Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/166

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SAMOAN TALES.

II.


Fangono.[1]

TAFITOFAU and Ongafau had a daughter Sina, who remained single. She was very beautiful, and the handsome young men built houses near Sina. Although there were so many handsome men Sina preferred Tingilau. A visiting party of Talingamaivalu came, but they did not go to the house of Sina. He went to the house of Tafitofau and Ongafau, lest Sina should see that his body was full of pimples. His present of food was pigs and sharks. The parents of Sina favoured his suit because they were afraid lest they should be killed.[2]

When Sina knew that her parents favoured Talingamaivalu she at once married Tingilau. Then the woman was taken away. She was not taken to the east or to the west, she was taken to Fiji.

Talingamaivalu came and looked into Sina's house; she was not there. He suspected that she had married. Then he rushed at once after Tafitofau and Ongafau to kill them. He asked, "Where is Sina?" They answered, "My lord, she is married."

Talingamaivalu went off and sought in the western islands, and he reached the eastern islands and then got to Fiji. He then tried to imitate the voice of her brother, but did not succeed. Then he tried to imitate the voice of her mother, and he succeeded. Then he awoke her, saying,

  1. A Samoan tale communicated to me by the Rev. G. Pratt, through Mr. John Fraser of Sydney.
  2. Because he was a god.—G. Pratt.