The Ocean Race

 The Ocean Race 

(A story from Kiribati)

Tabuariki, Auriaria, Taburimai and Nareau met for a contest one day and decided to hold an ocean race. Each of them was to select the fastest craft he could think of. Tabuariki chose a porpoise, Auriaria a shark and Taburimai a swordfish - all of them deep-sea fish, fast and powerful. Nareau had different ideas about speed and chose a crab - a hermit crab that crawls along the ground. When the others heard of Nareau's choice, they laughed at him for the hermit-crab was among the slowest creatures on earth and the penalty for losing the race was to be a feast for the others.

On the morning appointed for the race, they met together on the lagoon side - possibly the Tarawa lagoon since Nareau was living at Temaiku and Auriaria at Eita, both of them Tarawan villages. The rules provided for four referees to be chosen, one for each craft, and Nareau gave careful instructions to his referee. When he felt the crab nip his toe, he was to press it into the sand under his foot and, when the race was truly under way, to pick it up and show it to the other referees as proof it had come in first.

At the start of the race, each of the contestants took hold of his craft - Tabuariki of the porpoise, Auriaria of the shark, Taburimai of the swordfish and Nareau of his hermit-crab. Meanwhile Nareau's referee had trodden a crab under his foot waiting for the contestants to let go their hold and for the race to start. Off, all the fish swam and, almost immediately, Nareau's referee picked up the buried crab and shouted out to his companions in triumph: “Look, here's the crab!” The other referees inspected it and confirmed it was indeed Nareau's chosen craft. When the four contestants went up to the referees to hear the result of the race, they were told: “The hermit-crab came in first by a long way. Nareau's referee showed it to us.”

Then Tabuariki and his companions, Auriaria and Taburimai, called for another race. They each let their craft go and the crab again beat the porpoise, the shark and the swordfish. The same thing happened a third time - the crab won again, beating the big, fast deep-sea fish. There is no doubt that Nareau was smart in planning victories.

Some clever people say the race was won in the following way. Nareau started off with three crabs. He let two of them go, one after the other, and each of them in turn reached the referee standing up in front. Nareau held the third crab in his hand until the first race started. Before each race was under way, one crab had crept up to the referee's feet so, when the fish set off, a hermit crab was already there.

Source

Traditional Stories from the Northern Gilberts 

Ten Tiroba

1990

Pages: 28-29

Tebwere, Tebarere, and Tetintiri

Tebwere, Tebarere, and Tetintiri

(A Tale from Kiribati)

Once, on an island in Kiribati, three boys lived with their mother. The children were well taken care of, but they were not very obedient. They always ran away from their mother and did naughty things.

Kiribati

They lived on the north end of their island and were allowed to play in the lagoon all day. There was only one rule: They were never to go to the south end of the island, for a giant lived there and would kill and eat them.

Of course, the boys could not wait to go to the south end of the island. One day, when their mother was taking a nap, they quietly ran out of their hut and down the path leading south. They did not believe the giant was real. Besides, they knew magic and could take care of themselves. Foolish children.

When they got to the south end of the island, they found a large pool of clear water that was full of fish. Just across the pool stood a hut. There was no one around. The boys were hot from their walk. The pool looked so good that before you could say, “Don’t do that," they did. They jumped right into the pool and began to splash and play. By the time they were done, the clear water was all muddy.

Suddenly a large voice called out, “Who is playing in the giant’s pool?" Then a huge old woman came out of the hut. “I see you naughty Children! You are lucky that my husband is taking a nap! Now you better go away before you get into trouble."

The boys were not only naughty, but they were also rude. They teased the old woman and called her bad names. Now the woman was angry. “I will tell the giant about you and you will be in big trouble. Now tell me your names!"

“We are Tebwere, Tebarere, and Tetintiri," they answered. Then the silly children giggled and the youngest chanted a magic spell:

Old lady, old lady, this spell will tie your tongue

And you will never tell by whom this deed was done.

When the giant woke from his nap, he asked “Who dirtied my pool?"

“Three naughty boys," his wife replied.

“Well, tell me their names.” demanded the giant. But his wife could only stammer. No matter how hard she tried she could not say the names of the boys.

The next day, the boys returned to the pool. This time they went fishing. They caught every one of the giant’s special fish.

Once again the great voice boomed. “Who is there fishing in the giant’s pool?" Once again the children cast their spell on the poor woman's tongue.

That night the giant went to his pool to catch some fish. The pool was empty. All the fish were gone. “Who has been catching my fish?" he demanded. His wife could only stammer. She could not tell him the names of the boys.

The next day was the worst day. The boys came once again to the giant’s house. This time they cut down all of his coconut trees. The old woman was so angry! When the giant came home he saw what had happened. His wife could still not tell him the names of the boys.

The giant and his wife decided it was time to punish these boys. They began to follow the tracks the careless children had left in the sand. The tracks led straight to their little but in the north!

Soon the giant and his wife came near the hut where the children lived. “I will catch you now!" the giant roared. He began to walk up to the hut. This time the youngest child's magic spell made the giant's feet walk away from the house. Although the giant started right toward the hut, he suddenly found himself on a beach far to the east. He had missed the hut entirely! “How did I get here?" he wondered. “I know the hut is in the north. I will be more careful." This time the giant found himself far to the west. No matter how hard he tried, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own and led him every place except to the hut.

This giant was not so stupid as the children thought. “Hnnnmm,” he thought. “My feet will not walk in a straight line. So maybe I will just crawl on my hands and knees. This way I will go right underneath their magic."

That is just what he did, right up to the hut. Then he ate the hut and everyone in it. And this is the end of this story, and the end of the foolish children as well.

Source:

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

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

Pages: 85-88