. She kept listening for the sound of the boiling to get softer, but the loud "whoosh, whoosh" only got louder.

By this time the storm had struck the island, and rain fell all around the hut of Bui Vo. Suddenly she smelled something burning! It smelled really bad.

Bui Vo stuck her nose out of her hut and smelled to the east. It smelled bad. Then she smelled to the west. It still smelled bad. Really bad.

Bui Vo smelled out toward the ocean. She still smelled the bad smell. Then she finally smelled toward the land, toward where her ivi nuts were cooking. This time the smell was so bad she could hardly stand it.

When she looked toward the smell, she saw black smoke coming out of her cooking pot!

"My ivi nuts!" she screamed. Bui Vo rushed out of her hut. A sad sight greeted her.

The cooking pot had boiled completely dry. Inside her favorite pot was a smoking black mess. The ivi nuts had burned to charcoal. "My ivi nuts are burned! I do not have any supper," she wailed. But that was not all.

While Bui Vo looked into her pot, the large earthenware pot suddenly cracked into two pieces. The ruined pot lay in the ashes of the fire. "My pot! My favorite pot is ruined."

At first Bui Vo was sad. Then she was mad. "Why did this happen?" she demanded. Then she heard the "whoosh, whoosh" of the waves striking the reef. Bui Vo understood.

"You tricked me!" she screamed at the reef. "You and your waves sounded like my boiling pot of ivi nuts. You are a wicked reef. Go away. Go far away from this place."

The reef obeyed. Now the reef is built far out to sea. The sounds of the surf can no longer be heard on Bau.

Source: 

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

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood 

1991 

Pages: 139 -142

The Tagimoucia Flower

The Tagimoucia Flower

(A story from Fiji)

In the high mountains of Taveuni, known as Fiji’s Garden Island, there is a beautiful lake of considerable size. A flowering plant called Tagimoucia is found only on the shores of this lake and any attempt to transplant the vine has failed. The Tagimoucia is one of Fiji’s most beautiful wild flowers, the bunches of red flowers have a small white center. tagimouThe legend of the Tagimoucia flower goes something like this.

In a hill above the shore lived a woman and her little daughter. One day the little girl was playing when she should have been working. Her mother kept asking her to get on with her work but she ignored her mother and kept on playing. Annoyed, the mother seized a bundle of sasas (mid-ribs of the coconut leaf) which she used as a broom, and spanked her daughter. “Go on, get out, you naughty girl. Go out and I don’t want to see your face again.”

The little girl was so upset that she sobbed and ran away. She kept on running not realizing where she was going. Her tears blinded her and as she ran along she blundered into a large climbing plant that hung from a tree. It was a thick green vine with large green leaves but there were no flowers on it. The child became entangled with the vine and could not get free so she stayed there, crying bitterly.

As the tears rolled down her cheeks they changed from salt tears to tears of blood which fell on the stem of the vine and turned into lovely flowers.

At last the little girl stopped crying and managed to free herself from the vine and went back home. She was delighted to find out that her mother had forgotten her anger and so they lived happily together again. 

Source

http://www.tropicalfiji.com/about_fiji/culture/legends/#tagi_fl 

The Firewalkers

 The Firewalkers

(A Legend from Fiji)

On an island near Suva, the capital of Fiji, there lives a tribe known as the Firewalkers. The men walk on burning hot stones, and yet their feet are never burnt and their skin is not even singed.

The people say that long ago an ancestor of theirs was given the power to do this by a stranger, and from that day to this they have been able to walk on heated stones.

The men of the village used to meet in a large house in the evenings to chat and to tell stories. Each one took turns in providing food, and they always tried to bring some special delicacy for their evening meal.

One day a man called King Chestnut Tree promised to catch some eels; so he set off very early in the morning and went to fish in a small pool. There he found that a large stone had fallen into the water, making it very muddy. So he climbed onto the stone and sat down, thinking that perhaps a big fish was hiding beneath it. He began to dig around the stone with a stick, and then he jumped down into the hole he had made, and very cautiously he felt with his hand. Suddenly he pulled out a great eel.

He threw the creature across his shoulder and started to return home with his fine contribution to the feast. But he had not gone very far when his burden spoke to him. “Do not kill me,” he said. “Spare my life, and if you let me go I will give you wealth and riches.”

The eel slipped off his shoulder and immediately turned into a fine young man.

“I don’t need wealth, for I am already rich,” replied Chestnut Tree. “Who are you?”

“My name is King Lemonjuice,” said the young man. “Please let me live and in return I will make you the champion javelin thrower.”

“All my tribe are javelin throwers, and I happen to be their captain,” said Chestnut Tree proudly.

“Let me live,” begged Lemonjuice, and he tried to bribe his captor by offering to make him the most handsome man, and then the best navigator. But Chestnut Tree became tired of this bargaining and refused all the tempting offers.

“I will teach you how to walk on hot stones and bear terrific heat,” promised the captive, who was becoming desperate.

“What was that? What did you say?” Chestnut Tree was interested at last.

Lemonjuice explained quickly that the first task was to gather firewood for four days. Then they must dig a large pit.

“Then we must light a fire in the pit, and after that we must bury ourselves in the embers and bake for four days and four nights. When we have done that I shall have kept the promise I made to you in return for sparing my life, and we can both go home.”

Chestnut Tree agreed to do this, and together they made a great oven and heated the stones with fire for four days and nights. When the embers were removed and the stones leveled, the two men walked over the burning hot stones and then stepped onto the grass once more. Neither of them had singed a foot or burnt a toe, nor had they any pain or discomfort.

Lemonjuice suggested that they should bury themselves in the oven, but his friend was afraid that this might be a trick and that he would be left there to be cooked alive.

“No, I prefer just to step on the stones and not stay there long lest my skirt be burnt,” he said.

So he did that again and came out of the oven safely without a burn, and from that day to this all the men of that tribe have been able to walk on hot stones as their ancestor did long ago.

Source

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 11-13

Dakuwaqa The Shark God

Dakuwaqa The Shark God

(A Legend from Fiji)

One of the best-known gods in Fijian legends is the fierce sea-monster Dakuwaqa. He was the guardian of the reef entrance of the islands, fearless, headstrong and jealous. He frequently changed himself into the form of a shark and travelled around the islands fighting all the other reef guardians.

One day he set out for the Lomaiviti group and after emerging victorious from this area he decided to set out for Suva. The guardian of the reef here challenged Dakuwaqa and a great struggle took place. There was such a disturbance that great waves went rolling into the mouth of the Rewa River causing valleys to be flooded for many miles inland.

Dakuwaqa once more emerged as the victor and proceeded on his way. Near the island of Beqa his old friend Masilaca, another shark god, told him of the great strength of the gods guarding Kadavu island and slyly asked Dakuwaqa whether he would be afraid to meet them. Like a shot, Dakuwaqa sped off towards Kadavu and, on nearing the reef, found a giant octopus guarding the passage. The octopus had four of its tentacles securely gripping the coral and the other four were held aloft. Rushing furiously in, Dakuwaqa soon found that he was being almost squeezed to death as the octopus had coiled its tentacles around him. Realizing his danger Dakuwaqa begged for mercy and told the octopus that if his life was spared he would never harm any people from Kadavu wherever they may be in any part of Fiji waters.

Kadavu

So the octopus released him and Dakuwaqa kept his promise, and the people of Kadavu have no fear of sharks when out fishing or swimming.

Even today when local fishermen go out for a night’s fishing they reverently pour a bowl of yaqona into the sea for Dakuwaqa.

The high chiefs of Cakaudrove are considered the direct descendants of Dakuwaqa and their totem shark will appear to the reigning chief on occasions when momentous news is about to the announced.

Source

http://www.tropicalfiji.com/about_fiji/culture/legends/#shark_g

How the mosquitoes Came to Oneata

How the mosquitoes Came to Oneata

(A Legend from Fiji)

Among the islands that lie to the east of Fiji, there are two called Oneata and Kambara.

Long ago there were no mosquitoes on Oneata. But the Kambara people were sorely troubled and plagued by them. They were stung day and night and could find no rest, in spite of the unceasing work of their women, who pounded the paper-mulberry bark until their arms ached, to make mosquito curtains.

However, on Oneata there were plenty of shellfish with a particularly delicate flavour, which were found on the beaches and in caves, and the Kambara people were very envious as they had none. Listen now, and I will tell you how these things came to be changed.

Once, long ago, ten men of the boat-building tribe of Oneata were washed out to sea when a river overflowed its banks. They clung desperately to a tree trunk, and by and by they drifted to Kambara. Afraid of being killed, they begged the chief to spare their lives and promised to work for him.

The chief, whose name was Tuwara, was a wise and cunning man, and he was very pleased to hear about the wonderful boats that they had built, strong enough to sail even in stormy weather. His own island was full of splendid trees, and so he set the men to work to build a great double canoe. In order to keep them happy he gave them houses, food and wives so that they would not pine to return home.

The work lasted more than two years, for in those days there were no hatchets or saws. First of all, sharp stones and shells were used for cutting the logs. Then the hulls were hollowed out with burning brands and scraped, while the men used pointed shells or small firebrands for boring holes. Strong vines and cords of coconut fibre bound the body work together, and the great sail was plaited from tough leaves.

When at last the canoe was finished it was dragged down to the sea, and the launching was celebrated with a feast.

Tuwara, impatient to put to sea, went on board, taking the carpenters as crew and a crowd of his people as well. Singing lustily, they sailed away with a light breeze filling the sail. But when the wind blew stronger and the canoe began to pitch and roll among the waves, the singers changed their tune to groans. They huddled together or lay clutching the deck, for they were all seasick.

“What is this terrible feeling, O carpenters?” moaned Tuwara. “What is this fearful sickness?”

The carpenters only laughed at the Kambara folk.

“Wait a little, sir, and then it will pass,” they said. “It is always thus when you first put out to sea.” But they were answered with fresh groans by the unhappy people.

Soon the outlines of Oneata appeared on the horizon.

“There is land ahead, sir. Shall we steer for it?” said Melani, the graybeard, the eldest of the boat-builders. “Or would you go still farther?”

“No, no, steer for it, and let us land,” groaned Tuwara.

The people of Oneata had seen the canoe coming, and thinking that it was a huge sea monster they ran into the bush and hid so that Tuwara found an empty town when he landed. He entered the chief's house and threw himself down on the mats to rest. Then the people slowly returned to the village, and when they had lost their fear of the strangers, they talked to them and heard their tale and looked with wonder at the canoe.

Tuwara stayed on this pleasant island many days, for he found the shellfish good to eat and his sleep was not disturbed by troublesome mosquitoes. When at last they sailed homeward they invited Wa-Kulikuli, the lord of Oneata, to come with them to see Kambara.

A great feast was prepared when they arrived, and after eating and drinking his fill, the Oneata chief began to yawn. Tuwara took him into his house, where a large mosquito curtain hung, and the visitor was surprised by the size of the curtain and by the beautiful patterns that were painted on it.

“What is this wonderful piece of cloth? We have nothing like it on our island. And why do you keep it hanging up in this manner?”

“Oh,” said Tuwara, “it is useful as a screen, and it also protects me when the wind blows cold. Let us sleep now, and I will show you the village in the morning.”

He lied about his curtain because he was ashamed of the mosquitoes, which were indeed a plague upon his island, and he hoped to deceive his friend. But when darkness fell, thousands of mosquitoes commenced to buzz outside the curtain, and the chief of Oneata was awakened.

“What sweet sound is that outside?” he asked.

Tuwara pretended that he had not heard and only answered with a snore.

“Eh! Wake up, tell me what those sweet noises are,” the chief insisted.

This time Tuwara could no longer pretend to be asleep.

“Which sounds? Oh, those! They are only the mosquitoes buzzing,” he replied with a yawn.

“What are mosquitoes?” asked his friend.

“They are little insects, and at night they fly about and buzz, and I keep them to sing me to sleep,” said the crafty Tuwara. The Oneata chief begged to be allowed to take the little singers home with him.

“Give you my mosquitoes? Nay, I dare not; my people would never forgive me.”

“Well, just give me some of them and keep the rest,” pleaded Wa-Kulikuli.

“That, alas, is impossible, for if I give even a few away the rest will follow them and will leave me,” said the cunning man. “I am indeed sad that I must refuse you, but now let us go to sleep.”

Wa-Kulikuli continued to trouble his friend with his pleading. He and his people would always be grateful to Tuwara, he said and would tell their children to love and respect him.

“That is a tempting thought, but I dare not give them away for nothing. What would my people say to me?”

“No, no, I will give you anything you care to ask for in return,” said the Oneata chief. “Choose what you like from my island and it shall be yours, if only I may have your mosquitoes.”

“Well,” said Tuwara, “I will not ask for myself. I must think of my people—and the thought has just come to me that they would like your shellfish. That is just the very thing. Give me the shellfish and you may have the mosquitoes.”

“With pleasure,” said the other. “That is a good bargain. Now, will you lift up the curtain so that I can see them?”

Tuwara was then afraid that his friend might be bitten and repent of his bargain, so he refused to lift the curtain. He said that his little insects were modest and bashful and did not like to be gazed at, and therefore they came out only at night.

“Let us sleep now, for it is late,” he begged. But neither of them slept much, for Wa-Kulikuli lay and listened to the song of the mosquitoes, and Tuwara chuckled over the good bargain he had made. He determined to prevent his friend from rising too early, lest a few insects still be flitting about. The foolish chief might realize the trick that he was about to play.

With the first streaks of dawn, the Oneata chief called out, “Wake up, Tuwara. It is time for us to depart, so give me the mosquitoes.”

“Isa! What a restless person you are,” said the other. It is scarcely dawn, and you have kept me awake half the night with your talking. Lie still awhile, for at this hour the mosquitoes gather together and fly away to a cave where they sleep in the daytime. If we disturb them now we shall be unable to catch them.”

“Very well, let us wait," said Wa-Kulikuli. But every few minutes he cried out again, “Do you think they are asleep yet?” and a little later, “Surely they are in their cave now?"—so eager he was to catch them! By this time Tuwara was indeed angry with the foolish chief and would gladly have hit him with his club. Only the thought of the shellfish made him keep his temper, and he did not rise until it was daylight.

“Come now, and let us sail to your land,” he said.

No one saw him collect the mosquitoes, but by the time the canoe was ready he had shut them all in a large basket. This was lined inside and covered with fine mats, through which not even a small mosquito could crawl, and it was carried on board hastily.

Again they were seasick, but Wa-Kulikuli comforted himself with the thought of his little singers, and Tuwara was cheered with the hope of being rid of his plague, in exchange for the shellfish.

It was high noon when they landed at Oneata and furled their sails. Wa-Kulikuli, leaping ashore, called all his people to see what he had brought them, and he begged Tuwara to hand down the basket.

“Not so fast, my friend,” said the cunning Tuwara. “My mosquitoes are a loving tribe, and if I let them go now they will not leave the canoe, for they love me and will not leave me. So give me your shellfish first. Then I will depart, leaving the basket here, and if you are wise you will not open it until I have sailed beyond the reef lest the mosquitoes fly after me.”

“That is true, and you are wise, O Tuwara!” Then Wa-Kulikuli turned and gave a great shout—“Come, O shellfish, come from the beach and from the sea and from the rocks. It is your chief who calls.”

Then from the shore, and from their homes in caves and pools, the shellfish crawled in by the hundreds. The men threw them into the canoe until it was full and shellfish were heaped high upon the deck, and not one was left upon the island.

“Now give me the basket and you may depart, for all the shellfish are on board," said the impatient chief. So Tuwara handed over the basket while his men hoisted the sail, and away they sailed with all speed.

The Oneata men now came crowding around to see what treasure their chief had brought them. It must surely be something of great value, or he would never have parted with their shellfish, they thought. Wa-Kulikuli waited until the canoe was clear of the reef, and then he untied the fastenings of the basket and lifted the mat.

Up rose the mosquitoes in a grey cloud, buzzing angrily, and loudly the people screamed and yelled as they were bitten by the savage insects.

“Ha, ha, ha,” laughed Tuwara, for he could hear the distant cries, “‘Wa-Kulikuli's sweet singers have already begun their song. Ho, ho, I have met many fools, but never such a fool as yonder chief.”

The wretched lord of Oneata spent days and nights thinking of schemes to get rid of the plague of insects he had brought to his land, but alas, they increased in numbers every day. He made many plans to get back his shellfish, and after some years he sailed over to Kambara one night.

Standing on the beach he called them: “Come, my shellfish, it is I, your lord, who is calling.” But not one of them heard him and not one returned to him.

But Tuwara heard him. He lay in wait and watched him. Then, creeping up quietly, he smote him on the head with his club and cried out, “O wretched man, would you steal my shellfish?”

So Wa-Kulikuli, driven back to his canoe, returned sadly to his island and to his sweet singing plague of mosquitoes.

Source

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins, Frank Rocca

1977

Pages: 3-10

Degei - The Snake God

Degei - The Snake God

(A Legend from Fiji)

Greatest of all Fijian gods was Degei, the Snake god. In the beginning, he lived alone, without friends or companions, and the only living creature he knew was Turukawa the hawk. Although the hawk could not speak he was the constant companion of the god.

One day Degei could not find his friend and looked everywhere for him. Days went by and at last one morning, he spied the hawk sitting in some long grass. Gladly, he welcomed the bird but, to his consternation, she ignored Degei and commenced building a nest. Disappointed, he retired to his house and the next day went back to the nest and found two eggs. He then realized the hawk had found a mate and that he had lost her affection. So scooping up the eggs he took them into his own house and kept them warm with his own body. After several weeks of nurturing the eggs and wondering what would happen two shells broke and there were two tiny human bodies.

Degei built them a shelter in a vesi tree and fed them on scraps of food. They grew quickly, but there was nobody to teach them except Degei. He did not understand children but when they were hungry he fed them and to save himself work he planted banana trees and root crops close to them. He also talked to them and told them about the secrets of nature. Eventually, the children were fully grown and all this time had been unaware of each other’s presence as Degei had placed them on opposite sides of the tree.

One day the man left his shelter and as soon as he saw the maiden held out his arms to her and told her Degei had made them for each other and that their children would populate the earth. So Degei showed them how to cook the root vegetables in an earth oven.

Sometime later they were blessed with a little baby and Degei also was very happy as he knew that because of loneliness men and women had come into the world and would worship him as their god.

According to legend Degei also created Viti Levu and all the small islands.

Ratu Vakaruru A Chief of Viti Levu

Source

http://www.tropicalfiji.com/about_fiji/culture/legends/#snake

A Fijian Fable

A Fijian Fable

(A Tale from Fiji)

Everyone loves a feast, and the birds, beasts and insects are no exception.

One day the frog, the grasshopper, the land crab, the sandpiper bird, the tree spider and the bull ant all met together and decided to have a feast.

Polynesian sandpipers (Prosobonia leucoptera)

“Each one must do his share to help,” said the sandpiper. “I, being a fisherman, will bring fish." And on he flew to the beach and began to wade among the small pools left by the tide to see what he could find.

“I will bring nuts for a vegetable," chirruped the grasshopper, and with a great hop he went off to climb an ivi tree in search of its delicious nuts.

“I have strong and powerful claws that are useful for digging," said the crab, “so I will dig out the hollow pit for the oven, and I will bring stones for lining it."

The ant went to break off branches to cover the food in the oven, but in climbing up a breadfruit tree she stuck to the sticky gum on the bark and there she died.

The grasshopper, in trying to bite off the stem of an ivi nut, broke all his teeth and descended sadly to the ground, where he also died.

“Ha, ha! That is very funny," laughed the spider, and he slapped his thighs so hard that he broke them both. Then the frog shook with laughter at this mishap, and he puffed himself up and up till he burst.

The crab had been digging away all this time. He had almost finished the oven pit, but he had chosen a place with too many stones and in trying to move a heavy one, he broke his claws and was therefore quite helpless.

Meanwhile, the sandpiper had been the lucky one and had caught plenty of fish. He returned feeling well pleased with himself, only to find that his friends had each come to grief and that there was no one left. Without friends to share the feast, he found no enjoyment in dining on the fish he had worked so hard to catch.

Source:

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 26-27

Why the Moon Has Shadows on Her Face

Why the Moon Has Shadows on Her Face

(A Tale from Fiji)

There was once a god named Takei, and it was the custom for people to bring him offerings of fish. One day, being angry at having so small a quantity of fish presented to him, he made up his mind to ensnare the moon and extinguish her light by splashing her with salt water. This would be a great hindrance to the fishermen, who often went fishing by moonlight.

When his mother heard of his intention she was very upset, and she determined to do all she could to prevent such a calamity. She knew it would be useless to oppose her son openly, so she moaned and cried as if the thought of this plan filled her with great grief.

“Oh, what will the king of Rewa do when he orders his fishermen to go fishing?" she wailed. "There will be no midnight lamp for them. And what will the king of Bau do? There will be no light for either his fishermen or for the king of Nayau's men.”

In the midst of all this lamentation she managed artfully to get hold of the long bamboos that the god had filled with sea water in order to destroy the moon. Pouring off the salt, she refilled the bamboos with fresh water and replaced them without being seen, and she chuckled to herself at the thought of outwitting her son.

Takei then ordered a trap to be prepared. It was made from the branches of a gigantic tree, and very large, and baited with most tempting food.

By and by crowds of spectators arrived, all eager to see what would happen. As the moon, full of curiosity, left her usual position in the sky and came lower and lower toward the trap, the people held their breath with excitement. When at last the moon was caught, Takei ran up with his bamboos, thinking that he would put out her light forever with the salt water.

He was indeed surprised and very angry to find that the water did not harm her at all, and that she managed to escape from his snare.

The Moon

It seems that the moon, accustomed all her life to rain, was unharmed by the fresh water, as Takei's old mother knew quite well. The dark places on her surface, the people say, are the smears of mud that were left on her while she was in the trap and have remained there ever since.

Source:

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 28 - 29

The Red Prawns of Vatulele

The Red Prawns of Vatulele

(A Tale from Fiji)

Long ago there lived on the little island of Vatu-Lélé a very beautiful princess who was called the Maiden-of-the-Fair-Wind. She was so beautiful that her fame spread far and wide and every prince wished that she would become his queen.

Vatu-Lélé

Many princes sailed over to her island home to ask for her hand in marriage, but she refused them all. Then one day a young prince, renowned for his great strength, decided to try and win her love. He picked up some great rocks and threw them into the sea, making steppingstones from the main island to Vatu-Lélé; and taking giant strides he crossed over the sea to her home. In his haste he forgot to take any fine gifts for the princess, and he carried with him only a bundle of cooked prawns wrapped in leaves.

When he arrived at the little island he was taken to the palace, and when he saw the Maiden-of-the-Fair-Wind he fell in love with her immediately. He praised her beauty and asked her to marry him, but she refused him, as she had refused many suitors before, and chased him out of the palace. Angry at the mean present of prawns he had brought, she threw the bundle after him. As it landed on the ground the bundle burst, spilling the cooked prawns into a pool with the leaves strewn around it.

As soon as the prawns touched the water they came to life again, but they remained as red as they had been before and never again returned to their transparent grey colour. The leaves took root and grew among the crevices in the rocks, where they are still found by those who search for them.

In the course of time these prawns became sacred, and no one was allowed to touch them. It is said that anyone unwise enough to try and take some away will be shipwrecked.

Source:

Tales from the South Pacific Islands

Anne Gittins

1977

Pages: 30 -31