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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Ko e mena tohi e Mohe-lagi

Ko e tala ke he motu nai, ai tohi e tau tala, ka e taofi i loto he tau tagata iloilo mo e loto-matala.

89. Ko e tupuaga he tau tagata, ne tupu mai i Avatele; ti vevehe he tolo ke he motu nai: Hanai:—

1.	Avatele, he oneonepata, he mata-vai-hava, mo Lua-tupua.
2.	Hakupu-Atua, ko e tuaga a Fiti-ki-lā, takina mai ke tu i luga.
3.	Liku, fakatafetau he tuanaki noa, mo Toga-liulu, he tuaga tafetau.
4.	Tamalagau, male-loa, mo e fakaeteete, he pui mafua
5.	Mutalau, ko e ululauta mo e lelego atua, takina mai ke tu i luga Huanaki.
6.	Tama-Hato-Kula, mahina tu mai, he tuaga Fiti-ki-lā.
7.	Uho-Motu, he tu vae ua mo kiato motuā.
8.	Makefu, fale-kaho-atua mo fale-kilikili, takina mai he tuaga vetelagi.
9.	Paluki, ko e tuaga a viko-tau mo viko-tupua.
10.	Alofi, fakaleama mo e fakalokōga he topetope, he tauaga folau, mo e fakahaga ki Toga, he tuaga Lage-iki.

Ko e tau higoa haia he motu nai, ko Motu-tu-taha, mo e tau tala he motu, ko e tau higoa ia kua oti e tohi ai.

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went down and searched but could not find it, but brought back a paddle. Then Laufoli went down and withdrew the weapon from the te-titi leaves, and proceded to cut down the banana. They had inserted in its centre a piece of iron^* so he could not manage it. Then he tried with his left hand, and did ahu^† it, and the iron was separated, and the Tongans turned pale (with astonishment).

92. Then the Tongans sent him to the tapi rai^‡ so Laufoli went and jumped over it; the Tongans thought he would probably be killed therein.

93. The Tougans then sent him to a cave where dwelt the Toloakai-tagata (or Toloa-the-cannibal). Laufoli went there, but Toloa was not there, though his wife was. Laufoli asked, “Where has he gone?' The woman replied, “He has been gone a long time fishing.” He said, “At what time will he come?” Said the woman, “When the rain falls, and the thunder peals, he will arrive with his back load of human flesh.” He said, “The man stinks!” (i.e., the place stinks of rotten flesh).

94. Toloa-kai-tagata (on his return) looked up and saw Laufoli sitting at his cave; he smiled (in glee) and stepped forward, Laufoli struck him on the feet and cut them off, then his hands. Then Toloa begged that his life might be spared, and he would not return to man-eating. Laufoli said, “Put out you tongue!” which Toloa did; Laufoli plucked it out and burnt it. Thus died Toloa-kai-tagata, and the Tongans lived in safety.

95. On the third night the Tongans appointed him to ascend a mountain whereon people dwelt; so Laufoli ascended the mountain. They rolled down many great stones, but he stood on one side and ascended. When the stones were small he straddled over them but ascended. He arrived (on top) and stretched out his weapon to the north side, the south side, to the east side, and the west side. Then the (remaining) people together begged, to be spared; so Laufoli left them alive. He descended, and dwelt there (with the Tongans) till he was old, and married the daughter of the king. He had three children born, and then discarded his wife. The people said, “Exile him! kill him!” and so Laufoli returned to Niuē.

96. On his return to Niuē he dwelt at Liku. The people of the island assembled to gather firewood to burn. When the oven was