Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/521

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Samoan Stories.
465

The women said to Mafua, "Mafua, you have broken covenant, you have given away the kava, for we told you that your kava should be first to make your occupation prosperous. You shall no more engage in the occupation because you have broken covenant." Then they took away from Mafua the occupation of tattooer; he did not tattoo again because he had broken covenant. Again he became poor, and regretted uselessly because the profitable occupation had passed from him.

Then the ladies again swam to Upolu, and reached the lee end of the island. There was a man fishing; Pule was his name. He said: "My love to the travelling ladies. Come, whence have you journeyed?" They replied: "You have spoken. We have come from Savaii." [He said] "Come here and take the fish I have caught to make a meal of." He gave all the fish he had caught to the travellers. The ladies asked, "Where is your home?"

Pule said, "It is some distance inland. Come and partake of some food." They went to his house and ate. Then he prepared a feast. Great was the love of Pule for the ladies. The ladies said to Pule, "Do you take our occupation of tattooers and make use of it. When you are engaged in it your kava must be first, to bring success to your occupation. Now we are going."

They went towards the east. They went along the mountain range till they reached the mountain of Olotapu, inland of Safata.[1] There was a man, Atapu by name, who was a skilful workman. He planted every kind of food, bananas, kava, yams, and taro. All looked very well. The travelling women came as Atapu was at work. Atapu looked as the travellers came in sight. Great was the astonishment and compassion of Atapu. He ran and spread good mats in the house. Then he said, "Come into the house and sit down while I pull up some kava." He brought some kava, and the women said: "The good wind cannot be concealed. It is the road of prosperity

  1. A harbour on the south side of Upolu.