Title: Niuē-fekai (or Savage) Island and its People

Author: S. Percy Smith

Part of: Tidal Pools: Digitized Texts from Oceania for Samoan and Pacific Studies

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

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Fishing-net Making

51. Faka-poloto and Hakumani belonged to a family accomplished in netting fish nets; Mele also Lata also, with the others, were clever in netting and twisting cord to catch fish with, and also to net birds. When the work of netting is undertaken (the workers) call on Fakapoloto, Hakumani, Mele and Lata to direct them in their operation.

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matapouli e ufi; ti liuaki ke he afi, kua lei he tama e taha la, ti kai e ia. Kua liu atu e matapouli ta mai vouvou ai, kua toe ni e fitu. Ti pehe, “Ko e haku ufi la valu kua la fitu ai.” Ti liu aki foki, ti lei e fitu; kua toe e ono, ti pehe, “Ko e haku ufi la fitu kua la ono ai.” Ti pihia e lima, ti pihia e fa, ti pihia e tolu, ti pihia e ua, ti pihia e taha, ti oti pito he kai he tama ne moui he pukehuhu gatu kafu he ufi he fifine matapouli ia. Ti age e ia e maka ke tunu he afi; ati ta mai he fifine ko e maka noa.

47. Kua vale lahi e matapouli, mo e amoamo fano hana tau lima, ti eke ni e ia e lagatau, kua hafagi hana felevehi, mo e lei hana fakafifine, ti evaeva atu ke he tau fāhi tokelau, mo toga, i uta mo lalo. Ati kata vave e tama, ti logona he fifine ko ia kia ne fofo hana mena kai.

48. Kua huhu atu e tama, “Ko hai haku a matua?” Ti pehe mai e matapouli, “Fano ā koe ke toli mai ua e fua niu-tea, ko e tau kola mui ni.” Ti fano e tama mo e toli mai ua tuga e kupu, ti hau mo e pehe, “Kua moua tuai.” Kua tala age e matapouli, “Hau!” Kua ta mai he tama e taha, ka huki ke fakapa atu ke he mata matau he fifine, ti ala e mata ia, he ta foki taha, ka huki atu, ke fakapa atu ke he mata hema, ati ala ua ia. Kua fiafia e matapouli.

49. Ne huhu atu e tama, “Ko hai haku a matua?” Ti pehe e fifine, “Hau ā koe; ne tolu e aho ne toe, ti ta ne fai e malē he pulele tika ki Fana-kava-tala he aho ia. He vagahau e ia pihia,” He one one-pata, he mata-vai-hava, ko e male he Fana-kava-tala: “(Ko e malē ia he Ulu-lauta, he Mata-fonua). Ti hifo a koe ke he potu male he lelega atua; ti fakamumuli ai a koe ke leo ai ko e tagata ke ta e tika uli, ko e tika kiva, ke ta he fakahikuaga ko e mui huni ia he male, ko e matua hau ia.”

50. Ne fano e tama mo e leo he patu male ha ne ta e tau tika. Ati ta fakamui a Matila-foafoa; ti fano leva e tika, hu atu ke he mena kua nofo ai e tama. Ati toto mai e tama mo e papaki ka e oho atu tau fagatua mo e matua. Ti tala age e tama “A Matila-foafoa, e haku matua! ko e ha ne tiaki ai e koe au?” Kua moua tuai he tama hana matua.